Women & Girls Fund

A fund targeting initiatives that leverage sports as a catalyst for positive societal transformation, with a particular focus on Indigenous women and girls in Ontario.

Women and Girls Fund

About the Fund

The Women & Girls Sport Fund (WGSF) is an ISWO initiative under its Women & Girls program. This fund aims to create more opportunities for women and girls to participate in sports, recreation, and physical activities while building confidence, skills, and knowledge. It also focuses on breaking down barriers, providing resources, and reducing at-risk behaviours through education and support.

Applicants must show:

Impact

The WGSF will support each successful application and project by awarding $5,000 grant to expand wellness for their program and community. 10 grants are available each year.

Funding Partner

Funded by the Government of Canada under STREAM 1 of the Sport for Social Development in Indigenous Communities (SSDIC) initiative, managed by Sport Canada.

Who Can Apply for ISWO Funding Programs

This fund is designed to make sports, physical activities, and Indigenous wellness practices more accessible to women and girls of all ages and abilities. ISWO encourages applications from remote and rural communities with limited sports opportunities and urban Indigenous populations with low participation rates.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • First Nation, Métis, or Inuit (FNMI) community associations located in Ontario.
  • Indigenous women and girls or youth groups
  • Indigenous not-for-profit organizations located in Ontario.
  • A First Nation, Inuit, or Métis governing body, or an Indigenous provincial/territorial organization or authority in Ontario.
  • Not-for-profit organizations, clubs, and associations in Ontario that directly influence organized sport delivery in Indigenous communities, in consultation and collaboration with those communities.

WGSF Application Process

ISWO is responsible for determining the eligibility of each applicant, their project, and project-related expenses. The WGSF is specifically designed to support the Women and Girls population within the Indigenous communities of Ontario.

Step 1:
Review fund eligibility by reading reviewing the criteria above.

Applying for funding is straightforward  to best support your initiatives.

Step 2:
Complete the online application form with accurate information.

Double-check your entries to avoid delays in processing.

Step 3:
Wait for Confirmation and follow-up from ISWO Staff

A member of the ISWO team will get in touch with eligible applications.

Submit Your Funding Application

Complete the form below to apply for funding opportunities available through ISWO.

Please note we do not fund retroactively, so choose your project start date so that it falls after the date when you would receive notification that your grant has been approved.

Please select all the social development outcomes that your project will address. Ensure the ones you select are clearly outlined in your project description.

Describe your organization's experience undertaking similar projects (What has been learned? What will you continue to do? What<br>changes will occur, if any, for future projects?). Include any relevant information to support your organization's ability to successfully<br>deliver and report about this project (i.e., what were other projects delivered; who managed them; what was the result?).

Describe your project and the main objectives (number of participants, frequency of programming, target of age group, potential community partnerships, etc.) you would like to accomplish.

Please specify if this fund is supporting a new program or enhancing an existing program within the community.

Please provide an estimate cost of your project by activity and item. Only project-related expenses, which can be of cash and in-kind, are eligible. Please refer to guidelines for full list of eligible expenses. This file you attach must include: Program Items (Honorarium,<br>equipment, supplies, other, etc.), Description of Cost, Quantity, Cost Per Item, and Total Estimated Cost.

latest updates