Emerging Community Need Funding - closed

Overview

Background

Emerging Community Need Funding helps support activities that address a new or growing need in the community. These initiatives aim to improve the community’s strength, well-being and ability to handle challenges.

An emerging need is:

A new issue facing the community,
A great and unmet need, or
A growing issue based on external factors such as economic changes, toxic drug supply, long-term effects of COVID-19.

Funding is intended for priority neighbourhoods defined by the Neighbourhood Equity Index and/or the Ottawa Neighbourhood Study. City staff will work alongside agencies and neighbourhoods to address the specific need based on the application.

Applications for funding are accepted year-round. This year, a total budget of $200,000 is available. The maximum funding amount allocated for Emerging Community Need funding is typically $30,000 per application. Some initiatives may require more funding. The City will review each application on a case-by-case basis. The funding is available until the budget is exhausted.

Apply for Emerging Community Need Funding

Emerging Community Need Funding provides one-time funding to help support activities that address a new or growing need in the community. These initiatives improve the strength of the community, promote well-being, and resiliency

Assessment and allocation

Criteria for selection
Section	Total Points Possible
Information about the emerging need How the unmet need matches the Community Funding Framework priorities and targets an urgent need in priority neighbourhoods.	20%
Summary of Initiative How well the summary fits the purpose of Emerging Community Need funding. How the organization plans to address the need with well-planned activities that help the community, build skills, improve well-being, and grow resilience. How realistic the proposed timelines are. How the project will reach and address the unique needs of priority groups and neighbourhoods. How the organization works with strong partners to respond to the emerging need and how the need will be supported after the funding ends.	50%
Budget Whether the budget is reasonable and workable	10%
Proposed Outcome How realistic and clear the benefits to the community are	20%
TOTAL:	100%

If your initiative is approved for funding

Contribution Agreement Process and Requirements

The City will send a letter by email to each successful applicant with a contribution offer and a draft contribution agreement outlining the terms and conditions of the contribution. Applicants must contact the City within five business days of the date of the letter to accept the contribution and enter into a contribution agreement.

The City may withdraw the offer of contribution if it does not receive a response within the required timeframe. Once the contribution agreement has been signed, the City will provide the contribution in the form of a single payment to the organization.

Additional requirements

There are additional requirements for successful candidates that are not in receipt of Sustainability Funding from the City. These applicants must provide the City the following documents before entering into and signing a funding agreement:

Most recent Audited Financial Statements
- If the total contribution is less than $25K, un-audited financial statements may be provided, at the complete discretion of the City, if they have been approved and signed by two officers, each of whom:
  - has been appointed under a by-law of the Contribution recipient to sign agreements and contracts that bind the Contribution recipient; and,
  - has the legal capacity to execute agreements and contracts that bind the Contribution recipient
Annual General Meeting (AGM) minutes for the last two completed fiscal years:
- Draft AGM minutes from the last completed fiscal year, and
- Most recent approved AGM minutes signed by two individuals with signing authority for the organization.
Current Board of Directors list
Current organizational chart
A valid certificate of insurance identifying the City of Ottawa as an additional insured under the insured’s policy/policies of insurance.

Reporting requirement under the Contribution Agreement

Successful applicants must complete and submit an outcome report four weeks after the agreed upon date on the contribution agreement. This report includes a financial statement of actual revenues and expenses.

Insurance

Successful applicants must obtain at least $2 million of commercial general liability insurance coverage for the initiative.

Before receiving the contribution, the successful applicant must provide the City with a certificate of insurance, with the City of Ottawa named as an additional insured.

General Expectations

Successful applicants are required to fulfill all the terms and conditions of the contribution agreement. If there are difficulties in complying with any of the terms and conditions of the contribution agreement, City staff must be informed immediately so all parties can work together to resolve the situation.