The Identify ‘N Impact Grant Program is closed. Applications will reopen in 2025.
Do you have a passion for improving your community? Are you a youth-led group (ages 15-29) with a great idea that needs funding? Consider applying for a grant to help make an impact in your community.
Identify ‘N’ Impact (INI) was initiated through the advocacy efforts of the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC), the City of Toronto’s official youth advocacy body. Since 2006, the City of Toronto’s Identify ‘N Impact Grant Program continues to provide funding supports for youth-led initiatives in Toronto.
The purpose of the Identify ‘N Impact Grant Program is to:
All funded projects must work towards advancing one or more of the following priorities to be eligible to apply:
*Note: Political activity is not eligible for funding. Civic education, leadership and volunteer training, advocacy on youth issues and policy changes are eligible activities.
The Toronto Youth Equity Strategy (TYES) recognizes that there are various and intersecting factors that affect youth’s resilience and vulnerability to involvement in serious violence and crime. The term MVP youth (Most Vulnerable People) is used to describe youth who face multiple and/or intersecting vulnerabilities identified in the Ontario Ministry of Children and Youth Services’ Roots of Youth Violence report. These roots include poverty, racism, community design, issues in the education system, family issues, health/mental health, lack of economic opportunity and issues in the justice system. Through the City’s work on gender-based youth violence, ability, homophobia, transphobia, and community violence exposure, these have also been added as roots of youth vulnerability.
Identify ‘N Impact (INI) was developed to support emerging (new, small, grassroots) youth-led groups. Your group is eligible to apply if it:
For the INI grant program, a group is considered “youth-led” if the following criteria are met:
Youth-led groups that are not incorporated and do not have audited financial statements can still apply for INI funding. If recommended for funding, your group will work with an Organizational Mentor (OM), also referred to as a trustee or administrative partner. Groups will be provided with a list of potential Organizational Mentors to choose from. Funded groups are also able to work with an existing OM if the City of Toronto’s trusteeship requirements are met.
Organizational Mentor (also referred to as a trustee or administrative partner)
Qualified OMs are incorporated non-profit or charitable organizations with recent audited financial statements.
Groups can apply for up to $17,000 in project funding for youth to lead and deliver projects up to one year in length. Review the Guidelines for more details and examples of eligible project costs.
Additionally, accessibility costs for deaf and/or people living with disabilities: Up to $2,000 in additional funds may be made available to support youth leaders and members of youth-led groups or participants who are deaf and/or living with disabilities lead and/or participate in your INI project.
Some examples of eligible accessibility costs for deaf and/or disabled individuals includes the following:
To apply for these additional funds, applicants must complete extra questions in the online grant application form in TGRIP. Documentation may be required.
Please note: It is not guaranteed these accessibility funds will be approved even if the project grant is successful. If these funds are approved and unused, they must be returned to the City of Toronto. Please contact a staff person to request approval for other supports not listed here before you submit your application.
Toronto Grants, Rebates and Incentives Portal (TGRIP) Account
If your group already has a TGRIP account, you can log into your TGRIP account to access the INI grant application, found under “My Funding Opportunities”. Please make sure to update your organizational profile if any information has changed since you last logged on.
If your group does not have a TGRIP account, you will need to sign-up / register your group on the Toronto Grants, Rebates and Incentives (TGRIP) Portal . Review the instructions on How to Register for a TGRIP Account or watch the TGRIP video before you begin your applications.
If your group is a grassroots group or unincorporated non-profit, please select “community group” when registering your account for the first time and select “resident led-group” when completing the organization profile.
How do I complete and submit the organization profile if we do not have documents to upload (i.e. we are a youth-led grassroots or unincorporated non-profit group)?
Finding the INI application in TGRIP after I have registered an account and completed the organization profile.
Download the application package below:
Note: Only one application per group is permitted.
Application Assessment:
Eligible and completed grant applications will be reviewed by a panel of youth and youth sector leaders and they will make the INI grant recommendations for approval.
The Grant Review Committee (GRC) is a volunteer panel made up of diverse youth from across the city of Toronto, including Indigenous, Black and/or 2SLGBTQ+ youth. In partnership with the Toronto Youth Cabinet, youth are recruited and selected using an open application process and can serve for a 2-3 year term.
“I am extremely grateful and honoured to have been an Identify ‘N Impact grant recipient, as Rise In STEM would not be where it is today without this initial funding opportunity. The INI program allowed us to pilot our very first after school STEM program and introduced us to our organizational mentor who continues to support us to strengthen and scale our work. It allowed us to see what we were capable of, provide leadership opportunities to youth, and propelled us to see the importance and impact of our work.
Irene Duah-Kessie, Rise In Stem, Identify ‘N Impact (INI) Grant Recipient 2019
The City of Toronto awarded 25 grants to support youth-led initiatives that promote youth engagement and community safety. The recommendations were made by a youth-led grants review panel.
The 2023 youth-led groups that received funding are:
| Group Name | Funding Amount | Ward/Service Area |
| Antibes Youth Council | $10,050.00 | 6 York Centre |
| Auntie’s Place | $17,000.00 | 5 York South-Weston |
| Back 2 Basickz Youth Support Services | $17,000.00 | 7 Humber River-Black Creek |
| Born Somali | $15,000.00 | 1 Etobicoke North; 8 Eglinton-Lawrence; 2 Etobicoke Centre; 3 Etobicoke-Lakeshore; 5 York South-Weston; 6 York Centre; 7 Humber River-Black Creek |
| Girl Impact | $17,000.00 | 1 Etobicoke North |
| Girl’s Group (formally Westview Secondary) |
$16,998.00 | 24 Black Creek |
| Hidaayah House | $16,903.00 | 24 Scarborough-Guildwood |
| KWH Youth Initiative | $16,368.00 | 7 Humber River-Black Creek |
| L’Am Art Youth Group | $16,973.76 | 20 Scarborough Southwest; 21 Scarborough Centre; 22 Scarborough-Agincourt; 23 Scarborough North; 24 Scarborough-Guildwood; 25 Scarborough-Rouge Park |
| Mental Health Matters | $17,000.00 | 24 Scarborough-Guildwood |
| NACI Robotics | $7,500.00 | 1 Etobicoke North |
| Play Forever | $10,000.00 | 0 All Wards |
| Power of Love Foundation Canada | $17,000.00 | 2 Etobicoke Centre |
| Rexdale Music Production Project | $16,548.00 | 1 Etobicoke North |
| Scarbrite Collective | $17,000.00 | 20 Scarborough Southwest; 21 Scarborough; Centre; 22 Scarborough-Agincourt; 23 Scarborough North; 24 Scarborough-Guildwood; 25 Scarborough-Rouge Park |
| Sister’s Circle TO | $16,802.50 | 13 Toronto Centre |
| The Change-Makers Foundation for Diversity, Equity, Excellence, and Inclusion | $17,000.00 | 13 Toronto Centre |
| The Key of Sight | $8,900.00 | 22 Scarborough-Agincourt |
| The QuArtz Cluster | $16,876.40 | 10 Spadina-Fort York |
| The School Bag Project | $17,000.00 | 15 Don Valley West |
| The South Asian Yard | $17,000.00 | 21 Scarborough Centre; 22 Scarborough-Agincourt; 23 Scarborough North; 24 Scarborough-Guildwood; 25 Scarborough-Rouge Park |
| Toronto Asian Youth Activists | $17,000.00 | 21 Scarborough Centre |
| Ubuntu T.O. | $12,710.00 | 20 Scarborough Southwest; 21 Scarborough Centre; 22 Scarborough-Agincourt |
| Ummah Nabawiah Masjid Youth Committee | $16,800.00 | 1 Etobicoke North |
| YouSpoken | $5,350.00 | 22 Scarborough-Agincourt; 23 Scarborough North |
The City of Toronto through the Toronto Youth Cabinet (TYC) holds a Gala and Identify ‘N Impact Awards where Black, Indigenous and equity deserving youth are honoured for their the contributions.
The goal is to create a legacy within the city that celebrates Black and Indigenous youth and organizations dedicated to their empowerment and advancement, by encouraging collaboration where youth across the City have the opportunity to network across and build together in a safe space. This event provides youth and their peers, community members and mentors the opportunity to commemorate their accomplishments in all facets of life.
Youth between the ages of 13 to 27, who either live, work or go to school in the City of Toronto are eligible to receive an award.
The 25th Anniversary Gala and Awards were held May 10th, 2024.