The Vital Youth grant program is currently under review.
Please check back in mid February for more information.

The Vital Youth Program
The Toronto Community Foundation’s Vital Youth grant program supports charitable organizations in the City of Toronto that are working to increase access to high quality recreation activities for youth aged 12-18 years.

Funding of up to $15,000 is available for programs that meet the Vital Youth priorities, are offered to youth over the course of the year, and start in September 2011.

Vital Youth grants support high-quality recreation activities including structured sports, fitness, outdoor education, arts and cultural activities. Priority is given to those programs which increase access, encourage diversity, and develop youth leadership.

Supporting Our City's Youth
Each year, the Toronto Community Foundation reports on our city’s quality of life through our Toronto’s Vital Signs® Report. In the 2010 Report, we noted the following interconnected issues that impact on the well-being of our youth:

• About one-quarter of Toronto high school students (24.5%) reported being overweight or obese (slightly below the 25.2% provincial average);
• One-quarter of Toronto’s youth lack a sense of belonging to their local community, a feeling that increases significantly as they reach young adulthood;
• Unemployment in Toronto is directly related to age, education and immigrant status; for young recently arrived immigrants in the city, the rate doubled between 2008 and 2009;
• Lower levels of feelings of belonging among Canadian-born minorities are being reported. The greater the discrimination faced, the more someone was likely not to identify themselves as Canadian;
• Life-long habits of daily physical activity aren’t being cultivated in the majority of Toronto’s youth. This is reflected among Toronto’s 20 - 34 year-olds, 58% of who reported leisure time inactivity in 2009.
• Recreation activities for youth have multiple positive impacts beyond health, resulting in a greater sense of belonging and safer communities.

Recreation activities for youth have multiple positive impacts beyond health, resulting in a greater sense of belonging and safer communities.

Our Vital Youth Granting Priorities
Vital Youth grants invest in high-quality recreational programs for young people that help them connect to their community, interact with their peers, and develop their skills and leadership abilities.

• Increasing Access: Recreation programs that are long-term and enable participation by youth aged 12-18 years who otherwise might not have access due to cost or other barriers;
• Encouraging Diversity: Organizations that provide inclusive recreation programs and engage different ethno-cultural communities to interact, play, and learn together;
• Developing Leadership: Programs that encourage leadership and mentoring of youth by engaging them in program development and/or implementation, and/or provide opportunities for young people to gain paid employment.
  

Eligibility
The Vital Youth program is open to any registered charitable organization located in the City of Toronto offering year-long programs that directly benefit youth aged 12-18 who are residents of the City. Not-for-profit organizations that are not registered Canadian charities that wish to submit an application should refer to the information sheet "Who Can Apply?" for additional application requirements.

Who Can Apply? Information Sheet ››

Improving Toronto's Vital Signs®
Toronto's Vital Signs® is a report which measures quality of life in 11 different issue areas. Published each fall by the Toronto Community Foundation, the Report informs our grantmaking and strengthens our ability to connect issues, convene partners, and address Toronto's most pressing issues.

Learn more about Toronto's Vital Signs® ››

Application Guidelines & Deadline
2010/2011 Application and Guidelines available below for reference only:
2010/2011 Vital Youth Application Guidelines ››
2010/2011 Vital Youth Application Form ››

Contact
Mini Alakkatusery, Manager, Programs
Toronto Community Foundation
33 Bloor Street East, Suite 1603
Toronto ON  M4W 3H1
T: 416.921.2035 ext. 205  F: 416.921.1026  E: malakkatusery@tcf.ca