ONGOING CONNECTIONS GRANT
Investing in valuable connections
We offer funding renewals to teams that:
- Are active members of the SHIFT Learning Community;
- Want to continue in their work and build their capacity for systemic change;
- Work closely with Concordia on their community-based project or are in the process of developing meaningful partnerships.
Program overview
The Ongoing Connections Grant (OCG) is a fund dedicated exclusively to active members of the Learning Community who have previously received funding from SHIFT. Through the OCG, we recognize the long-term nature of most social change projects and commit to maintaining ongoing supportive relationships with the projects we fund. Our hope is that through sustained engagement we can continue to expand the socially transformative potential of this work while building additional beneficial connections between these projects and Concordia.
This program offers renewable grants of $10,000 annually, to funded partners whose work continues to align with SHIFT’s values and priorities.
All eligible applicants will be assessed through our participatory selection process and funding will be awarded to the teams & groups that remain aligned with the selection criteria.
The next deadline for the Ongoing Connections Grant will be in February 2025. Please check back in December-January 2024 for details.
Eligibility requirements
Only partners previously funded by SHIFT and active members of the Learning Community are eligible to apply for the OCG.
In addition:
- Teams must be meaningfully collaborating with a Concordia unit, department or student group on their project or must be able to demonstrate that they are actively pursuing potential connections that are still in development;
- Teams must have completed any deliverables for which they received SHIFT funding, or be able to provide details of timeline and steps for completing them. Please consult with your SHIFT Point Person before making your application.
- We ask that teams share with us any learnings and changes that occured in their work since their last funding.
Value exchange
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 in-kind to the SHIFT community.
As an OCG recipient, your team commits to:
- Participate in at least one Learning Community event
- Share an output from your project that could be useful to other members of the SHIFT community
- Offer four hours of coaching or support to another SHIFT-funded project
- Make a presentation about your project, transferable learnings, and next steps at an event for the broader SHIFT community, upon invitation.
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
Application process
Recognizing that applicants projects have previously passed through a selection committee and have an ongoing relationship with SHIFT, the OCG application process prioritizes opportunities for learning and exchange among SHIFT community members.
To apply, teams submit a simple form, which will be complemented by input from their SHIFT point person. Applicants are then invited to join a live conversation with a selection committee composed of three to five individuals, including members of other SHIFT-funded projects.
Rather than being dense and formal, the application and selection processes are designed to generate opportunities for different projects to learn about each other’s work and to provide constructive feedback. While all applications are assessed for their ongoing alignment with the SHIFT selection criteria, they are not compared nor in competition with each other.
The next deadline for the Ongoing Connections Grant will be in February 2025. Please check back in December-January 2024 for details.
To acknowledge the value of their time and investment in the SHIFT community through the OCG application process, unsuccessful applicants will receive an honorarium.
Support for applicants
To assist you in the application process, we encourage you to consult your SHIFT point person.
- Contact your SHIFT point person
- Book an appointment during our office hours on Thursday mornings with Richenda, Funding & Evaluation Coordinator
Calendar
Events
Notices
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March 22, 2023
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December 19, 2022
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October 20, 2022
