To be eligible, communities must have an active Animator who meets the following criteria: 

• Be actively facilitating a community Action Team throughout the project/proposal development and implementation  
• Be at least 3 months post-Animator Training 
• Complete the Discovery Phase using the Community Discovery Fund ($2650) within the first 12 months following training 
• Submit a Summary Report, including an account of the $2650 allocated for community discovery work  
• For multi-community grants, each participating community must have an active Animator involved in co-writing the proposal and co-implementation

The Backbone Organization must be a Non-Profit, Registered Charity, or affiliated with a local government (i.e., FCSS Office, First Nation, Métis Settlement, Municipality, Municipal District, or Special Area).

• A for-profit entity cannot serve as the Backbone.
• AHS and Health Advisory Councils are not able to be Backbone Organizations.

If the Animator works for the Backbone Organization, we require someone else with signing authority (who is not directly supervised by the Animator) to be the Backbone Contact.

• The Animator cannot be the sole director of a non-audited organization. If this is the case, a new Backbone Organization will have to be chosen. Contact us if you have questions or need support finding an eligible Backbone Organization.

Non-audited organizations will have additional financial reporting requirements.

Projects focusing exclusively on existing service provision (e.g., clinical forms of counselling) are not eligible. Pre-existing programs are not eligible for funding, but Animators may apply to expand on an existing community-driven program. Communities that have received funding in previous years can apply again with the following conditions:

• Requesting funds to expand on an existing RMH-funded project is dependent on demonstrating the growth and impact of the initial project.
• Funding for past Recipients will also be dependent on the quality of reporting received throughout the initial grant term.

Each applicant/community may only receive one grant per calendar year. Projects must be tailored to specific communities, taking the local context into account to build on a community’s unique strengths and assets (i.e., cannot copy-paste same project across several communities in the same county).

• Animators are encouraged to submit an application together for a Multi-Community Grant if their respective communities will benefit from the same project, however they must demonstrate that their project is collaborative and community-led. Every community in the partnership must have a trained Animator who is involved in the project.

Consult the Application Guidelines for a full list of eligible and ineligible expenses.