Weaving Justice Grants Call and Community Justice Grants Call are now CLOSED.
Table of Contents
GENERAL
There are two funding opportunities available through the Indigenous Justice Fund at the Law Foundation of BC. The opportunities are the Weaving Justice Grants Call and the Community Justice Grants Call. Both opportunities are available to Indigenous Led applicants or Indigenous Partnerships (defined below).
This Weaving Justice Grants Call is intended to provide financial support for Indigenous communities to use law to restore power to their communities in ways that bring people together. This opportunity is focused on supporting the work to heal Indigenous families and communities through Indigenous legal education, legal research, legal services, and law reform. A total of $10 million is available through the Weaving Justice Grants Call. There are several grant types available within the Weaving Justice Grants Call, which are described below.
This fundings is intended to support Indigenous Led organizations, Nations and Indigenous Partnerships to build transformative systems of community justice that are healing based, trauma-informed and culturally grounded. A total of $5 million is available through the Community Justice Grants Call. Applicants can apply for any amount, up to $250,000 per year for up to four years (total maximum $1M per grant).
The Foundation is not offering or abiding by a specific definition of Indigenous Justice in developing these funding opportunities. We invite applicants to reflect on their, and their community’s definition of Indigenous Justice in answering the application questions. The Foundation acknowledges that Indigenous Justice will be defined differently by communities or Nations as a result of communities’ unique traditions, languages, culture, legal orders and histories. While we have worked closely with our Indigenous Advisory Circle, Indigenous staff, Governors and partners to understand how some Indigenous peoples or communities define Indigenous Justice, we acknowledge that a fulsome definition of Indigenous Justice cannot be sufficiently caught through this opportunity’s purpose, eligibility, guiding values and/or priorities.
December 15th, 2023 | Funding Notice Posted |
February 8th, 2024 | Informational webinar and opportunity to respond to any questions at 12:00pm and 6:00pm |
March 8th, 2024 | Applications due at 11:59pm |
By July 12th, 2024 | Willow, Sweetgrass and Gatherings: Application final decisions will be communicated to applicants. |
By July 12th, 2024
| Cedar Grants and Community Justice Grants: |
July – August, 2024 | Cedar Grants and Community Justice Grants: |
By November 30th, 2024 | Cedar Grants and Community Justice Grants: |
Yes! Please share this funding call with your network!
You can share the link to this page: www.lawfoundationbc.org/IJGC or we also have prepared graphics for various social media platforms available for download HERE.
MANDATE AREAS
The Law Foundations has five mandate funding areas:
- Legal education;
- Legal research;
- Legal aid;
- Law reform; and
- Law libraries.
For more information on the Law Foundation’s mandated funding areas, please click HERE.
Applicants seeking further information about previously funded projects and programs may refer to the Foundation’s 2022 Annual Report.
Your project may not fit neatly under any single mandate area, and that is okay! Some examples of projects previously funded through the Indigenous Justice Fund include:
- Legal Education:
- Land-based shared learning on Indigenous laws for youth involved in the criminal and child apprehension systems in the Upper St’at’imc communities.
- Legal Research:
- A multi-year program involving extensive community engagement to develop a Haida legal model that articulates Haida laws as they are expressed in traditional Haida cultural practices.
- Legal Aid:
- Indigenous Led program supports for families moving through Aboriginal Family Healing Court process, connecting families with Elders and supports with the goal of family reunification.
- Law Reform:
- Re-establishment of a council of women of high standing, to advance traditional administration of justice in the community.
- Systemic advocacy focused on police accountability through convening families and survivors and sharing legal information through gatherings and campaigns.
ELIGIBILITY AND IDENTITY
Eligible applicants for both the Weaving Justice Grants Call and the Community Justice Grants Call must be any of:
- Indigenous communities, Nations, tribal councils, treaty organizations, Indigenous leadership organizations;
- Existing nonprofit organizations;
- Collaborative entities or groups; and/or
- People who are seeking to establish new organizations, collaboratives or groups.
Applicants are only eligible if they operate (or intend to operate) in BC and/or for the benefit of people living in BC.
Grantseekers do not need to be registered charities or nonprofit societies. Grantseekers do not need to identify as specifically law-focused groups or organizations as long as the proposed work relates to Canadian law or Indigenous law, or the impact of laws and policies on the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples.
In order to receive funding, all applicants must also be able to accept and administer grant funds. If not, you may also consider partnering with a collaborator organization that can receive and manage the funds on behalf of your organization or group.
Only Indigenous Led organizations and Indigenous Partnerships are eligible to apply.
- The Foundation is informed by several sources on its operating definition of Indigenous Led programming. In working with our Indigenous Advisory Circle, the Foundation uses a definition that examines multiple factors that also draws on wisdom on this subject shared by the Circle on Philanthropy.
- The Foundation defines Indigenous Led programming as those where positions of leadership are held by Indigenous people, and where more than half of those in Board and/or Executive positions identify as Indigenous. The Foundation takes a flexible approach to this definition and also considers which values and protocol guide the work, which relationships and accountability mechanisms are in place, and who delivers or will deliver the specific programming.
- Application forms require applicants to describe how they are Indigenous Led. Applicants may find the following resource useful in describing how they are Indigenous Led, which is authored by the Circle on Philanthropy: link.
The Foundation is informed by several sources on its operating definition of Indigenous Partnerships. The Foundation acknowledges that partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people are important contributors to change, particularly where programming bridges gaps between the Canadian legal system and Indigenous systems of justice. In working with our Indigenous Advisory Circle, the Foundation uses a definition that examines multiple factors that also draws on wisdom on this subject shared by the Circle on Philanthropy.
The Foundation defines Indigenous Partnerships as those where Indigenous and non-Indigenous people work alongside each other, where Indigenous decision makers sit equal and share leadership with non-Indigenous partners. The Foundation sees Indigenous Partnerships as those where Indigenous peoples’, worldviews, and wisdom are prioritized in their work with non-Indigenous partners at all points of the program or service-delivery model in ways that promote respect and reciprocity.
Application forms require applicants to describe their Indigenous Partnership. Applicants may find the following resource useful in writing this description, which is authored by the Circle on Philanthropy: LINK.
As a settler organization working within a colonial system, we recognize the burden of proof on Indigenous individuals, as a result of historical and present-day racist policies and laws. We do not want to further perpetuate those harms. We are working from a trust-based approach, and one that respects Nations’ rights to define who is a citizen and member of their Nation. We also recognize being a citizen and member in one’s Nation or community is only one of a number of ways to understand Indigeneity, and access and connection to culture, tradition and being in relationship with one’s community is equally important, while acknowledging that connection to family, community, Nations and culture for many Indigenous peoples have been fractured by harmful colonial systems and policies both past and present, including the Indian Residential School and the Sixties Scoop, to name a few, that have impacted identity and/or ability to connect and re-connect.
The Law Foundation recognizes the complexity and intersectional nature of identities, particularly Indigenous identities. The Foundation also recognizes that Indigenous identity fraud is a prevalent issue that causes harm both individually and systemically, and is a result of ongoing settler colonialism. While the Foundation does not require applicant organizations to describe systems they have in place to prove Indigenous ancestry, how an organization verifies identity may be part of how applicants communicate a commitment to Community Accountability, which is a guiding value of both funding opportunities.
This call supports capacity-building activities and may fund people who are seeking to establish new organizations, collaboratives, or groups. As such, grant-seekers do not need to be a registered charity or other qualified donee.
Grant-seekers also do not necessarily need to be registered non-profit societies. Grant-seekers can, however, choose to submit a joint proposal with an organization that is a non-profit.
Grant-seekers who are not registered or incorporated, including those seeking to establish new organizations, collaboratives, or groups, are eligible to apply for funding. In these cases, if your application is selected to move forward, expect additional discussion with the Law Foundation, so together we can work with you to address any support needs around administering the grant.
Grant-seekers who plan for another organization to receive and administer funds on their behalf if funded are also asked to identify this in their application.
Yes, depending on the nature and scope of the work being proposed. Please note that eligible grant-seekers must operate or intend to operate in BC and/or propose work that will significantly benefit people living in BC.
The Weaving Justice Grants Call and Community Justice Grants Call are open to only Indigenous Led organizations or entities, or Indigenous Partnerships. Particularly innovative proposals that do not meet this eligibility criteria may be referred by staff to other streams of funding at the Foundation, should there be alignment to the guidelines and priorities of other funding calls.
AVAILABLE GRANTS
There are several grant types within the Weaving Justice Grants Call: Cedar, Willow, Sweetgrass and Gatherings. The grant types all have the same purpose, priorities and guiding values, which are described in the Weaving Justice Grants Call funding notice.
Each grant type within the Weaving Justice Grants Call is focused on supporting work of various sizes and scopes. This was done to acknowledge the range of potential programs that could go to advance the purpose of this funding opportunity, while ensuring some funds are available to support particular types of projects (for example, gatherings and land-based work).
When applying under the Weaving Justice Grants Call, applicants will apply to any of Cedar, Willow, Sweetgrass and Gatherings Grants, explained in detail below.
The largest grant type with funding available to support work aligning with the purpose of this Grants Call, its priorities and values. Grant funding is available over a period of four years.
Examples of Cedar or Willow Grants could be something like:
- To use Indigenous laws to create a conflict resolution circle in Community X to resolve civil and family disputes with guidance of traditional community leadership.
- To create a program connecting Elders with youth to learn the community’s Indigenous laws and language on the land through harvesting and processing.
This grant funding is available to support work aligning with the purpose of this Grants Call, its priorities and values, and funding is available over a period of two years.
Examples of Cedar or Willow Grants could be something like:
- To use Indigenous laws to create a conflict resolution circle in Community X to resolve civil and family disputes with guidance of traditional community leadership.
- To create a program connecting Elders with youth to learn the community’s Indigenous laws and language on the land through harvesting and processing.
There are two types of Sweetgrass Grants. They are Development Grants and Law & Land Grants.
Type A – Development Grants:
Funding to support the development of capacity, ideas and infrastructure to advance future intended initiatives or programs. The funding can be used to bring people together to make a plan for creating some future impact in the community.
Examples of the Development Grants could be:
- To develop community engagement sessions that will lead to development of a conflict-resolution model informed by the community’s Indigenous laws and traditions.
- To build a steering committee with legal experts and Elders to inform a water protection initiative for a particular Nation.
Type B – Land & Law Grants:
Funding for discrete opportunities that advance Indigenous legal education, legal research and law reform on the land, where communities study and share their Indigenous laws and practices in ways that advance the priorities of this Grants Call. Applicants must communicate how the initiative connects with Indigenous laws and legal orders, and/or with the Canadian justice system. Funding is meant to support legal education, legal research and law reform on the land where communities define their use of their own Indigenous laws and legal orders in their own way.
Examples of activities this grant is meant to support might include:
- Land-based learning around traditional ceremonies, governance practices, harvesting, food security and sovereignty;
- Land-based language revitalization opportunities; and
- Land-based work focused on developing kinship between those in leadership roles including elected and/or hereditary leadership, Elders, knowledge-keepers, women, and youth.
Examples of Land & Law Grants could be:
- To support a one-week camp for youth in care to learn the community’s laws and language, and heal on the land with Elders and knowledge keepers.
- A salmon fishing trip for women in our community led by knowledge keepers to learn the community’s laws, stories and traditions in ways that heal.
Funding is available to support gatherings that align with the purpose of this Grants Call and the priorities and values contained in it.
Through this Grants Call, the Foundation aims to support projects, including gatherings, that aim to impact communities in a transformative way.
Gatherings that occur as part of a community’s routine protocol, such as marriages, funerals or family reunions are not the intended priority for this Grants Call.
Examples of gatherings that would be eligible for funding under this opportunity include:
- A gathering of legal professionals to collaborate on the advancement of Indigenous law and legal orders in Rights and Title cases;
- A gathering of women of high standing and knowledge keepers in a particular community to author an action plan for reviving traditional laws around family disputes and dispute resolution.
There are not multiple grant types available under the Community Justice Grants Call. Applicants can apply for any amount of funding up to $250,000 per year for up to four years. Eligible programs can range in size and impact from earlier stage development-sized grants, to full service delivery programs.
The funding is available to Indigenous Led (or Indigenous Partnerships) organizations for all types of Community Justice programs.
These programs should be part of a community’s strategy to transform systems of law and justice in ways that are informed by Indigenous protocols, practices, values and ceremonies.
Funding is also available to support programs focused on benefitting Indigenous communities that support traditional ways of dealing with systemic criminal injustice and child apprehension issues.
While advocacy and direct service delivery will likely be a part of any proposed work, proposals that advance a holistic approach considering upstream or preventative supports are eligible for support.
Some examples of potential programs could be:
- The development of a community plan to support reintegration of community members after release from prison using traditional laws and protocol, and includes training initiatives on the impacts of stigma and lateral violence in community.
- A diversion program that supports community members in conflict with the criminal justice system through providing culturally-informed supports to stop violence in their lives and relationships, that focuses on healing and the impacts of inter-generational trauma.
These are meant only as examples and are not meant to restrict the types of programs your organization might propose. If you have any questions about whether you think your proposed program is eligible, please contact us at indigenousjustice[at]lawfoundationbc.org 
.
GRANTS INFO
The basic requirement is that all applications must be related to Canadian law or Indigenous laws, or the impact of laws and policies on the lived experiences of Indigenous Peoples. Proposals that do not make clear connections to law will be ineligible. Successful proposals must also meet the applicant eligibility criteria as described above.
The Foundation will assess each application to determine alignment with the purpose, priorities, and guiding values outlined in each Grants Call to determine which proposals will be recommended for funding. Successful proposals must follow the eligibility criteria and must be in alignment with one or more of the Foundation’s mandate areas, described further above.
Please ensure that you are writing your proposal while considering the Priorities and Guiding Values of the correct grant opportunity. The Community Justice Grants Call has separate priorities and guiding values to the Weaving Justice Grants Call.
Funding recommendations and process will be guided by advice of the Foundation’s Indigenous Advisory Circle.
Funding under both grant calls can be used for a wide range of activities and core operating costs tied to advancing the goals of your proposed project, though there are some limitations. If you have questions about what can and cannot be supported through this opportunity, please contact the Foundation using the information provided below.
Here are some examples of how funds can be used:
- Salaries and wages specific to carrying out the project (project coordinator/manager, assistants, facilitators, contractors/consultants etc.)
- Administration and overhead costs;
- Rentals (including meeting space and equipment rentals);
- Community engagement;
- Program costs across a wide range of activities, including policy development, capacity building, governance, etc.
- Honoraria for Elders, Knowledge Keepers;
- Food and hospitality;
- Travel and accommodations, reasonable and necessary costs of the proposed work;
- Accessibility costs to enable and support inclusive participation;
- Training, including cultural mentorship and intergenerational learning opportunities;
- Technology needs;
- Healing and wellness supports; and
- Medicines, ceremonial items and gifts as needed to support the goals of the proposed work.
The following costs will not be funded. Please note, this list is not exhaustive, please contact the Indigenous Justice Team should you need further clarification.
- Living expenses;
- Debt retirement;
- Monetary reserves;
- For-profit business development costs;
- Retroactive costs; and
- Projects and proposals that do not align with one or more of the Law Foundation’s mandate areas
Any grant issued through the Weaving Justice Grants Call or the Community Justice Grants Call is assumed to be a one-time grant. It is likely that there will be future opportunities to re-apply and potentially an opportunity to extend the grant cycle in exceptional circumstances, though neither are guaranteed and will depend on several factors including the Foundation’s financial picture at that time.
For Willow, Sweetgrass, and Gathering Grants under the Weaving Justice Grants Call, the earliest start date for work will be August 1, 2024. This is because the applications will be adjudicated by the Foundation’s Board of Governors in June of 2024.
For Cedar Grants under the Weaving Justice Grants Call, and Community Justice Grants, the earliest start date for work will be January 1, 2025. This is because applications will be adjudicated by the Foundation’s Board of Governors in late 2024.
Weaving Justice Grant Call:
Under this opportunity, there are set grant sizes for each grant type. Each grant type has a specific grant amount tied to it, and no more or less can be applied for under each opportunity.
If your application is approved, staff will discuss with you an appropriate payment scheme, and if less funding is ultimately required to meet the project goals, that conversation can take place at that time.
The grant types are:
- Cedar Grant (4-Year Grant, $250,000 per year, total $1,000,000)
- Willow Grant (2-Year Grant, $125,000 per year, total $250,000)
- Sweetgrass Grant (One-time Grant, $100,000)
Gathering (One-time, $250,000)
Community Justice Grants Call:
Under this opportunity, applicants are invited to describe how much funding they need to support their project goals up to the following maximum: $250,000 per year for each of up to four years (total maximum $1M per grant).
Sponsorships tend to consist of partnerships that require exposure or promotional benefits in exchange for sponsorship funds. Sponsorship support is not available through either funding opportunity and all potential funding will be in the form of grants. This is different from a sponsorship in that successful applicants will enter into a granting relationship with the Foundation.
APPLICATION PROCESS
All applicants are required to complete Stage 1 of the application process. If approved, Grants-seekers applying for the Cedar Grants under the Weaving Justice Grants Call and Community Justice Grants Call, will be invited to continue to Stage 2. They will be invited to choose between Oral Conversation or a Written Supplement.
Details about each stage and option are provided in detail below.
Grant-seekers will complete an application using the Law Foundation’s SmartSimple online grant submission and management system. The online application form can be accessed HERE.
Groups and organizations new to the Law Foundation’s SmartSimple system will need to register an account for their group or organization in order to apply.
The application form and questions are available for review in advance. Please review this PDF copy of the Grant Applications HERE.
If you have been invited to Stage 2, please refer to the Stage 2 guide sent to you by email for more information on this part of the process.
If you have been invited to Stage 2, please refer to the Stage 2 guide sent to you by email for more information on this part of the process.
Decisions for Willow, Sweetgrass, and Gathering Grants under the Weaving Justice Grants Call will be communicated in July, 2024.
Invitations to Stage 2 for Cedar Grants Call and Community Justice Grants Call will be extended in July, 2024. Decisions will be communicated in December 2024.
All applicants are asked to submit a draft budget as part of the application, and this question is incorporated directly into the form. We ask that applicants describe key budget items anticipated to most impact the proposed project, and the budget need not be detailed or exhaustive.
Applicants are asked to describe 4-5 key budget lines at the initial application stage.
Some examples of budget lines you may include at the application stage are:
- Salaries and wages specific to carrying out the project (project coordinator/manager, assistants, facilitators, contractors/consultants etc.)
- Administration and overhead costs;
- Rentals (including rental space);
- Honoraria for Elders, Knowledge Keepers;
- Food and hospitality;
- Travel and accommodations, reasonable and necessary costs part of the proposed work;
- Training, including cultural mentorship and intergenerational learning opportunities;
- Healing and wellness supports; and/or
- Medicines, ceremonial items and gifts as needed to support the goals of the proposed work.
For Cedar Grants under the Weaving Justice Grants Call and Community Justice Grants, a more fulsome budget may be requested if the application proceeds to Stage 2 of the process.
All applicants will be informed of any outstanding requirements with at least three weeks’ notice.
Grant-seekers will be asked to provide one report for the grant, consisting of both financial reporting (in writing) and narrative activity reporting (either in writing or provided orally) at the end of each year of the grant cycle. Grantees are also expected to engage in an Interim Check-In with Foundation staff part way through each grant year. The Foundation may also convene interested grantees for shared learning opportunities and celebrations, and attendance at these gatherings may stand in for narrative activity reporting.
The Foundation is in the process of building out reporting mechanisms that are reciprocal and jointly beneficial. We hope that these new ways will benefit our broader communities through understanding gaps, needs and trends, which we hope to share with grantees to make a positive contribution.
Not necessarily. In the application, applicants will confirm how much funding is being requested per year, and the Foundation expects that work on the project will commence within one year of the grant start date.
We will take a flexible approach and expect that for some proposals, changes to the expected timeframe may emerge over the course of the grant cycle. We will be responsive to that and can discuss adjustments to grant cycle lengths and payment and reporting schemes as needed.
SUPPORT
Technical questions or access needs can also be shared with Law Foundation staff at indigenousjustice[at]lawfoundationbc.org .
Please be advised it may take up to five business days for our team to respond.