Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) has announced the Community Grants Program - Gender Equity in Recreational Sport to support community level interventions through programs, events, practices and/or policy changes that aim to increase participation and/or retention of girls and women in recreational sport across Canada.

CPRA has implemented a number of initiatives, informed by best practices and evidence, in an effort to increase the participation and retention of women and girls in recreational sport in Canada. This effort supports the Government of Canada (Sport Canada) funding commitment to achieve gender equity in sport at every level by 2035.

Objectives

The specific objectives of this initiative are to increase the participation and/or retention of girls and women in recreational sport in Canada by:

• Supporting the implementation of targeted community level interventions through programs, events, practices and/or policy changes which have the potential to increase the participation and/or retention of girls and women in recreational sport in Canada via this funding opportunity
• Supporting knowledge sharing and/or the development of tools and resources aimed at increasing the participation and/or retention of girls and women in recreational sport in Canada
• Supporting innovative projects to explore responses to known barriers to the participation and/or retention of girls and women in recreational sport in Canada
• Supporting the evaluation of the impact of these interventions so that evidence will be collected and successes adopted in other communities

Priority populations for this Initiative are:

• Girls (age 9-15)
• Mothers (post-natal and/or those with school age children)
• Women 55+
• Girls with intersecting identify factors

Funding Information

This funding opportunity will have a minimum of three annual intakes over the course of 2019-2022. It is anticipated that in the second year (2020-21), a minimum of 30 grants will be awarded in three categories:

• 13 grants worth up to a maximum of $2,500 each (up to $32,500 in total)
• 12 grants worth up to a maximum of $5,000 each (up to $60,000 in total)
• 5 grants worth up to a maximum of $15,000 each (up to $75,000 in total)

Eligibility Criteria

• Canadian municipalities, villages, towns
• First Nations, Métis, Inuit or other Indigenous communities
• Not for Profit Organizations are invited to apply, but must include a Letter of Support which clearly demonstrates the direct partnership with the city/village/town/municipality/community that their project proposal will serve
• Eligible communities may submit a maximum of two (2) applications per funding cycle

For more information, visit CPRA.