Multicultural Initiatives Fund – Project Funding

Purpose

MIF aims to advance cross-cultural engagement by supporting projects that encourage people to share, learn and engage in meaningful efforts that address the following Purposes:

•  Anti-Racism work which engages in issues of power and privilege, and addresses individual and systemic discrimination. Anti-Racism includes active dialogue and action towards building equity and justice within cultural organizations and communities.
•  Intercultural Connections work which entails sustained cross cultural engagement through activities like cultural exchanges, cooperative work between communities, creating safe spaces, community dialogues, creative projects and integration work for welcoming and inclusive communities.
• Truth and Reconciliation (TRC) projects that seek to implement a process of healing relationships that require public truth sharing, apology and commemoration to acknowledge and redress past harms towards implementing the TRC Calls to Action and Truth and Reconciliation efforts. Applicants are encouraged to identify who they are reconciling with and which Calls to Action they are seeking to address. For more information, visit SaskCulture’s Indigenous Awareness Hub.
• Cultural Retention work which supports the development and advancement of cultural practices and traditions internal to a particular cultural community. Indigenous communities are encouraged to apply to the Aboriginal Arts and Culture Leadership grant program for activity in this area.
• Celebration of Diversity work which supports the performances, displays, and expressions of ethno-cultural and Indigenous groups for the purposes of education and engagement with the broader community. Celebration of Diversity includes events such as festivals, cultural showcases, and performances that introduce cultural worldviews, expressions, creativity and innovation.

Priority will be given to projects that:

• provide significant opportunities to meet the Purposes of the MIF-P grant program, with an emphasis on Anti-Racism, Intercultural Connections, Truth and Reconciliation, and Cultural Retention projects. 
• deliver relevant cultural activities that demonstrate significant opportunities for cultural impact, accessibility and service to communities. 
• provide strong evidence of partnerships and community engagement from cultural communities that are being focused on. It is the responsibility of the applicant to demonstrate that there is evidence of agreement, understanding, permission, consent and commitment from cultural groups who are identified within a project. 
• take place in the province’s northern and/or rural or otherwise underserved communities.
• are led by equity-deserving communities and cultural organizations, or by organizations who demonstrate commitment to equity within their organizational structures with attention to diverse staff, board, experience and programming. 
• support cultural communities and groups who have had limited access to SaskCulture funding.

NOTE: Previously funded organizations that receive MIF-Project grants yearly will be prioritized based on the evidence of past impact provided in the application. Organizations already significantly funded by other Sask Lottery-supported grant programs may be a lower priority.

If you are unsure whether your project fits the Purpose of this grant, please contact the consultant, and check the list of successful applicants and project descriptions.