TO Wards Peace Program

TO Wards Peace in Scarborough funding opportunity is open until October 20, 2023 at 11:45 p.m.

Apply Online

TO Wards Peace (TWP) aims to increase effective interventions to mitigate violence in Toronto using a risk-driven, multi-sectoral model that is driven by a community-centric, public health approach. TO Wards Peace will contribute to the advancement of action 2.1 of the SafeTO: A Community Safety and Well-Being Plan. It focuses on the collaborative efforts between community groups, local grassroots organizations, community health centres, hospitals and the City of Toronto to advance actions for the interruption, intervention and prevention of gun violence in the city.

The City of Toronto is currently seeking a partnership application comprised of a Lead Non-Profit Organization and two (2) local grassroots organizations with demonstrated experience and expertise across Woburn, Morningside/West Hill and Malvern. The grassroots organization(s) will partner with a local non-profit lead organization for the co-implementation of the TO Wards Peace Initiative in Scarborough.

If you have questions about the TO Wards Peace program model, please contact Kecia Richardson.

Email: Kecia.Richardson@Toronto.ca 

If you need technical assistance with the letter of intent, please contact Laurie O’Dell.

Email: Laurie.ODell@Toronto.ca

This funding opportunity closes October 20, 2023, at 11:45 p.m.

Eligibility

Applicants must apply as a partnership that includes an established lead non-profit organization and two (2) local grassroots partners. For the purposes of the TO Wards Peace program, grassroots groups are considered to be groups of three (3) or more individuals working together as an established community-based group or a collective of residents and/or individuals. You have in-depth, place-based knowledge, organizational capacity and expertise to inform the development and delivery of culturally and contextually responsive violence intervention and prevention population-based programs or services. The group may or may not have revenue sources, may or may not have paid staff, and works more generally in a volunteer capacity.

Grassroots partners must demonstrate a proven track record of working with Youth Most Vulnerable to Involvement in Serious Violence and Crime (MVP youth), community and neighbourhood residents with lived experience of violence and display success with violence intervention and de-escalation strategies. Those who best demonstrate deep and extensive place-based experience in Scarborough in delivering anti-violence initiatives, including capacity building and training.

To be considered for funding, all of the eligibility criteria below must be met and clearly demonstrated in your online application. Both the lead non-profit organization and the Grassroots Partner(s) must meet all of the following criteria:

  1. Located in Toronto at an address with a postal code that starts with “M”.
  2. The lead non-profit organization must be incorporated, have audited financial statements, a board of directors comprised of more than 50% Toronto residents, and complies with the City of Toronto Grants Policy.
  3. Be based in Scarborough and/or works directly in the Woburn, West Hill/Morningside, Malvern communities. Both  must have reach and existing healthy relationships within these communities
  4. Operates as a non-profit in the City of Toronto (for-profit entities are not eligible for funding)
  5. Extensive and recent (within the last 3 years) experience working with young people most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime and their families
  6. Extensive knowledge of the justice system, risk factors, causes and consequences impacting the most at risk with special focus on youth ages 12-29
  7. Extensive and recent experience working with diverse children, youth and families
  8. Diverse team (ethnicity, age, and gender) with lived experience of involvement in serious violence and crime (e., formerly gang-involved, incarcerated and/or previous involvement in violence)
  9. Work within an anti-oppression, anti-colonial, trauma-informed and culturally safe frameworks
  10. Knowledge of Positive Youth Development Practices, access or knowledge of supports/ resources required for individuals with complex challenges

Required Capacity Building & Training Experience

  1. Willing to participate fully in partnership and collaborative activities and exercises with external consultants and other stakeholders
  2. Capacity and desire to work in an equal partnership in a shared leadership model
  3. Open to undergoing organizational assessment and ongoing organizational mentorship
  4. Capacity and desire to deliver and receive training to support the delivery of TO Wards Peace
  5. Capacity to work with a Program Evaluator to provide statistics, staff notes and surveys to support the overall evaluation of the project

Required Program Delivery Experience

  1. Demonstrated experience developing programs and program models to support young people most vulnerable to involvement in serious violence and crime and their families (i.e., mentorship, conflict management, peer support, community engagement, etc.)
  2. Capacity to design and deliver an effective outreach strategy geared towards MVP youth aged 12-29 and experience conducting outreach to the intended population
  3. Capacity and willingness to do street outreach and work in a range of settings
  4. Demonstrated accesses to existing networks of supports and resources for clients
  5. Demonstrated track record of creativity and responsiveness to the changing dynamics of youth engagement
  6. Knowledge of safety and risk management planning

Virtual Grant Information Sessions

Participants will receive an overview of the TO Wards Peace in Scarborough funding opportunity including grant priorities and eligibility criteria. There will be a Q&A session right after with City of Toronto staff.

Time Location
Thursday, September 21, 2023  

6 – 7 p.m.

 Grant Information Session #1

Call in #: (416) 915-6530 | Meeting #: 2631 367 6582 | Passcode: TWP
Tuesday, September 26, 2023

6 – 7 p.m.

Grant Information Session #2

Call in #: (416) 915-6530 | Meeting #: 2630 160 0886 | Passcode: TWP

The city’s north–west sites are led and driven in the community by Rexdale Community Health Centre (RCHC), local anti-violence grassroots groups including, Think 2wice in Rexdale and Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education  (Y.A.A.A.C.E)  in the Jane & Finch neighbourhoods.

Grassroots groups include Violence Disruption Workers (VDW) with relevant lived experience with anti-black racism, trauma and violence to work on integrated teams consisting of community and City resources.

These integrated teams will identify escalating situations of risks and pivotal points for violence intervention and violence interruption. The teams will coordinate access to a spectrum of resources and services to further mitigate the potential for additional risks, violence and increase life-stabilizing protective factors.

Learn more about the groups below.

Rexdale Community Health Centre – Lead Agency

Rexdale Community Health Centre (RCHC) has a vision for a healthy and empowered community. Their doors are open to support and advocate for the physical, economic, social and mental health and well-being of our diverse community. RCHC works together with our community and partners to improve equitable access to quality care and services.

Think2wice – Grassroots Agency (Rexdale)

Think 2wice Intl is an organization that provides trauma-informed, culturally relevant initiatives and programming to incarcerated individuals as well as youth and communities who are impacted by gun violence worldwide. Think 2wice has supported a large number of incarcerated young people as well as youth and families in the community. In their 15 years of operation and with approximately 20 partners, they have provided various initiatives and support in eight federal institutions and multiple Neighborhood Improvement Areas (NIA’s) throughout the GTA.

Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education – Grassroots Agency (Jane and Finch)

Founded in 2007, the Youth Association for Academics, Athletics and Character Education (Y.A.A.A.C.E) is a community organization that seeks to engage children and youth from all communities – particularly those from marginalized and poor under-resourced communities through participation in year-round comprehensive programming and activities such as academics, athletics, recreation, technology and the arts. Y.A.A.A.C.E’s mandate is twofold: to build capacity in all children and youth thus enhancing their capacity to become 21st-century learners and global citizens.

Generation Chosen (North West)

Generation Chosen is the community partner within TO Wards Peace that is supporting Peace Projects in Black Creek (Jane and Finch) communities. Generation Chosen is a not-for-profit organization devoted to helping youth from underserved and racialized communities interrupt and examine intergenerational cycles of trauma and poverty.

TO Wards Peace is risk-driven intervention model that focuses on violence interruption, intervention and prevention. It was first proposed to Toronto City Council in 2018 as part of the Immediate Steps to Address Gun Violence (CC44.14 ) Plan, was approved by Council on October 2, 2019 (MM10.2 ), and will contribute to the advancement of action 2.1 of SafeTO.

The TO Ward Peace model was developed based on research and reviews of other proven models such as Cure Violence , Advance Peace ,

Community residents, leaders, youth and adults with lived experience—of anti-black racism, trauma and violence— including organizations, elders and faith-based leaders were consulted and engaged in the design, development and implementation of the model.

City staff have also reviewed violence interruption, intervention and prevention models in jurisdictions across Canada, amongst others, to inform the development of this made for Toronto risk-driven interruption model. The models reviewed include: