Identify ‘N Impact Grant Program

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.

Since 2006, the City of Toronto’s Identify ‘N Impact (INI) Grant Program continues to provide funding supports for youth-led initiatives in Toronto.

The purpose of the Identify ‘N Impact Grant Program is to:

• Help promote youth engagement and community safety in the City of Toronto
• Support youth to turn ideas into action
• Support emerging (new, small, grassroots) youth-led groups and collaborative youth-led networks
• Motivate and encourage Most Vulnerable People (MVP) youth to become involved in their communities

You can also access the funding program Guidelines to learn more about this funding opportunity.

To learn more about this funding opportunity for youth, the City of Toronto is hosts youth virtual information sessions to inform and advise applicants on how to write the grant application.

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:

• Is youth-led and includes at least three or more youth, ages 15 to 29 years old.
• Is based in Toronto (use the Find Your Neighbourhood tool to find out which neighbourhood you live in).
• Is a non-profit that is proposing project activities that will run in Toronto only (Unless specifically for Indigenous-based cultural activities outside of Toronto as per the City of Toronto Grants Policy)

For the INI grant program, a group is considered “youth-led” if the following criteria are met:

• A majority of the group’s leadership are youth between the ages of 15 to 29 years old.
• The group makes decisions about its activities independent from any other community organization.
• Youth are the leaders in the project planning/design, management and delivery.

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)

• An Organizational Mentor (OM) is a non-profit or charitable organization that works with you to provide the financial and management support needed for the project to succeed.
• OMs can provide coaching, training, and templates to help strengthen your project’s effectiveness and project delivery.
• The OM provides financial accountability for the funding if a group does not have the financial systems or organizational structure to do so.
• The OM will provide insurance coverage for the project activities.

Qualified OMs are incorporated non-profit or charitable organizations with recent audited financial statements.

The deadline to submit your online application using the Toronto Grants, Rebates and Incentives (TGRIP) Portal is Tuesday May 2, by 12 p.m.

Note: Late applications will not be considered.

TGRIP Account

To apply, 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 application.  Once your account is activated, step one is to confirm your eligibility. Once eligible, you will be moved forward to the fill application, sept two, including completing a work plan and budget.

To improve your TGRIP experience and access to the INI application in the new online system, we have identified a few helpful tips.

When registering your TGRIP account, signing-up:

• 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 (we do not have documents to upload -we are a youth-led group)?

• When setting up your organization profile answer “yes” to the question, “is your group a resident-led group leading a project in your neighbourhood”.
• You do not need to sign and complete the Declaration of Compliance with Anti-Harassment/Discrimination Legislation & City Policy. This will only be needed for groups who are approved for funding. To bypass this step, click save. Then log out and then log back on.

Finding the INI application in TGRIP after I have registered an account and completed the organization profile.

• Once you have completed registering and setting-up your organizational profile, log out and then log back in.
• Once you have logged back in you can then access the INI application form, click on “My Funding Opportunities” or click on the City of Toronto logo to the left and then click on “View Details/Apply Button” to start the INI application.

Application Package

Download the application package below:

• Grant Program Guidelines
• Sample Application Questions
• INI Budget Template
• INI Work Plan Template

Application Process

1. Review the grant Guidelines to ensure your group/organization and proposal are eligible to apply for funding.
2. Attend a grant writing and information session and/or attend one of the virtual youth drop-in office hours should you have any application questions.
3. Develop your answers using the MSWord document containing the application questions, and then cut and paste your answers into the online application system.
4. Submit your online application in TGRIP by Tuesday May 2, 2023 by 12 p.m.

Note: Only one application per group is permitted.

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 disabled individuals: up to $2,000 in additional funds may be made available for projects involving Deaf and/or disabled individuals. These funds are being made available to support youth participants or members of your group that are Deaf and/or disabled.

Some examples of eligible accessibility costs for deaf and/or disabled individuals includes the following:

• American Sign Language (ALS) interpretation
• Audio description
• Closed captioning
• Communication assistance
• Attendant care
• Support worker(s)
• Equipment rentals

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.

• A mentorship program for newcomer Afghan youth living in east Scarborough that provided life and leadership skills to address issues of domestic and gang violence.
• Opportunities for female youth to learn about science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) post-secondary opportunities
• Co-ed boxing classes and certification for youth with experiences in the criminal justice system and those experiencing mental health challenges
• A four (4) week workshop series for Queer and Trans People of Colour that promoted conversations on 2SLGBTQ+ self-love from African Canadian and Indigenous perspectives
• Land-based programming for Indigenous youth with a traditional knowledge keeper.

“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

Eligible and completed applications will be reviewed by a panel of youth and youth sector leaders and they will make the INI grant recommendations for approval. You will find out the outcome of your application by June 2023.