Youth Justice Fund
We are currently not accepting new funding proposals. Please check this web site periodically for updates.
Overview
The Youth Justice Fund provides grants and contributions to projects that encourage a more effective youth justice system, respond to emerging youth justice issues and enable greater citizen and community participation in the youth justice system.
Who is eligible?
All of the following are eligible for funding:
- Non-profit community organizations, societies, and associations which have voluntarily associated themselves for a non-profit purpose;
- Canadian institutions/boards of education;
- Bands, First Nations, Tribal Councils, local, regional and national Indigenous organizations;
- Provincial, territorial and municipal governments and their agencies and institutions;
- Private sector organizations as long as such organizations will not make a profit on the work performed;
- For-profit enterprises, research/evaluation organizations and individuals are eligible for funding to conduct research and evaluation activities; and,
- Individuals.
Objectives
Projects must meet at least one of the following objectives:
- Establish special measures for violent young offenders;
- Improve the system’s ability to rehabilitate and reintegrate young offenders;
- Increase the use of measures, outside the formal court process, that are often more effective in addressing some types of less serious offending;
- Establish a more targeted approach to the use of custody for young people; and
- Increase the use of community-based sentences for less serious offending.
Activities/Projects
The Fund supports the development, implementation, and evaluation of pilot projects that provide programming and services for youth that come in contact with the criminal justice system. It supports professional development activities, such as training and conferences, for justice professionals and youth service providers. Additionally, it funds research on the youth justice system and related youth justice issues.
For a full listing of eligible activities, see Terms and Conditions for Youth Justice Fund Grants and Terms and Conditions for Youth Justice Fund Contributions.
For information on past projects, please see:
- Youth Justice Fund Project Descriptions
- Youth Justice Fund Summaries of Project Evaluations
- Youth Justice Fund Feature Projects
- Youth Justice Fund Project Videos
Points to Consider
Projects must target youth aged 12 to 17 at the time of committing an offence and who are currently being dealt with under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, or justice professionals and/or service providers who work with these youth. The Fund generally supports projects that costs in total about $600,000 for a period of up to three or four years. The funding amount is determined by assessing the individual project proposal. Please note funding is based on the availability of funds and current priorities. Not all eligible projects can be funded.
The Youth Justice Fund cannot provide operational costs to sustain existing programs.
The Fund cannot support projects focusing on youth who are “at risk of” becoming involved in the criminal justice system, but not actually involved. If your project focuses on youth at risk, please visit the National Crime Prevention Centre Web site.
Official Languages
Official language minority communities are anglophone communities in Quebec and francophone communities in the rest of Canada.
In support of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, the Department is committed to facilitate the participation of official language minority communities and their organizations in the development and assessment of the Department's policies, programs and services having significant impact on the development of the communities; and to take measures to ensure that the Department of Justice's programs and services reach official language minority communities. In the context of project funding, these measures include:
- outreach to official language minority communities to enhance their understanding of the Department of Justice funding programs; and
- encouraging contacts between organizations that are receiving financial assistance and official language minority organizations/groups to ensure that the needs of these communities are taken into consideration in relation to the proposed projects to be considered for Department of Justice Canada funding.
Sustainable Development
The Department of Justice encourages applicants to submit proposals electronically. If you submit your application on paper, please consider printing on both sides of the paper. These actions will minimize environmental impacts
Publications and Resources
- Terms and Conditions for Youth Justice Fund Grants
- Terms and Conditions for Youth Justice Fund Contributions
- Contribution Funds for Non-Governmental Organizations: A Handbook
- Youth Justice Fund Project Descriptions
- Youth Justice Fund Summaries of Project Evaluations
- Youth Justice Fund Feature Projects
- Youth Justice Fund Project Videos
- Minister of Justice National Youth Justice Policing Award
Contact Information
Department of Justice Canada
Programs Branch
Youth Justice Fund
284 Wellington Street, 6th Floor
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0H8
Telephone: 613-960-4942
Fax: 613-954-4893
E-mail: pb-dgp@justice.gc.ca
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