The Youth Opportunities Fund (YOF) provides annual grants and capacity-building supports to community-based organizations and grassroots groups serving young people who face multiple barriers to economic and social well-being.
In June 2013, the Government of Ontario released Stepping Up: A Strategic Framework to Help Ontario’s Youth Succeed, consisting of seven themes and 20 related outcomes essential to youth well-being. Five of these outcomes were selected to create the granting framework for the Fund.
The YOF aims to enhance the well-being of young people who face exclusion and barriers to full participation in community life. It targets youth aged 12-25, and their families, who are:
- Indigenous youth (i.e., First Nation, Métis, or Inuit youth)
- Racialized youth
- Newcomer youth
- Francophone youth
- Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, two-spirit, and queer (LGBTTQ) youth
- Living with disabilities or special needs between the ages of 12 and 29
- Living in rural and remote communities
- Vulnerable to becoming or are in conflict with the law
- In care or leaving care
- In low-income situations or from low-income families
- At risk of dropping out or have dropped out of school
Eligible groups:
- Grassroots groups (3+ people) that are youth-led or youth-adult partnerships
- Unincorporated grassroots groups or grassroots groups that incorporated in 2010 or late
Learn More:
- Youth Opportunities Fund– Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF)
- YOF – Granting Framework 2015-16– OTF
- YOF – How to apply– OTF
