GATEWAY PROGRAM
Investing in emerging connections
** This program is currently closed to new applications **
We are looking for teams and individuals who are:
- Engaged in community-grounded projects that tackle inequity, injustice and unsustainability;
- Committed to learning and working towards social change;
- Interested in building partnerships with Concordia and other relevant stakeholders.
Program overview
The Gateway Program is SHIFT's most accessible funding program designed as an entry point for teams who wish to join our Learning Community (LC) and deepen their connection with Concordia University and SHIFT's larger ecosystem.
This program is intended for teams, organizations or individuals who are working on community-driven projects that are aligned with SHIFT’s mission and values. Successful applicants receive up to $5,000 to support their work.
Objective
The objective of the Gateway Program is to help participants develop the socially transformative potential of their work.
Applicants commit to joining the Horizons Learning Journey and the SHIFT Learning Community, and to leveraging SHIFT's support towards exploring potential connections within Concordia University, or to access coaching support from SHIFT's existing project teams.
Horizons Learning Journey
Gateway projects join the Horizons Learning Journey, a peer learning program, with four meetings per year.
- Two meetings will be a Peer Learning Session, wherein Gateway participants are paired with an already- existing SHIFT project team doing similar work, for mutual mentorship and coaching.
- Two meetings during the year will be with the entire Gateway Program 2022-2023 Cohort, to share project progress and to open a space for shared learning.
Key details
- While a Concordia connection and a multi-stakeholder team are not required to join the Gateway Program, participants must have an interest in expanding these elements of their projects with SHIFT’s support.
- Gateway Program participants must be interested in becoming engaged members of the SHIFT Learning Community
- The Gateway Program will be awarding funding to 5 projects. Successful applicants will receive a grant of $5,000 to support their socially transformative work.
- All eligible projects will be assessed through our participatory selection process and funding will be awarded to the projects that are most aligned with the selection criteria.
- The deadline for submiting an application is Sunday, February 26, 2023.
Eligibility requirements
To be eligible to apply for the SHIFT Gateway Program, you or your project team must meet these requirements:
- Your project or idea is responding to a community-identified issue in the greater Montreal area;
- Your project or idea is addressing a social issue that is related to equity, justice or sustainability:
- Equity: ensuring fair and just access to opportunities, resources, networks, etc.
- Justice: countering discrimination and other harmful treatments of specific communities
- Sustainability: reducing or reversing environmental degradation and climate change
- Your project is meaningfully connected to the community or communities that are most impacted by the social issue and system you are hoping to transform.
- You are striving for systemic change and interested in working with SHIFT to expand the socially transformative potential of your project.
- You have demonstrable interest in working with SHIFT on the Gateway Program goals of:
- Exploring new or deeper potential connections within Concordia
- Accessing coaching from SHIFT's existing project teams
- Joining a community of practice and co-learning
- You are working on your project either as an individual, as part of an informal group, or as part of an organization.
- You or at least one member of your team is committed to joining the SHIFT Learning Community and to attending Peer Learning meetings.
- At least one team member is committing to attend quarterly, two-hour meetings as part of the learning journey.
- You are interested in a multi-stakeholder approach and open to developing partnerships with additional stakeholders from Concordia or the broader Montreal community.
Teams who have previously received SHIFT funding are not eligible for the Gateway Program and are encouraged to refer to the Ongoing Connections Grant (OCG) or Deep Investment Fund (DIF) instead.
Value exchange
In-kind support (What does SHIFT offer?)
Each funded project has the opportunity to work with their SHIFT point person to co-create a tailored in-kind support plan that suits their needs.
The SHIFT Learning Community
Our Learning Community is composed of the members of existing and newly SHIFT-funded project teams. The SHIFT Learning Community is unique in its commitment to:
- Drive work within respective neighbourhood, community, or institution towards justice, equity, and sustainability;
- Learn from others about how to increase the socially transformative impact of their work;
- Contribute to collective learning about how community-scale initiatives can bring about systems-level change.
Being part of the SHIFT Learning Community brings many benefits, including:
- Connections with other socially transformative projects
- Promotional support via SHIFT communications channels
- Access to one paid Concordia student intern per term (pending student interest)
- Project development coaching, troubleshooting and feedback
- Links to Concordia student and alumni volunteers for punctual engagements
- Relevant introductions across the SHIFT ecosystem
- Other customized support to be discussed as needs/opportunities arise
Project commitments (What does SHIFT expect?)
In the spirit of collaboration and reciprocity, and in lieu of traditional reporting requirements, we ask the teams we support to contribute to the vibrancy of the SHIFT community. Our goal is for this value exchange to be light, useful and relevant to the trajectory of each project.
SHIFT will ask projects funded through the Gateway Program to commit to the following:
Deliverables
- Complete the project as described
- Attend at least two meetings with SHIFT staff during your project to discuss progress, additional needs, etc.
- Provide a high-quality photo of your project in action with permission to use it in SHIFT materials
- Submit three bullet points describing your key learnings from this project
- Share one output from your project with members of the SHIFT community (e.g., research finding, copy of project plan, information pamphlet, etc.)
Community engagement
- Participate actively in Horizons Learning Journey meetings: quarterly meetings with their peer learning partner, and two meetings in the year with the 2022-2023 Gateway Program Cohort.
- Attend at least one networking event with other SHIFT funded projects.
- Participate in SHIFT’s own evaluation and assessment (if requested).
Application process
The application deadline for the Gateway Program is Sunday, February 26, 2023.
- Complete this simple Self-Assessment form (Optional)
- Interested applicants are highly recommended to complete their self-assessment at least two weeks before each cut-off date to facilitate the process.
- Determine whether your project is a good fit for the SHIFT Gateway Program by answering a few ‘yes & no’ questions.
- Meet with SHIFT Staff
- Once you’ve completed the self-assessment, meet with a SHIFT staff member to learn more about the Gateway program and the Learning Community, and to help you finalize your application.
- All applicants are required to complete an online application form.
- Applicants who prefer to submit their responses orally may request an additional meeting with SHIFT staff who will record their answers.
- After each cut-off date, an independent Selection Jury will review all eligible applications against SHIFT’s selection criteria and award $5,000 to the five projects that are most aligned.
Please note: There is no interview process in the Gateway Program. Funding decisions will be made based on applications only.
Support for applicants
Throughout the year, SHIFT holds a series of information sessions and workshops to help you with the application process. Also, at any time you can consult the resources below or book an appointment to meet with a staff member.
Available resources
- Consult past successful applications:
- Consult the budget guidelines
- Read the definitions of our key terms
- Office hours: every Tuesday afternoon & Thursday morning. Book your appointment.
Calendar
Events
Notices
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March 22, 2023
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December 19, 2022
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October 20, 2022
