The world of work has changed. In the past, many low-wage jobs in Toronto were the first rung on an economic ladder that led to greater skills, meaningful vocations, and higher pay. But today’s low-wage jobs are often dead-end, short-term positions that offer little chance of yielding the opportunities necessary to make a decent living for oneself and one’s family.
Metcalf is seeking partners who can foster different ways to think about this problem, and develop the ideas, the strategies, and the policies that can enhance the economic livelihoods of low-income people.
Opportunities Fund
Overview
The Opportunities Fund is an open call for original ideas and compelling approaches that lead to meaningful economic inclusion for low-income people and communities in Toronto.
An inclusive city economy is a complex challenge and requires multiple, well-aligned efforts by many different players including business, labour, residents, non-profits, entrepreneurs, academics, advocates, and governments.
Applicants to the fund can be engaged in a wide range of activities. They might be building problem-solving networks for local micro-entrepreneurs, advancing policies and practices that support people to improve their economic standing, engaging employers to strengthen on-the-job training practices, or nurturing the organizing capacity of low-wage workers. Applicants might have a fully-developed project ready for implementation or a promising idea that needs strategic consulting to be fleshed out. If there is real commitment and a clear, compelling rationale, this fund can support a wide range of promising, creative efforts.
Program Eligibility
Applicants to this program must:
• be focused on improving outcomes for low-income people and communities,
• be based and active within the City of Toronto; and
• be registered as a charity at the Canada Revenue Agency.
Application Guidelines
For a full description of the program, including the process for making an application, please view the program guidelines here.
Deadlines
For 2012 awards, letters of interest to the Opportunities Fund will be accepted on or before:
December 5, 2011
September 17, 2012
Click here to view the application guidelines for more information.
FAQs
For frequently asked questions, please review the FAQ section.
Past Grants
To review past Metcalf Foundation grants, please visit the Who We Fund section.
Resilient Neighbourhoods
Overview
Resilient Neighbourhoods is a new multi-year pilot aimed at improving the economic opportunities available to low-income people in two neighbourhoods. The Metcalf Foundation works collaboratively with local and regional partners, engaging in creative problem-solving in order to spot places where the neighbourhood’s economic ecology can be improved. This initiative aims to develop an evolving series of strategic actions that build on pre-existing local work, take advantage of emerging opportunities, and link motivated people to key resources at the neighbourhood and city levels.
Applications to this initiative are by invitation only. Check back in late November for more details about this pilot and the partners involved.
FAQs
For frequently asked questions, please review the FAQ section.
Past Grants
To review past Metcalf Foundation grants, please visit the Who We Fund section.
