Applications for the 2025 grants are open until October 8. Learn how to apply and register for an information session under Key Dates & Application Process.

 

The Indigenous Climate Action Grants offer funding up to $20,000 to support Indigenous-led climate action projects that:

  • Share knowledge and learnings, and take meaningful action to reduce emissions and realize the co-benefits of a healthy, thriving, and equitable city
  • Directly support and benefit Toronto’s Urban Indigenous community
  • Advance the principles, priorities and actions of TransformTO Net Zero Strategy and the Reconciliation Action Plan
Funding Stream 1: Up to $10,000 per project Funding Stream 2: Up to $20,000 per project
  • Indigenous-led grassroots groups (two or more people) and collectives, individuals/community projects
  • Indigenous-led grassroots collectives who have a bank account in the name of the collective and/or have a trustee
  • Non-profit initiatives/organizations that have an Indigenous project lead(s) directly leading project development and implementation.

Eligible groups

  • Indigenous grassroots groups, collectives and individual/community projects where at least 50 per cent of the group identify as having First Nations, Inuit or Métis ancestry;
  • Indigenous-led collectives and non-profits with at least 50 per cent leadership who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Métis who have a bank account in the name of the collective and/or have a trustee;
  • Non-Indigenous non-profits with an Indigenous project lead directly leading project development and implementation. Additional considerations for non-Indigenous non-profits include that the project must directly serve and benefit the Indigenous community and that an Indigenous council must guide the work.
  • Applicants must be based in Toronto (M postal code).
  • Applicants may only receive one Indigenous Climate Action Grant per calendar year.
  • Project activities should not be scheduled to begin prior to grant funding being awarded.
  • Projects should be concluded by the end of the following year.

Ineligible groups

  • Groups, collectives or community projects cannot operate on a for-profit basis.
  • Funds cannot be used for fundraising events, donations to charitable, political or religious organizations, or debt repayment/deficit funding.

Terms and Conditions

Successful applicants will be required to sign the Declaration of Compliance of Anti-Harassment/Discrimination City Policy and will be asked to review the City of Toronto Guide to Political Activities for City Funded Groups and sign a corresponding document to acknowledge the policy.

The Indigenous Climate Action Grants will be open from September 2 to October 8, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. (midnight).

Key Dates

  • Applications open: Tuesday, September 2, 2025
    Apply Now
  • Information session: Thursday, September 4, 2025 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
    Register for the Information Session
  • Applications close: Wednesday, October 8, 2025 at 11:59 p.m.
  • Application review: October 2025
  • Applicants notified: November 2025

    Timeline is subject to change.

    Notice of Collection

    For Individuals and Indigenous Grassroots Collectives

    The City of Toronto (Environment, Climate & Forestry Division) collects personal information in this application under the legal authority of the City of Toronto Act, 2006, section 83 and Item IE26.16, City Council Decision 1, as confirmed by the City of Toronto By-law 1110-2021.

    The City will utilize this information for the purposes of administering the Indigenous Climate Action Grants program, including: the consideration and evaluation of applications; communication with grant applicants, selection of grant recipients, processing and entering into grant agreements with successful applicants as required, as well as monitoring and ensuring on-going compliance of grant recipients with the terms and eligibility of the Indigenous Climate Action Grants program.

    For Non-Profit Organizations

    As mandated by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, section 2(2.1) and 2(2.2), information collected on this form is considered business identity information. Business identity information could be publicly available and/or disclosed upon request, unless an exception applies.

    For any questions regarding this collection, please contact: Project Lead – Indigenous, Outreach and Engagement, Environment, Climate & Forestry Division, USEW-2 C/O Metro Hall, 2nd Floor, 55 John Street, Toronto, Ontario M5V 3C6.

    All projects funded by the Indigenous Climate Action Grants must directly support and benefit Toronto’s Urban Indigenous community.

    Examples of eligible projects include:

    • Indigenous place-making and ecological biodiversity initiatives
    • Renewable energy projects and climate education workshops
    • Public art promoting Indigenous climate justice
    • Waste reduction efforts, water preservation events, and active transportation campaigns
    • Intergenerational and land-based teaching opportunities

      For support in developing your project budget please contact:

      Below is a list of expenses that are eligible and ineligible. Please note that only expenses that are deemed reasonable and necessary to the success of the project will be approved.

      Category Eligibility Details
      Tools & Equipment Eligible Items
      • Equipment rentals  
      • Small equipment purchases (any equipment purchased must remain within the community after the life of the project)  
      People & Labour Eligible Items 
      • Honoraria, food expenses, transit costs and personal protective gear for volunteers   
      • Honoraria for Elders and Knowledge Keepers  
      • Barrier reduction costs for project participants (such as childminding, meals, transit)   
      • Honoraria for group members 
      • Consultant and staffing fees   
      • Local travel expenses (such as Presto tickets or TTC tokens, car-for-hire receipts) 
      • Interpretation and translation fees    
      Ineligible Items 
      • Revenue-generating activities for staff or group members  
      • Staff salaries unrelated to the project  
      • Honoraria/stipends for non-approved roles  
      • Insurance and accounting fees as part of the regular functioning of the organization  
      • Disbursement of funds to provide additional grants, rebates, or incentives to other parties 
      Events & Workshops Eligible Items 
      • Training and workshop expenses, facilitation / speaker fees 
      • Training expenses (such as food handlers training)     
      • Communications and promotion (such as printing, digital advertising) 
      • Permit fees, space rental, liability insurance (for community events and activities only) 
      Ineligible Items 
      • Conference registration fees   
      • Banquets, receptions, annual general meetings, sport tournaments   
      • Alcohol and cannabis 
      • Fundraising events 
      • Political or religious activities   
      Capital Development Ineligible Items 
      • Capital costs (building repairs, renovations, shed construction, major infrastructure work)  
      • Land acquisition, lease, or rental  
      • Permit fees (for construction or capital work) 

      Photo of Indigenous Climate Action Grants review committee members.

      In 2025 we will be welcoming back all members of our Indigenous Climate Action Grants Review Committee:

      • Elder, Vivian Recollet, Turtle Clan from Wikwemikong unceded territory
      • Maria Simonelli, Brunswick House FN, Oji-Cree and Italian descent, Community Leader
      • Crystal Sinclair, Nehiyaw, Member of Fisher River Cree Nation, Community Leader
      • Shar-Dey Phillips-Walker, Lac Seul First Nation, Community Leader
      • Zephyr McKenna, Munsee Delaware First Nation and Alderville First Nation, Indigenous Youth
      • Samuel Wong, Metis with family roots in Calahoo, St. Albert and Lac St. Anne AB, Indigenous Youth
      • Lyla Hatt, Peskotomuhkati Nation at Skutik and Mixed Ancestry, Indigenous Youth

      The Review Committee is devised of members of the Indigenous Community who have been selected to review grants for the Indigenous Climate Action Grants based on the following considerations:

      • Is First Nations, Inuit and/or Metis
      • Has lived experience and/or experience working within Toronto’s Indigenous Community
      • Is actively involved within the Indigenous Community and is recognized by other Indigenous Community members as such
      • Has an understanding of the Indigenous Climate Action Grants process
      • Has an interest in working with the City of Toronto to ensure the success of the Indigenous Climate Action Grants program
      • Diversity of age, gender and Nationhoods to ensure representation of many Indigenous Nations who live in Toronto

      The Review Committee assess proposals based on the following criteria:

      Core Requirements

      • Is the project Indigenous-led? (Either at least 50 per cent of the project group identifies as having First Nations, Métis or Inuit ancestry, or the project has an Indigenous Project Lead.)
      • Does the project have an Indigenous committee or group who are leading decisions about the project?
      • Does the project serve the Indigenous community?

      Project Strength

      • Is there a good rationale for the project?
      • How clear is the goal of the project?
      • How well do the proposed activities support the project’s overall goal?

      Technical Merit

      • Is the grant application clear and detailed?
      • How clear and realistic are the steps of the project?
      • How clear and realistic is the budget?

      Community Engagement

      • Does the application demonstrate that the project would be valuable to the Indigenous Community?
      • How detailed is the plan to support the Indigenous Community?
      • Does the project include other Indigenous community members, initiatives or organizations?
      • Does the project have a location that is accessible to Indigenous Community members?

      Final recommendations for funding will be approved by the Executive Director of the Environment, Climate & Forestry Division.

      Groups are required to report in the following ways:

      • Attending a reporting circle and verbally reporting the process, their findings, and benefits of the project.
      • Submitting an expense summary and a reporting verification document once the project is completed.

      What is a Trustee?

      A trustee is an incorporated not-for-profit organization with audited financial statements and the financial systems in place to administer grant funds.

      A trustee will distribute the funding according to the approved project budget. Trustees may also provide additional support to funded projects, such as project management and mentorship. Non-profit applicants in Stream 2 can act as their own trustee, provided they fulfill all the requirements listed below.

      Eligible Trustee Organizations

      Trustee organizations must meet all of the following eligibility criteria and be approved by City staff to act as your trustee:

      • Agree to take responsibility for the management of financial and project activities proposed by the applicant organization; and
      • Report on the use of grant funds to the City and maintain documentation for audit purposes;
      • Be an incorporated not-for-profit organization with recent audited financial statements;
      • Demonstrate effective management and administrative capacity;
      • Be based in the city of Toronto (head office must be located in Toronto and a majority of programs and services are located in Toronto) or be an urban off-reserve Indigenous-led organization;
      • Have existed for at least one year;
      • Be in good standing with the City of Toronto (up to date on all requirements for City funds the organization may have received in the past);
      • Collaborate with other service providers and community groups;
      • Demonstrate a clear separation between religious and community service functions (if religious activities are provided by the organization);
      • Comply with the City of Toronto Anti-racism, Access and Equity Policy;
      • Have a service mandate related to the funded project.

      Roles & Expectations of the Trustee

      The trustee organization:

      • Holds financial authority and a position of trust and responsibility for the project grant funds;
      • Maintains proper fiscal oversight including using their existing financial systems and policies when dispersing the grant funds to your group (i.e. petty cash disbursements, honoraria, invoice payment, expense reimbursements, etc.);
      • Has overall legal responsibility for the grant funds;
      • Provides assurance that all funding received will be spent only for the purposes outlined in the Trustee Agreement and in the Letter of Understanding and according to the approved project budget;
      • Acts as the project’s financial and administrative manager for the duration of your project;
      • Ensures compliance with accountability and legislative requirements; and
      • Signs the Letter of Understanding issued by the City with the grant recipient group. The Letter of Understanding outlines the terms and conditions of the grant funding.

      Trustee Fees

      Trustee organizations may charge fees for their services. Fees of up to 15 per cent of the total project funding are eligible for funding

      Year Name of Group About the Group Project Description
      2024 440 Parkside Dr. 440 Parkside Dr. is a community of volunteers who coordinate an Indigenous-led land restoration project located at 440 Parkside Drive in High Park. The grant supported events at 440 Parkside, Anishinaabemowin signage for the garden, and tools & supplies to continue the ongoing work in the garden.
      2024 Anishinawbe Wellness Collective The collective is a group of Anishinawbe caretakers who have a mission to support Indigenous families in Toronto West End (Mount Dennis) area. They focus on supporting families and single parents with access to land-based programming. With this grant, the collective ran a Deer Hide Camp. These were four workshops including, traditional preparation of hides at the Humber River Lodge, a medicine making workshop, a traditional hand drum workshop, and traditional mitt making. These skills are important for passing down traditional ecological knowledges to the next generation.
      2024 Afro-N8ive Creations Afro-N8ive is a grassroots initiative. The travelling market is held in Neighbourhood Improvement areas to inspire Afro-Indigenous artists to showcase art and traditional cultural goods thereby increasing resiliency to climate impacts by creating community. With the support of the 2023 Indigenous Climate Action Grants, Afro-N8ive Creations were able to run four markets. In 2024, they expanded to four themed healing markets. These themes are: MMIWG, 2SLGBTQ+, and healing from Addictions and Trauma.
      2024 Crosby Gitigaan Crosby Gitigaan Services is a family run non-profit that specializes in Indigenous agricultural techniques. They aim to supply the
      Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities with more awareness of
      Indigenous foods, medicines and farming techniques that will help fight climate change
      The Indigenous Climate Action Grant was used to develop workshops about carbon sequestration by creating natural bricks out of biochar and Sunroot (ashkibwaa). The process of cooking the bricks in solar ovens eliminates GHG emissions as the bricks absorb carbon.
      2024 Earth Helpers Earth Helpers is a collective of tradespeople, artists and Elders who have been working in Paul Martel Park (10 Madison Street) since 2020. The garden is home to four types of Native Gardens and incorporates art through the murals surrounding the garden. This year, Earth Helpers used the Indigenous Climate Action Grant to support the ongoing work in Paul Martel Park. To bring more traditional knowledge into their work, they hosted ceremonial events with community Elders to learn about the plants and be in rhythm of the earth.
      2024 Evergreen Brickworks Evergreen Brick Works is a nine-acre heritage industrial site that transformed an abandoned brick factory into a community space for connection to land, recreation, and community events. Indigenous Earth Workers, April and Luke, have been able to develop four Indigenous spaces at the Brick Works for community programming, including the Heart Berry Lodge and Gitigaan, a medicinal and food garden. In July 2024, Evergreen Brick Works experienced mass flooding that greatly affected their Indigenous spaces that are snuggled within the lowlands of the facility. The Indigenous Climate Action Grant supported the reconstruction of the Indigenous gardens affected by floods. The grant also supported the development of ‘Indigenous Land Connections’, a program for high-school students that includes winter growing knowledges, bush-crafting, and animal tracking.
      2024 Finding Our Power Together Finding our Power Together is an Indigenous mental health non-profit in Toronto. They are deeply invested in reconnecting Indigenous communities, particularly youth, with traditional foods, medicines, seeds, and practices to enhance physical health and promote cultural continuity and resilience. The grant funded a youth program focused on Indigenous Food Sovereignty, Climate Action and Mental Health, including taking youth to the field at a local Indigenous-run farm to learn about food sovereignty, food security, and teach traditional growing practices.
      2024 Giwaabamin Giwaabamin is a free herbal clinic for Toronto's Street involved community. A main aspect of the clinic is to provide free and safe care that includes climate induced health impacts such as chronic conditions due to environmental exposure. The Indigenous Climate Action Grant supported Giwaabamin with supplies and herbal medicines needed to run the clinic. It also helped the clinic to become more mobile while ensuring that transporting services across the city is aligned with the Transform TO Net Zero Strategy.
      2024 Gwai-yuk Gih’nendahmoen Gwai-yuk Gih’nendahmoen is an Indigenous collective formed in 2023. They are
      focused on land stewardship and the popular restorative use of urban lands based on Indigenous principles, knowledges, and practices. Their activities support urban Indigenous people to learn and practice cultural traditions, as the basis for reconnecting with communities and the natural world around us. Currently they steward three garden plots on private properties in St. James town.
      Funds from the Indigenous Climate Action Grant supported Indigenous stewards to partake in preparing soil/garden beds, starting seedlings, seed saving, and maintaining their four garden sites. The grant was also used to bring traditional ecological knowledge and growing practices to their sites by hosting an elder teacher in fall and spring 2024.
      2024 Harmony Nests Harmony Nests engages community members in hand- on workshops to remove invasive species and replace them with native berry plants, creating a thriving ecosystem that supports local birds and wildlife, and develop and preserve Indigenous cultural connections and place-making that promotes food security, traditional medicine cultivation and ecological biodiversity that incorporates Indigenous knowledge systems into ecological restoration. First funded in 2023, Harmony Nests has had a surge in membership and interest in their traditional bird nest making. This year, Harmony Nests will be running workshops to teach community members how to make traditional bird nests out of invasive species (dog strangling vine, etc.) to promote the art to new groups.
      2024 Humber River Lodge The Humber River Lodge is an Urban Indigenous cultural site that is stewarded primarily by the youth agency ENAGB, with the support of the City of
      Toronto, the TRCA and many other organizations and individuals. Through consultations with key Indigenous knowledge holders and leaders, they are developing a land management plan to support the healing of and the ecological restoration of the site.
      The Indigenous Climate Action Grant supported ecological restoration work and program contributions at the Humber River Lodge site (six-hectare space). The grant supported costs of facilitating weekly gatherings at the Humber River Lodge over the summer and fall. Activities included planting and harvesting ceremony, invasive species removal, gardening caretaking, a phragmites roofing workshop, planting, cooking traditional meals, a seed saving workshop and harvesting teachings.
      2024 Taiaiako'n Historical Preservation Society Taiaiako'n Historical Preservation Society is an Indigenous-led group that has worked to protect sacred sites in Toronto, especially in High Park where there are 57 ancient Haudenosaunee burial mounds, and the Mohawk-Seneca town site of Taiaiako’n located in current day Baby Point. They do cultural preservation and environmental stewardship work in High Park and in Allan Gardens. With this grant, the group held teachings on the four orders of creation in the Onhen Takwedekwa teachings, that are Haudenosaunee ecological teachings related to the Great Law, a series of law and ethics on how to take care of each other and the earth. In recent years they have held successful events on the first, second and third order of creation.
      2024 Toronto-Peel Metis Council Toronto-Peel Metis Council (TYRMC) is a volunteer-run Metis council who represents over 1500 citizens in the Toronto and York region. They offer cultural programming including workshops that center around Metis identity and revitalization of cultural knowledge. The grant funded the "Back to the Land project" a land-based retreat that aimed to energize and promote physical, psychological and emotional connect of the Metis youth and elders in the GTA. The program was a three-day cultural immersion camp centered on the revitalization of traditional ways of living on the land, including ice-fishing, trapping, and snowshoeing.
      2024 Turtle Protectors Turtle Protectors is an Indigenous-led and guided stewardship program that is supported by Msit No’kmaq, the Indigenous Land Stewardship Circle, Indigenous Elders, and community members. They advocate, support, and protect Turtle relatives living within High Park, Humber River, and Rennie Park while embracing all our kin. The grant supported the Turtle Protectors hotline that is a critical aspect of the project. In 2024 Turtle Protectors expanded to eight parks throughout Toronto with many other requests coming from Woodbine Beach and other shoreline parks. The hotline operators connect volunteers to sites where residents and park visitors have spotted turtles so they can protect egg laying sites.

       

      We aim to accommodate needs such as documents in alternate formats, ASL interpretation and off-hour meetings to ensure that groups can fully participate in the funding process. If you require accommodation or assistance, please contact:

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