Victims Week 2014 Funding Guide

Introduction:

National Victims of Crime Awareness Week (Victims Week) is an annual outreach initiative of the Justice Canada Policy Centre for Victim Issues (PCVI). PCVI works to give victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system by pursuing a range of activities and initiatives.

The key goal of Victims Week is to raise awareness about the issues facing victims of crime and about the services, assistance and laws in place to help victims and their families. Victims Week is also a time to acknowledge the work of victim service providers and their dedication to assisting victims of crime and their families.

Victims Week 2014 Theme:

The next Victims Week will take place from April 6 to 12, 2014. The theme for Victims Week 2014 is "Taking Action." This theme recognizes that:

  • Throughout Canada, countless dedicated professionals and volunteers take action to better serve victims of crime every day. Criminal justice service providers give information and meaningful support to victims and their families at the community, provincial, territorial and federal levels.
  • Over the past three decades, Canada has made significant advances towards giving victims a more effective voice in the criminal justice system. By working together collaboratively, all levels of government are taking action on issues important to victims of crime. The Government of Canada will continue to build on this momentum to make meaningful change for victims of crime in Canada.
  • The first level of support for many victims of crime is family and friends. All Canadians can take action by helping victims of crime access the services available to them. Victims Week 2014 provides a backdrop for a national discussion about the laws, services and programs available for victims of crime at the community, provincial, territorial and federal level.

Victims Week Funding:

Limited funding (up to $10,000 per organization) will be available from Justice Canada's Victims Fund for projects that support the goals of Victims Week. These projects include activities during Victims Week that raise public awareness about victim issues. Organizations are encouraged to partner together on Victims Week projects. Partnering together could result in more than $10,000 being provided for a single project. If multiple organizations are partnering on a project for Victims Week, they are asked to submit only one application. Justice Canada will only consider funding for one project per organization.

Some examples of events and activities that could be organized during Victims Week include:

  • Workshop or information sessions on victim issues or relevant topics;
  • Public awareness events (e.g. volunteer recognition event, information kiosk, etc.);
  • Social media campaigns and electronic resources on services available to victims and their families and/or victim issues;
  • Training for justice system professionals on victim needs;
  • Special issue of a newsletter dedicated to Victims Week; and,
  • Radio, newspaper or television ads promoting Victims Week and/or providing information on victim services.

For more event ideas and organization tips, you can consult the Resource Guide for Victims Week 2013 online. The 2014 Victims Week Resources should be available by January 2014.

Examples of Eligible and Ineligble Expenses:

The following are typically considered eligible for funding:

  • Contract fee expenses (e.g. contract for speaker fees);
  • Salaries (coordinator/facilitator);
  • Cost of supplies/materials/services;
  • Facility rental and reasonable hospitality costs for special events;
  • Travel/accommodation/incidental expenses to bring in professionals, such as workshop facilitators, panelists and presenters, for presentation or training purposes; and,
  • Advertising costs.

Ineligible expenses include the following:

  • Stand-alone meal expenses, unless they include speeches/presentations focused on victim awareness and victim services;
  • Purchase of commercial films and materials (even though related to victimization) for showing and distribution as part of Victims Week events;
  • Capital expenses (e.g., purchase of equipment, buildings); and,
  • Satellite events of victim-related organizations. A satellite event is a meeting organized by an organization or group to coincide with the events of Victims Week (e.g., organization's annual meeting). Satellite events differ from Victims Week-related events and activities, as they focus on the specific mandate or project of an organization or group.

Applying for Victims Week Funding:

To apply for funding, please submit a proposal via email using the Victims Week 2014 Funding Application Form. Your application must clearly describe how the proposed activity will help support the objectives of the Victims Fund and the goals of Victims Week. Please use the checklist attached to the application form as Annex A to ensure that your application is complete and that your proposed project meets all of the selection criteria noted below.

Selection Criteria:

  1. The application form must be completed IN FULL.
  2. The application must be submitted by October 25, 2013. No late applications will be accepted.
  3. All expenses listed in the application must be eligible for funding (please see the Victims Week 2014 funding "FAQs" for examples of eligible and ineligible expenses).
  4. All expenses must be reasonable and customary, and must demonstrate good value for Canadians.
  5. The theme for Victims Week 2014 (Taking Action) must be clearly reflected in the proposed project.
  6. The proposed project must support the Victims Fund objective of raising awareness and knowledge about the impact of victimization, the needs of victims of crime, available services, assistance and legislation. (Please visit the Victims Fund web page for more information on the Fund).
  7. Collaborative projects / community partnerships are encouraged.

The following two factors may also be taken into account by the selection committee when reviewing the funding applications:

  1. The selection committee may take geographic representation into account during the review process.
  2. The selection committee may undertake a global assessment of all proposals in a given jurisdiction to ensure variety and broad reach, and to avoid too much similarity / duplication in projects.

Maximum Amount of Funding:

The maximum amount of funding that can be provided by Justice Canada for each organization partnering on a proposed project cannot exceed $10,000. Given limited resources, and to ensure that many communities and organizations receive funding, only one project per applicant will be given consideration. Geographic distribution, the collaborative nature of the proposed projects and how well projects reflect the Victims Week 2014 theme may be considered during the review process. Only applications that have been completed in full will be eligible for funding.

As funding is limited each year, not all eligible applications can be approved.

Deadline to Submit Application:

The deadline to submit your funding application is October 25, 2013. Applications will only be accepted up to this date. It is the applicant's responsibility to ensure that the funding application has been received by the Department of Justice Canada. If you do not receive a confirmation email after submitting your application electronically to victimsweek-semainedesvictimes@justice.gc.ca, please call (613) 957-4745 for assistance.

Additional Information:

Finally, if you have any questions that are not answered in the package of documents that you have received with this application, please email us at: victimsweek-semainedesvictimes@justice.gc.ca

Official Languages

In support of Section 41 of the Official Languages Act, the Department is committed to facilitating the participation of official language minority communities and their organizations in the development and assessment of the Department's policies, programs and services having significant impact on the development of the communities; and to take measures to ensure that the Department of Justice's programs and services reach official language minority communities. In the context of project funding, these measures include:

  • outreach to official language minority communities to enhance their understanding of the Department of Justice funding programs; and
  • encouraging contacts between organizations that are receiving financial assistance and official language minority organizations/groups to ensure that the needs of these communities are taken into consideration in relation to the proposed projects to be considered for Department of Justice Canada funding.

Sustainable Development

The Department of Justice encourages applicants to submit proposals electronically.  If you submit your application on paper, please consider printing on both sides of the paper. These actions will minimize environmental impacts.