The fund, to be managed by The Winnipeg Foundation, will be used to “provide application-based grants” for MMIWG2S+ families in a bid to help them “heal, learn” and “empower” themselves, according to a May 5 news release.
The initial investment into the fund is expected to generate up to $750,000 per year, which will be paid out in the form of grants.
“The initial investment will continue to grow, allowing the grant program to continue in perpetuity,” states the release.
“This is a transformative, historic announcement for MMIWG2S+ relatives, one that recognizes the needs of families and the work we can do together,” said Manitoba Families Minister Nahanni Fontaine in a statement. “This fund will ensure a stable long-term commitment to help meet the needs and support families for years to come.”
According to the release, Fontaine expects the “first intake” for the grant program to launch in 2025. It notes that Manitoba’s government will work with MMIWG2S+ families and community partners “in the coming months to develop grant eligibility and distribution guidelines.”
It notes that the fund “is the first foundational initiative” of Manitoba’s new multi-year Strategy and Action Plan on Empowering and Protecting Indigenous Women, Girls and Two-Spirit Peoples.
“This investment aligns with the Calls for Justice in the final report of the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls including the call to provide continual and accessible healing programs and support for the children of MMIWG2S+ people and their families,” states the release.
Canada’s government launched the national inquiry in 2016 as a response to disproportionally high levels of violence faced by Indigenous women and girls and LGBTQ and two-spirit people. It was also done to satisfy the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Call to Action #41, according to a federal government web page.
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