In collaboration with Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and the Equality Fund, with support from the Government of Canada, Toronto Foundation is seeking applications for the Fund for Gender Equality in Canada, along with several other community foundations across Canada.

In August 2019 Toronto Foundation entered into a $300 million contribution agreement with the Government of Canada to support the Equality Fund Initiative as its fiduciary partner. The Fund is creating a sustainable source of funding to support women’s organizations and movements globally to achieve gender equality outcomes. As part of its accountabilities for this Initiative, the Foundation is responsible for the investment of the government funds with a gender lens.

Funding Information

• Through this fund, they will deliver $400,000 locally to help shift power into the hands of women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals by supporting their leadership and engagement in community-level initiatives.
• With grants of up to $40,000, they will support charitable organizations at the “heart” of the women’s movement, whose core activities, leadership, mission, and vision are committed to advancing gender equality.

Eligible Projects

The Fund for Gender Equality will support a wide range of initiatives that provide vital and direct support to women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse people. Community foundations are encouraged to prioritize initiatives that:

• Respond to an immediate or urgent need by women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse in the community, including the impacts of COVID-19;
• Sustain or rebuild the capacity of organizations that are led by and primarily serve women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals;
• Address ‘systems-level’ or root causes of gender equality;
• Involve women, girls, Two-Spirit and gender-diverse individuals with diverse lived experiences and other community members who are affected by the issue being addressed by the proposed project;
• Work in strategic partnership with others

Eligible Applicants

• The Fund for Gender Equality will support projects led by qualified donees that are at the ‘heart’ of the women’s movement—with those organizations that have demonstrated a long-term commitment to empowering women, girls, Two-Spirit, and gender-diverse people through their mission, activities, or partnerships.
• The Fund prioritizes organizations that are ‘self-led’—those that are led by the same groups that they focus on serving (for ex., led by immigrant women, led by Indigenous women, led by survivors of domestic violence, led by members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community, etc.). In the interest of ensuring the broadest possible reach, the Fund for Gender Equality will make only one grant per qualified donee.
• Exceptions may be made if the qualified donee is partnering with a non-qualified donee on an additional, distinct project.

For more information, visit Toronto Foundation.