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Yellowknife Community Foundation

Investment Readiness Program

Alongside the Yukon Foundation, we are thrilled to be helping deliver the Investment Readiness Program through Community Foundations of Canada, supporting eligible social enterprises to prepare to receive investments and unlock even more innovative solutions to pressing challenges in the Yukon, Northwest Territories and Nunavut. 

Open to a diverse range of organizations and businesses including charities, non-profits, co-ops and social enterprises, the program can provide $10,000 to $75,000 to create, manage, and expand social purpose organizations in order to get ready to accept investment.

The application period will be from Sept. 28, 2022 to Nov. 22, 2022. 

Yellowknife Community Foundation

About the Investment Readiness Program

The Yellowknife Community Foundation is thrilled to be partnering with Community Foundations of Canada and the Government of Canada to distribute funds to local social purpose organizations.

Funded by the Government of Canada, the Investment Readiness Program (IRP) supports social purpose organizations as they contribute to solving pressing social, cultural and environmental challenges across Canada. Charities, non-profits, co-ops and for-profit, all can apply if they have an existing project or an idea that fits the definition of a social enterprise – selling a good or service with some profits going back into their mission to provide a positive social, cultural or environmental goal AND are looking to take on investment in the future.

Its goal is to help social purpose organizations build their capacity to participate in Canada’s growing social finance market and prepare for the Government of Canada’s broader investment in social finance.

Social purpose organizations registered in Canada are eligible to apply for IRP funding. 

You can apply to the IRP if you are a:

  • Charity
  • Nonprofit
  • Co-op
  • Social enterprise business (For-profit)

Social purpose organizations can be in the early or late stages of development, and anywhere in between. 

  • A non-profit that employs people facing barriers to employment to perform eco-friendly home retrofits.
  • A charity that runs a catering service and provides culinary training for at-risk youth.
  • A co-op that offers affordable laundry and delivery service while giving work experience to people living in poverty.
  • A business that helps local farmers sell their crops and products to consumers at a fair price.
  • A store that offers local artisans credit to purchase food in exchange for their crafts 

Your social purpose organization can apply for amounts ranging from $10,000 to $75,000. Applications for more or less than the permissible amount will not be considered. 

Your organization will need to determine which of the two funding streams you will submit your applications to. Your options are the Explore stream ($10,000 – $25,000) or the Stabilize and Build steam ($30,000 – $75,000). 

Explore stream (up to $25,000): This stream is for social purpose organizations that are:

  1. At the early stages of exploring, developing, and testing their social enterprise idea. You may be researching, developing and testing different aspects of your social enterprise plan, such as your revenue-generation models. OR
  2. In need of technical assistance or support on a very specific aspect of your project, that will assist you in launching or growing your social enterprise, or in preparing you to take on investment. This may include items such as accessing legal advice, market expertise, etc. 

Stabilize and Build stream ($30,000 – $75,000): This stream is for social purpose organizations that already have a well-developed enterprising model and are farther along in their understanding and preparation for taking on investment. Your organization is ready to take on a big project to increase your organization’s impact and get one step closer to your social finance goals. 

The Investment Readiness Program is a unique, national funding opportunity for social purpose organizations, including charities, non-profits, co-ops and for-profit social enterprises. The Yellowknife Community Foundation and the Yukon Foundation is partnering with the Government of Canada to help allocate the funding that they have provided, specifically for social purpose organizations located in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and the Yukon.

Community Foundations of Canada and Regional Partners will accept applications for funding via an online, secure application portal at the following link. 

Please direct your questions to our office at +1-867-446-4527 or information@ykcf.ca 

We look forward to hearing from you!

Yellowknife Community Foundation

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