Item - 2024.EC17.3

The Economic and Community Development Committee recommends that:

1. City Council adopt the Indigenous Funding Framework in Appendix 1 to the report (November 12, 2024) from the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration.

2. City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration, to report back to City Council, through the Economic and Community Development Committee, on the progress and implementation of the Indigenous Funding Framework, as part of the annual reporting on Community Funding grants.

3. City Council authorize the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to create, revise, reallocate or approve and disburse one-time Community Investment grants with funding allocations subject to the annual budget process.

4. City Council request the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration to report annually to the Economic and Community Development Committee on new grant programs created and grants approved through Part 3 above.

Social Development, Finance and Administration has been working closely with leaders within the not-for-profit sector to support the needs of Indigenous, Black, and equity-deserving communities that possess multiple vulnerabilities and remain disproportionately impacted by the aftermath of the pandemic and the ongoing affordability crisis. This work has focused on increasing financial resources while streamlining processes and adding supports to reduce administrative burden and increase impact, ensuring funding is fully inclusive and accessible in a way that deepens equity, removes barriers, and cultivates long-term commitments to Indigenous, Black and equity-deserving communities.

This report provides an update on three grant making practices that are effectively advancing the City’s reconciliation and equity commitments: Indigenous Funding Framework; Black Mandated Funding Framework; and the broader Community Service Partnerships. 

The Indigenous Funding Framework has been co-designed with leaders from the Indigenous community and with support from the Indigenous Affairs Office. It builds on policy and procedural changes Social Development, Finance and Administration has made since 2018 to prioritize supportive funding relationships that enshrine the right to self-determination for Indigenous organizations. The Framework includes a definition of an Indigenous organization, goals, principles, practical applications and an implementation plan that will guide funding relationships moving forward.

This report also provides an update on progress made towards the implementation of the Black-Mandated Funding Framework (BMFF), adopted by Toronto City Council in November 2023. This Framework seeks to address historic underinvestment in community organizations that serve Toronto’s diverse Black communities through tailored efforts to remove the systemic barriers experienced by Black-mandated organizations in accessing funding. These organizations are thus strengthened to better respond to the needs of Toronto’s diverse Black communities.

Thirdly, the Community Service Partnerships, Social Development, Finance and Administration's largest grant stream, which has been the focus of renewal since 2018. City staff have consistently worked to review and redesign elements of the grant stream so as to maximize impact, increase transparency, and address funding inequities. While the pace of renewal was deeply impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, some progress has been attained. Indeed, Toronto City Council received an update and a three-year plan to complete this work in the fall of 2023. In 2024, the plan focused on internal and external stakeholder engagement, portfolio analysis, and a jurisdictional scan. Key themes that emerged from these activities are included in this report.

The 2024 Operating Budget for the total Community Partnership Investment Program (CPIP) to not-for-profit, grassroots and resident-led groups to deliver social services fuels upstream and prevention initiatives is $29.555 million (gross and net). This report includes an overview of all grants approved with delegated authority between September 2023 and October 2024. These grants included initiatives to support youth violence prevention programs, grants to support communities as they healed in the aftermath of violent incidents, as well as those designed to support youth and resident leaders to implement initiatives to support their communities.

The grant programs administered by Social Development, Finance and Administration are highly responsive to changing needs within Toronto communities. The current delegated authority provided to the Executive Director, Social Development, Finance and Administration includes the authority to reallocate, approve or disburse one-time Community Investment grant funding, subject to the annual budget process. This report seeks to extend this authority so that the Executive Director may continue to authorize the creation of new grant programs or revise existing grant programs to address changing community priorities. Any grants created or revised through such action will align with the Toronto Grants Policy, City strategies, priorities, and the mandate of Social Development, Finance and Administration. Additionally, an overview of all grants approved with delegated authority will continue to be reported to Toronto City Council.