2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund: How to develop your application

3. How to develop your application

The first step is to create an account in the Online Application and Intake System (ONAIS). Consult the ONAIS system user guide to find more information on how to create an account. The guide also explains how to complete, submit, and track an application.

We recommend that you read this section while completing the application. It provides important details on the information and documentation we need. We will review your application using:

• Eligibility criteria: basic requirements you must meet
• Assessment criteria: other requirements we use to evaluate the strength of your application. We will assess only eligible applications.

We have indicated the criteria in the instructions below. We will consider only the information we requested in the application form to assess your proposal.

Before starting an application, we encourage you to attend a virtual information session and to take the free online course: Introduction to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus). It will help make your project more inclusive.

In this section

• Part A: Organization information
• Part B: Primary contact person’s information
• Part C: Secondary contact person’s information
• Part D: Project information
• Part E: Budget
• Part F: Declaration

Part A: Organization information

You need to enter this information in your organization’s profile in the Online Application and Intake System (ONAIS). We recommend you review this information in ONAIS before you apply for each call for proposals. For this call for proposals, we ask that you include specific information for the mandate question. Also, you may need to update your contact information.

Legal name

State the legal name of your organization. You can find it on your certificate of incorporation or registration or on a document from the Canada Revenue Agency. If it is an acronym, give the full legal name.

If there is no legal name, state the operating or common name of your organization. If it is an acronym, give the full operating name.

Operating name

State the operating or common name of your organization if it is different from the legal name. The operating name is the most used name of your organization. If it is an acronym, give the full operating name.

Legally constituted (if applying under Stream 1)

This section is mandatory if you are applying under Stream 1. This is not required if you are applying under Stream 2 (up to $25,000 for unincorporated or unregistered organizations).

Indicate how your organization was created.

If you selected “created under an Act”, indicate which one (for example, Indian Act, University Act). In some cases, you may also have a certificate. If this is the case, please upload a copy.

If you selected “incorporated”, you must upload a copy of the certificate. The incorporation number is on the certificate.

If you selected “registered”, you must upload a copy of the certificate (“certificat d’attestation” in Quebec). It is issued by the provincial or territorial registrar. The registration number is on the certificate.

Eligibility criteria:

• The applicant is an eligible organization
• The application is complete and must include a valid certificate

Type

Select your organization’s type.

All applicants under this call for proposals must:

• be Canadian organizations
• be not-for-profit organizations
• provide proof of incorporation or registration unless applying under Stream 2
• work primarily or entirely with 2SLGBTQI+ communities. To show this, you must provide your mandate or describe your organization’s experience

Eligibility criterion:

• The applicant is an eligible organization

Organization scope

Indicate the scope of your organization as it currently appears in your mandate:

• Local: the organization’s activities cover at least one community, such as a town or city
• Regional, provincial, territorial, interprovincial, or interterritorial: the organization’s activities cover a region or all of a province or territory or at least two provinces or territories. For this call, organizations that cover one of Canada’s three largest municipalities, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, would qualify as regional
• National: the organization’s activities have the potential of impact across Canada

Address

Provide the street address of your organization.

Organizations in Quebec

The Quebec National Assembly adopted the Act respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (M-30). It sets out conditions for organizations that want to sign an agreement with the federal government. Organizations must comply with the Act respecting the Ministère du Conseil exécutif (M-30).

If your organization is in Quebec and meets one of the following criteria, it is subject to the Act:

• the majority of your members, board of directors or executive members, come from the Quebec public sector. This includes any person appointed by the Government of Quebec: a minister, a government agency, a municipal body, a school board or another public agency
• your personnel are appointed in accordance with the Public Service Act of Quebec
• the majority of your financing comes from Quebec public funds. For example, funding from the Consolidated Revenue Fund, a government agency, a municipal body or a public agency

Organizations subject to the Act must get authorization from the Government of Quebec. Only then can they sign an agreement with the Department. If your project is selected, we will provide you with more information.

If your organization’s street address is in Quebec:

• provide your organization’s most recent financial statements
• indicate if your organization meets one or more of the criteria under the Act
• if your organization has received a Ministerial Order from the Government of Quebec, please upload the most recent order now. If not, continue to the next question

Confidential address

Indicate if the street address of your organization is confidential, such as the address of a shelter.

Telephone and email

Provide the telephone number and email address of the organization.

Preferred official language of communication

Choose the official language in which you wish to communicate.

Mandate

Indicate your organization’s mandate as it appears in your governing documents and website, if applicable (maximum 400 words).

These are some examples of mandates from organizations that work primarily or entirely with 2SLGBTQI+ communities:

• offer social, health, housing or cultural programs and services primarily for 2SLGBTQI+ communities
• create networks and share knowledge and training between 2SLGBTQI+ organizations
• increase access to services for trans and non-binary people
• provide resources and safe spaces for 2SLGBTQI+ people who are Indigenous, Black, or racialized
• organize 2SLGBTQI+ community celebrations
• promote the inclusion and well-being of gay and lesbian communities
• support 2SLGBTQI+ refugees
• build links between 2SLGBTQI+ communities and non-2SLGBTQI+ communities with the main goal of removing barriers for 2SLGBTQI+ people
• provide HIV/AIDS prevention and education primarily for 2SLGBTQI+ communities

These are some examples of mandates from organizations that do not work primarily or entirely with 2SLGBTQI+ communities:

• provide shelter for vulnerable youth, including 2SLGBTQI+ youth
• address gender-based violence against women including lesbian, bisexual and trans women
• provide services for different groups including 2SLGBTQI+ communities, but they are not the majority of the people served by the organization

Eligibility criteria:

• The organization works primarily or entirely with 2SLGBTQI+ communities
• The organization’s work mainly benefits 2SLGBTQI+ communities

Governance

Explain the type of governance body your organization has in place. Examples include a board of directors, board of trustees or advisory committee (maximum 400 words)

Explain how your governance body oversees the work of your organization. Include how often it meets to review its resources, activities and outcomes.

Describe what changes, if any, there have been to your governing body or senior management in the last two years. Describe the impact of these changes.

Assessment criterion:

• The application shows that the organization can manage and support the project

Amounts owing

Indicate if your organization owes any amount to the Government of Canada.

If so, add the name of the Department or agency, the amount owing, the nature of the debt and if a payment plan is in place.

Part B: Primary contact person’s information

The primary contact person is who the Department may communicate with about this application. This person must know the details of the proposed project.

Give the primary contact person’s name, title, phone number and email.

We will send all correspondence to the primary contact person’s email.

Part C: Secondary contact person’s information

We will contact this person in the absence of the primary contact person. This person must also know the details of the proposed project.

Give the secondary contact person’s name, title, phone number and email.

Part D: Project information

How you heard about the CFP

Indicate how you first heard about this call for proposals.

Stream

Indicate which stream you are applying under:

• Stream 1 – A registered or incorporated not-for-profit organization
• Stream 2 – A non-registered or non-incorporated not-for-profit organization applying for up to $25,000. You must include becoming incorporated or registered as one of the project activities.

Experience working with 2SLGBTQI+ communities

Describe your organization’s experience working with 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Also describe how the population that benefits from your work is one or several 2SLGBTQI+ communities (maximum 400 words).

Eligibility criteria:

• The applicant demonstrates that it works primarily or entirely with 2SLGBTQI+ communities
• The applicant demonstrates that the main population that benefits from their work is one or several 2SLGBTQI+ communities

Title

Provide a brief and descriptive project title (maximum 15 words)

Anticipated start date

Indicate the anticipated start date of the project. Projects should start no earlier than October 2023.

We will only reimburse eligible costs incurred after the signature of the agreement.

Anticipated end date

Indicate the anticipated end date of the project.

Projects must end by March 31, 2026. As such, we will remove the costs of activities continuing after March 31, 2026.

Assessment criterion:

• The project will end by March 31, 2026.

Project reach

For this call for proposals, select the same option as your organization’s scope. If you chose “national” for your organization scope, please select “pan-Canadian.”

Activity location type

Indicate if most of the project activities will take place in a rural or urban area, or both. A rural area is an area outside settlements with 1,000 people or more and has less than 400 people per square kilometre (see Statistics Canada).

Indicate if most activities will take place in a remote area. A remote area is an area that:

• has infrequent flights
• has no roads in or out of the area
• only has a forestry truck road
• has road access only in winter

Indicate if most activities will take place in a northern area. A northern area is one of the three territories or an area above the:

• 50th parallel in Newfoundland and Labrador
• 54th parallel in Quebec or Ontario
• 53rd parallel in Manitoba
• 54th parallel in Saskatchewan, Alberta or British Columbia

This information can be found on the LatLong website.

If there are extra costs, these assessment criteria apply:

• the application supports increased costs due to activities in a remote or northern area
• the work plan includes activities in a remote or northern area
• the budget includes costs for activities in a remote or northern area

Needs to be addressed

Check all boxes that apply, indicating the categories of need your project will address. If you check “other”, you will be prompted to provide a brief description (maximum 100 words).

Assessment criteria:

• The application identifies needs that are relevant to the call for proposals
• The application identifies needs that align with the activities proposed

Project objectives

Project objectives describe what you will do and how you will track progress and measure success. They should be clear and practical and describe measurable goals.

Indicate the project objectives (maximum 400 words):

• provide details on how they contribute to the call for proposals’ objective
• include references to the issue or need the project will address
• state how your organization will measure success

Assessment criterion:

• The project objectives align with the call for proposals’ objective

Population that will benefit from the project

The population that will benefit from the project should align with the call for proposals’ objective. We will prioritize projects that build the capacity of eligible organizations who focus on advancing equality for 2SLGBTQI+ people who are:

• Indigenous
• Black
• racialized
• seniors
• youth
• low income
• living with a disability
• members of an official language minority community
• living in a rural, remote or northern community

Indicate the gender of the population that will benefit from the project. You can select a maximum of two unless you select “All genders”. A person's gender may differ from the sex a person was assigned at birth. The categories ‘Women’, ‘Men’ and ‘All genders’ are considered inclusive of both cisgender and transgender individuals. If the project benefits another gender, choose the ‘Those not listed above’ category.

Indicate the age group of the population that will benefit from the project. You can select a maximum of two unless you select “All ages”.

Indicate the identity factor that best describes the population that will benefit from the project. If there is a primary target audience for your project, please select only one. If your project is broad, select those that apply. You can select a maximum of three unless you select “All Canadians”.

If the project focuses on benefitting Indigenous people, indicate whether the majority identifies as First Nations, Inuit, Métis, unaffiliated or urban Indigenous. You can select a maximum of two unless you select “All Indigenous people”. Indicate if the population that will benefit from the project is First Nations off reserve, First Nations on reserve or all First Nations people.

The project must benefit 2SLGBTQI+ communities. Indicate the population group it aims to benefit. You can select a maximum of 5 unless you select “All of the above”. If the population that will benefit from the project is another 2SLGBTQI+ population, indicate it using the ‘Other’ category (maximum five words).

If the project benefits racialized individuals, indicate which population group it specifically aims to benefit. You can select up to a maximum of two unless “All racialized people” is selected. If the project benefits another racialized population, indicate it using the “Other” category (maximum five words).

Representation

Indicate whether your organization’s leadership reflects the population that will benefit from the project. This includes the governance body or others with the power to make decisions.

We may use this information to prioritize applications that:

• are submitted by organizations representative of the population they serve
• address any other gap as deemed a priority by the Department

People served

Indicate the number of people served each year by your organization. If you represent a network of partners or of members, indicate the total number of people served each year.

Engagement

Describe how you will engage and involve the community affected by the issue or need (maximum 350 words).

Engagement is a dialogue so that those affected by the issue can influence decisions. They may want to take part in the project in different ways. They may want to provide advice, help design the project or work on some activities.

Before completing an application, we encourage you to take the free online course: Introduction to Gender-based Analysis Plus (GBA Plus).

GBA Plus is a process used to assess how diverse people may experience policies and programs. The “plus” in GBA Plus acknowledges that GBA goes beyond sex and gender differences. We all have many identity factors that intersect to make us who we are. GBA Plus also considers many other identity factors, like ethnicity and age.

Assessment criteria:

• The application shows the organization considered the results of its GBA Plus
• The application demonstrates that the population who will benefit from the project will be involved in the project

Work plan

The work plan provides information on key activities and timelines. Organizations often rely on detailed work plans to manage projects. For this application, only include the steps that will help achieve your objectives. Do not include all the steps you will take to manage the project, such as hiring an employee or reporting on your project. If the project is approved, you will need to report on all activities to the Department. It will be easier to write reports if you only include the important activities in your workplan. Activities in the workplan must align with the costs in the budget.

The key activities need to:

• be realistic given the available funding
• be listed in chronological order
• be well-defined
• be linked to project objectives and deliverables
• have timelines that are feasible for the proposed activities
• show how the project outcomes will last after the project ends
• involve partners or stakeholders, if applicable
• include becoming incorporated or registered if applying under Stream 2 (up to $25,000 for unincorporated or unregistered organizations)
• demonstrate activities in a remote or northern area if applicable

Read the Activities section for more information on eligible and ineligible activities.

If applying under Stream 2, read Creating a not-for-profit corporation for more information on how to incorporate or become registered.

If activities could affect the well-being of participants, you should include cultural and emotional support.

For activities that take place across Canada, you may include translation or other supports.

Eligibility criteria:

• The application is complete, including the work plan
• The work plan activities are eligible and aligned with the objective of the call for proposals
• The proposed activities in the workplan includes becoming incorporated or registered if applying under Stream 2 (up to $25,000 for unincorporated or unregistered organizations)

Assessment criteria:

• The work plan and application provide a clear description of each activity
• The activities are eligible and measurable
• The work plan and application show how the activities are relevant to the project objectives
• The work plan provides clear and feasible timelines that are in line with the project activities
• The work plan and application show how the project outcomes will be sustained after the project ends

Partners

A project partner usually has expertise and an interest in the issue. Although a partner’s role can vary, a project partner is not accountable for the project outcomes.

If your project includes partners, state their organization type and the role they will play in the project (maximum 300 words). If your organization partnered with the organization in the past, describe the role it played.

Project description

We will use your project description as a summary of your proposed project. It should help anyone understand your project. We may use your project description to identify projects for priority funding. We may also provide your project description to internal and external review committees.

Provide a short description of the key activities and expected results. Include your organization’s name and the project duration in months (maximum 200 words).

Here is a suggested template:

Through this [insert number of months]-month project, [insert organization name] will build stronger capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality. It will address [name gaps, needs, barriers]. The project will include [outline key activities].

Official-language minority community

An official-language minority community (OLMC) is a Francophone population outside of Quebec or an Anglophone population in Quebec. The Treasury Board Secretariat website lists all OLMCs.

Indicate if the project will benefit or involve members of an OLMC. This applies to organizations that work in and around OLMCs. In such cases, it could be important to involve community members to have a more inclusive project.

Here are some examples of how your organization can involve OLMCs:

• include OLMCs in the project design and activities
• reserve a seat for an OLMC organization on your project advisory committee
• adapt project activities to OLMC needs

Translation of existing or new documents is not sufficient to benefit or involve an OLMC.

If the project will involve OLMCs, describe how your organization will do so (maximum 250 words).

Part E: Budget

We will use the information you provide in this section to assess the total cost of the project. We will also check if the anticipated sources of funding would cover the costs. Costs must align with the activities described in the work plan.

Budget

Fill out the budget. Read the ONAIS system user guide for more information.

Important tips for creating your budget:

• only include the project costs requested from Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) in the budget table. If you include other costs, we will adjust the budget accordingly
• write clear and detailed descriptions for each cost so that they are easy to match to the activities. Use the examples provided in the Guidelines on Eligible Expenditures
• compare your budget to your work plan to ensure that it includes all required costs for each activity. We may remove costs that are not clearly linked to activities. The Department only covers costs and activities directly related to a project
• round all budget costs to the nearest dollar
• if your project is longer than one fiscal year, you must also break down the costs by fiscal year (2023-2024, 2024-2025, and no later than 2025-2026). Each fiscal years start on April 1 and end on March 31.

Eligible costs are those that are necessary to support the purpose of the project. There are two categories of eligible costs:

• Direct costs: expenses related to the delivery of the project that are linked to specific activities
• Administrative costs: expenses incurred to manage and support the project

Administrative costs can be up to 20% of the total funding requested from WAGE. It is important to list the costs in the proper categories. For example, if you list administrative costs under direct costs, we will move them to the right category. This may result in administrative costs that are over 20% of the total funding. In this example, we would cut administrative costs to ensure your project respects the 20% maximum.

Include audit costs for projects of $300,000 and above in your administrative costs. The Department requires the following on an annual basis:

• externally reviewed Statement of Revenue and Expenditures for projects between $300,000 and $999,999

You can only apply to this call for proposals once. This also means that you can only apply to one stream.

Stream 1:  Eligible organizations that are incorporated or registered can apply for a total maximum amount of:

• up to $150,000 in total for local organizations. The organizations’ activities cover at least one community such as a town or city
• up to $450,000 in total for regional, provincial, territorial, interprovincial or interterritorial organizations. The organizations’ activities cover parts or all of a province or territory or many provinces or territories. For this call, organizations that cover one of Canada’s three largest municipalities, Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver, would qualify as regional
• up to $600,000 in total for national organizations. The organizations’ activities have the potential of impact across Canada

There are often extra costs of living and travelling in northern or remote areas. You may apply for an extra 35% for activities in these areas (see Activity location type question for definitions). If your project includes costs for activities in a remote or northern area (stream 1), they must be demonstrated in your budget.

Stream 2:  Eligible organizations that are not yet incorporated or registered can apply for a total maximum amount of:

• up to $25,000
  • you must first use this funding to incorporate or register your organization, and then you may use any remaining funds for eligible capacity-building activities
  • you cannot apply for an extra 35% for activities in northern or remote areas

Eligibility criterion:

• The application is complete, including the budget

Assessment criteria:

• The budget details and itemizes costs
• Costs are eligible, reasonable and are comparable to regional norms
• The budget shows that costs are directly linked to the activities described in the work plan
• The budget includes the required resources to deliver the project
• The administrative costs total 20% or less of the total funding requested
• The total amount requested is below the maximum amount for the project type

Sources of revenue

It is not mandatory to have financial or in-kind contributions from other sources. However, if other partners contribute to the project, you must complete this section.

A financial contribution is money that covers project costs. It could be from other levels of government, the private sector or foundations.

An in-kind contribution is an alternative to money. It is a good or service provided instead of cash. For example, if a partner provides a room for a project activity but does not charge you, it is an in-kind contribution. Another example is the time a volunteer spends on your project. The Department will not reimburse in-kind contributions.

We reserve the right to conduct reference checks with your partners.

Amount requested from the Department

Indicate the total amount of funding you are requesting from the Department. You cannot request more than the maximum limit for your stream or organization type. The only exception is for Stream 1 projects that include activities in northern or remote areas.

Assessment criteria:

• The total amount requested is equal to or below the maximum amount for the stream and project type

Part F: Declaration

Only a person with signing authority can sign the application. To sign, enter the name and position of the signatory. By signing the application, the representative confirms that they have:

• read and understood the guidelines for the call for proposals
• read and understood the declaration

Next, submit the application.

Eligibility criteria:

• The application is complete.
• The application is electronically signed by an official representative of the organization