CommunityReconciliation Grants respond to findings in Winnipeg’s Vital Signs® 2017.
Reconciliation is one of the most pressing issues facing our city today. In Winnipeg’s Vital Signs 2017, Winnipeggers told us that addressing belonging, well-being, divisions within our city and reconciliation are their top priorities.
While The Foundation develops strategies to address these priorities in our next Strategic Plan, which begins Oct. 1, 2018, we knew we couldn’t wait to support reconciliation. In January of this year The Winnipeg Foundation announced we would pilot a granting stream in support of projects that address reconciliation, with $1 million available to charities.
“Reconciliation Grants are an immediate response to the Vital Signs findings. The intent is to empower community organizations that need financial support to implement plans and move forward in work related to reconciliation,” explains Patricia Mainville, member of The Foundation’s Board of Directors and Chair of the Advisory Committee established to determine the reconciliation granting program.
Advisory Committee members include Elder/helper Roxanne Shuttleworth, youth representative Robert Gendron, Rob Riel, Steven Greyeyes, Vania Gagnon and Dr. Trisha Logan. Both Leah Gazan and Sharon Parenteau were also instrumental in the Committee’s learning and work. Members of The Foundation’s Grants Team have also been participating hand in hand with the Advisory Committee.
“These Reconciliation Grants will be thoughtful and intentional, and what we learn in the process will inform our grant-making going forward.”
Megan Tate, Director of Community Grants, The Winnipeg Foundation
“Members were invited to the Committee based on their knowledge of reconciliation, professional backgrounds and community knowledge,” explains Ms. Mainville. “Creating a balanced perspective from a First Nation, Metis and Francophone Metis perspective was important, in addition to ensuring we had both an Elder/helper and youth represented.”
The Committee has been working to establish grant policies and guidelines and will review applications and make recommendations for funding. Determining the granting framework required a lot of consideration.
“The Committee determined it is essential for applicants to understand the documents the lay the groundwork for reconciliation in Canada, prior to applying for a grant,” Ms. Mainville says.
These resources are the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) of Canada’s Calls to Action. The first principle of reconciliation for Canada’s TRC confirms UNDRIP is the framework for reconciliation for all sectors of Canadian society. The Calls to Action are an appeal to mobilize all levels of government, organizations and individuals to make concrete changes in society. They list 94 specific actions to redress the legacy of residential schools and advance the process of Canadian reconciliation.
“The work of this Committee is so important,” says Megan Tate, Director of Community Grants at The Foundation. “These Reconciliation Grants will be thoughtful and intentional, and what we learn in the process will inform our grant-making going forward.”
Charities will be able to apply for up to $100,000 for projects that work toward reconciliation.
Applications open in late June and are being accepted until Oct. 15, with grants being announced in early January 2019.
For more about about the grant program, go to Reconciliation Grants.
There you’ll also find links to read more about UNDRIP and the Calls to Action.
This story is featured in the Summer 2018 issue of our Working Together magazine. Download or view the full issue on our Publications page.