WISE Fund Application Process

Download our 2022 Application Guide here!

What is this grant for?
To build capacity for gender equity within organizations and support them to expand quality opportunities for girls and women to participate and lead in sport.

How much funding is available?
This year, with the support of Sport Canada, Canadian Women & Sport will be awarding 45 grants valued at $2,500 each!

When can I apply?
The grant application will open on Tuesday, October 12, 2021. Applications will close on Tuesday, November 2, 2021. Recipients will be announced in late January 2022.

Please read all eligibility requirements and criteria prior to submitting an application.

*Consistent with existing human rights legislation and Canadian Women & Sport’s ongoing commitment to achieving equity for girls and women, Canadian Women & Sport supports the full participation of all individuals in sport and physical activity in the gender in which they identify. For more information, please see our Position Statement: Trans Inclusion in Sport.

**Canadian Women & Sport is committed to equitably distributing grants to initiatives that reflect the diversity of girls and women in Canada. Some of these considerations include geography, language of program delivery, and socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, gender and sexual orientation, and/or ability of direct program beneficiaries.

This year, we reinforce our commitment to equity by dedicating a minimum of 60% of grant funding toward organizations/initiatives directly serving women and girls who are:

Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Métis, and Inuit)
People of Colour (people who are non-white, regardless of place of birth)
LGBTQI2S+
Persons with Disabilities

Consistent with existing human rights legislation and Canadian Women & Sport’s ongoing commitment to achieving equity for girls and women, we support all individuals to access gendered sport and physical activity spaces that feel most comfortable to them. For more info, please see our website.

***If an applicant is uncertain if a proposed use of funds is ineligible, contact Canadian Women & Sport for clarification prior to applying.

Other Requirements

Organizations must demonstrate the following through their application and proposed initiative:

Alignment with the recommendations in our resource Actively Engaging Women and Girls: Addressing the Psycho-Social Factors
Alignment with anti-abuse, harassment, and discrimination practices
A commitment to fostering a safe and inclusive environment (i.e. compliance with the Responsible Coaching Movement, use of waivers, targeted recruitment of underrepresented groups, etc.)

For further reading on these topics:

Respect Group – https://www.respectgroupinc.com/#

Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion – https://ccdi.ca/reports/

Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport – https://cces.ca/resources

Canadian Charter of Rights & Freedoms

Canadian Women & Sport does not require that initiatives include only women and girls. We support initiatives with objectives that advance gender equity and are inclusive beyond the gender binary.

Expectations of Grant Recipients

Our grant recipients are part of an ambitious nation-wide community working to advance women and girls in sport.

Recipients will be supported by Canadian Women & Sport to complete a follow up report and document their initiatives through photos, testimonials, and social media posts. They’ll also be part of a vibrant

community of practice and will share their successes with Canadian Women & Sport and other grant recipients.

Grant recipients will be required to:

Sign a funding agreement;
Spend grant funding by March 31, 2023,
Acknowledge Canadian Women & Sport in the delivery of the initiative (recognition guidelines will be provided),
Complete a final report.

How to Apply

All applications must be submitted through the online application portal on this webpage.

Incomplete applications, applications submitted through email, or applications submitted after the November 2, 2021 deadline will not be accepted.

Before you apply, we recommend that you read Actively Engaging Women and Girls: Addressing the Psycho-Social Factors and apply learnings to your program design and application.

Please ensure you have two representatives in your organization ready to include as contacts for the application.

Evaluation Process

1. Once your application is submitted you will receive a notification receipt within 48 hours.

2. All applications will be evaluated by a Review Committee and a shortlist will be selected.

3. 45 grant recipients will be chosen by a Selection Committee.

4. Selected grant recipients will be notified in late January 2022.

Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria:

1. A clear problem statement is provided.

2. The objectives of the initiative are clearly described (i.e., SMART goals).

3. The initiative is innovative.

4. The initiative was designed with best practices for girls/women’s programming in mind.

5. The initiative addresses safety and inclusion.

6. Use of funds is described in detail and rationale is provided.

7. The description of the initiative includes a sustainability plan and / or consideration is given to long-term impacts on participants.

Tips for Successful Applications

1. Be creative. Think outside the box!

2. Tell us what makes this initiative unique. Every community has their own set of obstacles – tell us why your initiative is an important solution to advancing gender equity.

3. Use SMART goals to describe what your objectives (specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time-bound).

4. Don’t just tell us how you are going to spend the money – explain why it’s important.

a. For example, If you are sending money on a piece of equipment, explain why that equipment is important and how this relates to your goals for the initiative.

5. Think about what happens after the funded initiative is over. What will the participants/community be left with? Do you plan to run this initiative again? If so, how?

WISE Fund Grant