Forty-four organizations will receive grants from the Houssian Foundation for work on gender-based safety.
Across Canada, women and gender-diverse people are facing rising violence, deepening discrimination, and increasing barriers to safety, housing, healthcare and support.
Last spring, the Houssian Foundation launched a pilot initiative: the Daylight Fund—an open granting call to direct $500,000 to organizations working on gender-based safety across the country. The Daylight Fund was created to shed light on community needs and to drive philanthropic capital towards them with flexibility and urgency.
Today, we’re honoured to announce the 44 organizations selected to receive support through the Daylight Fund this year:
- Alternatives for Women
- Breaking Down Barriers An Independent Living Centre Inc
- British Columbia Law Institute (BCLI)
- Butterfly (Asian and Migrant Sex Workers Support Network)
- Centre des femmes Memphrémagog
- Cowichan Valley Independent Living Resource Centre Society
- Daughters of Africa Resources Center SK Inc.
- Dress For Success Regina
- Espace M – Ressource pour mères monoparentales
- Fireweed Collective Society
- Global Alliance Against Traffic in Women Canada
- Green Haven Shelter for Women
- Hope Resource Center Association
- Maison le Paravent
- MakeWay Charitable Society – Northern Birthwork Collective
- Manitoba Association of Women’s Shelters Inc. (MAWS)
- Moose Jaw Women’s Transition Association Inc.
- Nipissing Transition House
- Nisa Foundation
- Northwestern Ontario Women’s Centre
- PearlSpace Support Services Society
- PEI Family Violence Prevention Services Inc
- PEI Rape and Sexual Assault Centre (PEIRSAC)
- Port Alberni Family Guidance Association
- Project Agape
- Quesnel Women’s Resource Centre
- Refugee Women’s Network
- REVIVE (Sexual Assault/Rape Crisis Centre of Peel)
- Shelter Movers
- Skipping Stone Foundation
- Sophia Recovery Centre
- St. John’s Women’s Centre
- Support Network for Indigenous Women & Women of Colour
- The Black Women’s Institute for Health
- The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan Inc
- The Tahiuqtiit Women’s Society
- The Women’s Centre Grey Bruce
- We’re Here For You Canada
- Westcoast Community Resources Society
- Women’s Multicultural Resource and Counselling Centre of Durham (WMRCC)
- Women’s Shelters Canada
- Xolhemet Society – Wilma’s Transition Society
- Yellowknife Women’s Society
- YWCA St. John’s
Chosen from almost 300 applications representing millions of dollars in funding requests, these grantees reflect a wide range of community-facing, advocacy, legal, direct services, research, and more. Grants range from $10,000 to $25,000, with a total of $535,000 distributed to programs across the country.
All funding decisions were made by a participatory Advisory Committee comprised of individuals with lived and professional experience relevant to creating safety for women and gender-diverse people.
We’re deeply grateful to everyone who applied, to the committee who guided this process, and to the grantees who are working to improve safety for women and gender-diverse people in their communities every single day.
We also thank the Sonor Foundation and to Jenny Aaron Foundation who joined the Houssian Foundation in supporting the grant this year, enabling the Daylight Fund to increase the number of organizations reached this year.
Congratulations to all of this year’s Daylight Fund grantees.
“The goal of the fund is to daylight the crisis in gender-based safety, and importantly, provide flexible funding to the incredible array of organizations addressing safety across the country.”
Mira Oreck, Executive Director, Houssian Foundation