Non-profit organizations and registered charities are eligible to apply for short-term grants of up to $300,000 under the Journey to Independence Fund. These grants provide funding to organizations to develop innovative and supportive programming designed to meet Employment and Income Assistance (EIA) clients where they are and assist them with their unique journeys to independence.
In 2021, the Manitoba government established a $20-million endowment fund with The Winnipeg Foundation. Annual revenue from the fund is used to award grants to organizations across Manitoba that improve access to community participation, create greater economic stability, and support meaningful transitions into the labour market for target populations within the EIA program.
For the 2022-23 fiscal year, $1 million in revenue will be allocated to the fund.
For the fund’s initial intake, proposals should aim to provide opportunities that:
- improve access to community participation and labour market attachment for target populations within provincial social assistance programs; and
- support the reduction of enrolment in government programs and long-term adherence to social assistance.
Eligible programs and services can include:
- financial empowerment supports, such as financial literacy, access to identification, benefits navigations, as well as savings and asset building opportunities;
- job coaching;
- workforce integration;
- job creation;
- workplace mentorship;
- work placements;
- programming that offers wraparound supports;
- wellness supports and services;
- culturally appropriate programming; and
- developing unique partnerships with employers and community supports.
Intake for applications closes on October 24, 2022.
For more information on the Journey to Independence Fund, visit https://www.gov.mb.ca/fs/eia/jif.html.
