Research summary: Grants and contributions for people with disabilities

Why this study

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) works to improve the standard of living and quality of life for all Canadians. Our grants and contributions (Gs&Cs) programs provide funding to organizations that support the full inclusion and participation of all members in our society.

To identify how we can improve the delivery of our Gs&Cs programs, we conduct:

• rigorous research projects, and
• relevant analyses on a regular basis

This project focused on 3 important Gs&Cs programs dedicated to persons with disabilities (PWDs). It examined the challenges and barriers organizations could face when applying to these programs. In addition, it examined how organizations’ application patterns and the funding they received varied across Canada. The information and knowledge generated by this project helps ESDC to better understand the needs of organizations. This information can improve our program design and service delivery.

What we did

Our research looked at organizations that have applied to the following 3 programs, from fiscal year 2012 to 2013 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019. A fiscal year runs from April 1 to March 31:

• Enabling Accessibility Fund (EAF)
• Opportunities Funds for PWDs (OF), and
• Social Development Partnerships Program-Disability (SDPP-D)

These programs provide funding for projects that make Canadian communities and workplaces more accessible for PWDs. This includes helping PWDs to prepare for, obtain, and maintain employment.

These programs also support projects that aim to improve the participation and integration of PWDs in all aspects of Canadian society.

We used administrative data from:

• the 3 programs listed above
• the 2016 Census of Population in Canada
• interviews conducted with organizations that applied to EAF and OF, and
• interviews conducted with program officers

The data allowed us to:

• study the behaviours of organizations applying to these programs
• examine how ESDC’s funding has been allocated across various regions of the country
• identify factors associated with an organization’s success in securing funding, and
• deepen our understanding of the experiences of unfunded organizations with the Gs&Cs application process

What we found

Our analyses showed that:

• nearly 7,700 applications were received for all 3 programs during the period of this study (from fiscal year 2012 to 2013 to fiscal year 2018 to 2019), of which, 5700 were received for the EAF program
• the majority of applicants were not-for-profit organizations, although some organizations from the public and private sector applied (mainly to EAF and OF)
• application behaviours of organizations and the program funding allocated, varied between communities across the country. We found 2 important patterns:
  • organizations that have applied to the OF or SDPP-D programs were mainly larger organizations and were located in large urban population centres across Canada. The same holds true when considering organizations that have actually received funding
  • EAF funds a significantly higher number of small grant agreements, benefiting a larger number of communities across the country
  • while unsuccessful applicants in EAF reapply to the programs, most unsuccessful applicants in OF and SDPP-D didn't reapply in future years
• some characteristics of organizations appear to significantly increase the chance of receiving funding when they apply. Among others, these include being an organization:
  • with previous experience applying to ESDC programs
  • that provides services to target populations, and can adequately describe those services, as outlined in specific Calls for Proposals

All of these are of particular interest to the department’s mandate.

In addition, the qualitative analysis that focused on unfunded OF and EAF applicants shows that:

• limited and/or unstable financial and human resources leads organizations to devote a significant amount of time and resources into seeking funding
• participants felt that the application process was complex and eligibility requirements did not align with:
  • organizational structures (for example, human resources constraints)
  • mandates (for example, determining projections, financial reports), and/or
  • services (for example, obtain quotes in rural areas)
• communication was a consistent issue or concern noted across most of the interviews. Participants noted a lack of response and effective communication between them and the program (for example, uncertainty about the status of their application, difficulty obtaining updates or follow-up, little or no details regarding funding decisions, delays in receiving a decision, etc.).
• there is a sense of skepticism towards the application process due to mostly unexplained rejections (for example, generic responses). Participants felt that the application process was complex and oriented to larger organizations with greater capacity.

What it means

Understanding and reducing barriers for access to Gs&Cs, particularly for organizations serving individuals experiencing vulnerable situations, is essential in supporting effective and responsive:

• program design
• policy development, and
• service delivery

There are 4 key takeaways from this work that can help to strengthen our Gc&Cs programs by:

• providing us with information about unfunded organizations, with whom ESDC has limited interactions, to better support them in the future
• identifying organizations that serve vulnerable or at-risk populations where ESDC can increase the geographical coverage of the program by improving:
  •  the communication to applicants
  •  awareness of programs, and
  •  provide applicants with tailored supports during the application process
• informing the design and delivery of future innovations and pilots by identifying the success and failure factors of applicant organizations
• identifying concrete areas to improve our application processes, as well as assessment and delivery process

Overall, this research will help improve organizations’ access to Gs&Cs which will translate to better support to PWDs across the country.

Contact us

Strategic and Service Policy Branch, Service Policy and Strategy Directorate, Service Research Division

Email: esdc.nc.sspb.research-recherche.dgpss.cn.edsc@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca