Terms and Conditions - Grants and Contributions Program (GCP) to National Voluntary Organizations (NVOs)

1. Authority

Transfer payments under the authority of section 6(1)(c), Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Act, S.C. 2005, ch.10, the Treasury Board 788316 dated June 24, 1983 and the Treasury Board 823628, dated December 14, 1995. The Grants and Contributions Program to National Voluntary Organizations (GCP-NVO) for the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness (Department) supports protection of the public and the maintenance of a just, peaceful and safe society.

2. Program Description and Objectives

In the context of this program, the purpose of the grants and contributions is to contribute to the development of criminal justice policies and delivery of services.

The grants provide funding for National Voluntary Organizations (NVOs) to maintain a national structure and cover core operating expenses, including salaries and benefits, rent, translation, telephone, postage, and equipment/material for staff and board members.

The contributions provide funding for NVOs to create or expand application support services for individuals with criminal records looking to apply for a pardon.

The NVOs role in providing advice in community service delivery (particularly in the provision of after-care services) and public awareness is consistent with the mandates and objectives of the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness.

The NVOs that are funded by the GCP-NVO provide services in the area of corrections, conditional release and/or community reintegration, and therefore contribute to public safety. They also fulfill an important role in communities across the country in promoting training and development for criminal justice professionals and public education as well as policy consultation with government.

3. Expected Results and Outcomes

The activities and outputs of the programs are expected to lead to the immediate and intermediate outcomes. These outcomes can be associated to what the grants and contributions are expected to achieve.

Immediate Outcomes:

• Contribution to national policy dialogue on matters related to criminal justice, community corrections and reintegration.
• Increased capacity of NVOs to fulfill their mandates through grant funding.
• Increased community capacity to work with victims, offenders, individuals with criminal records, families, and local officials such as police and emergency first responders.
• Contribution recipients implement support services for pardon application assistance through program funding.

Intermediate Outcomes:

• Contribution to national policy dialogue on matters related to criminal justice, community corrections and reintegration.
• Increased capacity of NVOs to fulfill their mandates through grant funding.
• Increased community capacity to work with victims, offenders, individuals with criminal records, families, and local officials such as police and emergency first responders.
• Contribution recipients implement support services for pardon application assistance through program funding.

Long-Term Outcomes:

• Individuals with criminal records are using supports provided by government-funded projects.
• Canada’s federal corrections and criminal justice system rehabilitates and reintegrates offenders.

Ultimate Outcomes:

The intermediate and long-term outcomes are expected to lead to the following ultimate outcomes. While many other social and political factors are expected to affect these outcomes, it is still expected that the programs will contribute in a positive way to the achievement of this outcome.

• Community safety practices are strengthened.
• Canadian communities are safe.

Crime The intermediate and long-term outcomes are expected to lead to the following ultimate

• is prevented and addressed in populations/communities most at-risk.

4. Eligible Recipients

The class of eligible recipients are Canadian not-for-profit bodies or national voluntary organizations that provide services in the area of corrections, conditional release and/or community reintegration, and therefore contribute directly to public safety.

5. Eligible Initiatives and Key Activities

The funding provided under this program is to support the range of services provided by NVOs in the area of corrections, conditional release and/or community reintegration, and therefore contribute to public safety.

Grants:

Funding can be used to deliver direct services and programs to offenders, which can include:

• Cognitive skills development programs;
• Prison in-reach and release planning;
• Sex offender and substance abuse treatment programs;
• Residential beds in halfway and transitional houses;
• Legal and court support services;
• Women and Indigenous-specific programming;
• Federal parole supervision and community assessments;
• Peer-to-peer and self-support initiatives; and
• Training and educational initiatives.

Funding can also be used to provide support to victims, families of offenders and communities by delivering:

• Victims assistance programs;
• Offender-family dialogue and reparation initiatives; and
• Restorative justice and conflict resolution services.

Contributions:

Funding can be used to deliver direct support services to individuals with criminal records looking to apply to the Parole Board of Canada for a pardon, which can include:

• Determining clients’ eligibility for a pardon;
• Subsidies for additional documentation costs (e.g., court records, police records, fingerprinting);
• Application completion support;
• Mailing services;
• Internet/computer services;
• Liaising with court, local police or RCMP personnel;
• Creation of communications products related project services; and,
•  Training, education, or workshops related to accessing the Pardon Program.

NVOs fulfill an important role in communities across the country and engage in other eligible activities such as providing training and educational initiatives for other voluntary/justice sector agencies and criminal justice professionals, as well as by participating in policy consultations with the federal government.

6. Stacking Limits

When applying for grant funding, NVOs will be required to indicate what, if any, government (all levels) funds the organization expects to receive for core operating activities. Total Government Assistance will not exceed 100% of eligible costs.

When applying for contribution funding, eligible organizations will be required to indicate what, if any, government (all levels) funds the organization excepts to receive in direct support for the project-related to repairing and supporting applications for pardons. Total government assistance will not exceed 100% of eligible costs of the project.

For grant or contribution funding, if the limit of Total Government Assistance is exceeded, it will be considered an overpayment and a debt due to the Crown, and the Department will either reduce future grant or contribution installments or seek reimbursement from the recipient.

7. Application Requirements

The following will be required of all applicants in order for the Department to consider a grant application or contribution project proposal:

• A Request for Funding Questionnaire, provided by the Department and completed by the applicant, which includes the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 4;
• An appropriate work plan describing the project activities, milestones, and expected outcomes;
• The organization’s most recent annual report;
• A detailed budget including type and nature of expenditures, a disclosure of all sources of funding for the project (including in-kind contributions and government assistance), amount of funding requested under the program;
• A copy of the most recent financial statement prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and certified by a person duly authorized by the organization;
• Information related to the organization’s legal status and structure, names of project authorities, information on the background, history, mandate, objectives and accomplishments of the organization, and names and contact information for the executive members of the board of directors of the organization or similar information in the case of an ad-hoc group (if applicable);
• Describe how the project will respect the spirit and intent of the Official Languages Act;
• Prevent the risk of conflict of interest by:
1. Disclosing the involvement of prospective recipients who are subject to the Values and Ethics Code for the Public Service, the Conflict of Interest Act (S.C. 2006, c.9) or the Parliament of Canada Act (R.S., 1985, c.P-1.01);
2. When required by the Lobbying Act, registering lobbyists under the LRA (applicants shall provide assurance that, where lobbyists are utilized, they are registered and that no actual or potential conflict of interest exists nor any contingency fee arrangement);
3. Discussing the role of a departmental official if a departmental official is to participate on an advisory committee or board. Such involvement must not be seen to be exercising control on the committee or board or on the use of the funds.

The Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness may request additional information such as copies of recent reports, conference proceedings, and other documents produced by the applicant, if available.

8. Selection Criteria and Review Procedure

For eligible recipients under the GCP-NVO, the criteria for receiving a grant or contribution under the program include the following:

• The organization's objectives and activities are directly related to those of the Department and its portfolio partners;
• The organization has a governance structure such as a Board of Directors;
• The organization has internal accountability measures;
• The organization is normally able to secure at least five per cent (5%) of its core funding from sources other than the federal government;
• The organization has a visible constituency;
• The organization agrees to provide information requested by the Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness in accordance with the Terms and Conditions of the Grant and Contribution Program;
• The requested grant funding will be used for eligible expenditures as outlined in Section 10 of these Terms and Conditions;
• The organization provides training or educational initiatives;
• The project submitted by the organization is clear, sound and achievable; and
• The organization’s objectives and activities may lead to the achievement of the GCP-NVO expected results.

Selection Criteria

Grants:

The Department will use the following selection criteria to determine whether funding will be granted:

• The organization provides services in the area of corrections, conditional release, or community reintegration;
• The organization is national in scope or concerned with issues/groups not otherwise represented by a national organization;
• The organization provides direct services to offenders OR support to victims, families of offenders or communities;
• The organization provides appropriate examples of engagement activities with the Department, or portfolio partners, with the view of influencing policy development or legislative initiatives OR the organization has capacity to become a valuable contributor to national policy dialogue; and
• The organization provides appropriate examples of its contribution to enhancing the knowledge of issues related to corrections, conditional release or community reintegration.

Contributions:

The Department will use the following selection criteria to determine whether funding will be contributed:

• How will the project use funding to deliver direct support services to individuals with criminal records looking to apply to the Parole Board of Canada for a pardon;
• Demonstrates how project funding will be used for eligible expenditures as outlined in Section 10 of these Terms and Conditions;
• How will the project contribute to improved and more cost-effective programs or service delivery mechanisms; and
• How will the project support public policy issues of strategic importance (e.g. reintegration).

Priority may be given to proposals that are able to meet the unique needs of distinct groups of people or unique services that would be beneficial in the completion of an application for pardons.

Review Procedure

Grant applications and Contribution proposals will be reviewed by a committee which may be composed of officials from the Department, Correctional Service of Canada, the Parole Board of Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, or other relevant departments as determined by Public Safety Canada. Using the aforementioned criteria, the committee will also examine project activities and eligible expenditures to determine the minimum level of assistance required to attain objectives. It will examine costs and take into consideration similar projects and other sources of funding, as well as the remoteness factor of communities

9. Reporting Requirements

Grants:

During the funding cycle, recipients will be required to submit annual activity reports using a template provided by the Department, to highlight the previous year’s accomplishments.

Contributions:

During the funding cycle, recipients will be required to submit copies of any reports or project reports outlining the activities completed for the period, and to provide an activities report, a cashflow statement on the previous year’s accomplishments, certified (if appropriate) financial statements, and current and/or future years’ budgets.

The recipient may also be required to provide additional supporting documentation (e.g., receipts, purchase orders, materials or products produced).

The recipient should also have a plan for monitoring, regular reporting, evaluation and dissemination of the final results of the initiative and/or research project or evaluation conducted.

To assist in determining the effectiveness of the contribution relative to the Department’s objectives, the program officer manager will review and document the overall activities of the applicant during the previous year, and file relevant copies of reports, proceedings of conferences and special studies or projects undertaken.

10. Type and Nature of Expenditures

Grants:

Eligible expenditures, to be outlined in a budget approved by the Department, include expenditures that are necessary to support eligible activities and key initiatives for which funding is being applied for:

• Core operating expenses
• Salaries and benefits;
• rent;
• translation;
• telephone;
• postage; and
• equipment/material for staff and board members.

Expenditures that are not considered core operating expenses, but are expenditures necessary to support the activities or initiatives for which funding is being applied for may also be considered by the Department.

Capital expenditures over $10,000 and hospitality expenses will not be allowed.

Contributions:

Funds may be used only for expenses directly related to the activities of the project identified in a budget approved by the Department.

Eligible expenses include:

1. Salaries and wages for permanent or temporary professional, clerical, technical and administrative services, including contributions to the Canada Employment Insurance Commission, the Canada Pension Plan, the Workers' Compensation Board, the Provincial Pension Plan or other Employee Benefit Plans;
2. Professional fees for subject matter experts;
3. Services for personnel administration, accounting and bookkeeping, processing lawyers' accounts and audit fees;
4. Rent, normal utilities such as electricity, heat, water and telephone, maintenance of offices and other buildings, insurance and taxes, conference room and meeting room rentals, where these expenses are directly related to the project and are not core or ongoing expenses;
5. Office equipment and minor capital acquisitions net of disposal (less than $5,000 per acquisition). Best value on rental versus purchase of equipment should be determined and the equipment should be retained throughout the project and only be replaced as required;
6. Program supplies and materials (less than $5000 per acquisition);
7. Travel and living expenses related to the delivery of the project, including transportation rental costs, vehicle leases and insurance for vehicles, which are deemed reasonable through the detailed budget review and not to exceed the maximum National Joint Council (NJC) guideline amount. Travelers should be reimbursed based on receipts up to the eligible reimbursement amount;
8. Transportation, inclusive of rental vehicle costs, non-capital vehicle leases and related insurance, bus tickets, tokens and other participant-related transportation reimbursements;
9. Training, learning, and development programs;
10. Administrative expenses should be clearly defined and should not exceed 15% of the total contribution provided by the Department for a specific project, if not already included within other line items. If administrative expenses are already included in other line items, then the percentage will be reduced accordingly;
11. Honoraria, defined as time-limited remuneration for a volunteer service or participation in project delivery that is consistent with, and essential to the attainment of, the project's objectives. This can include but is not limited to guest speakers and Elder honoraria.

Honoraria cannot be provided as an incentive for participation in a project.

12. Computer services, library expenses, research costs and collection and analysis of statistics;
13. Public awareness and educational activities consistent with the project's objectives;
14. Advertising and marketing costs;
15. Translation and simultaneous interpretation activities;
16. Shipping charges, postage, licences, and other fees;
17. Printing and distribution activities;
18. Hospitality in Indigenous contexts, based on the following criteria:

In Indigenous communities in Canada, a great deal of the work that is done takes place in a communal setting - often, this takes the form of gatherings or ceremonies that have practical uses as well as fulfilling some of the spiritual and cultural needs of participants. Often more can be accomplished during a day-long gathering or ceremony than can be done in several meetings that take place on a regular basis or back to back. This is true for a number of reasons:

• events take place that interrupt meetings;
• meetings are necessary for the purpose of doing business with government but not considered culturally important; and
• gatherings and ceremonies involve more than just professionals and garner widespread community buy-in and support.

Due to the length of time taken for gatherings and cultural ceremonies, hospitality such as food is considered an essential element of the day. Food has also been traditionally significant amongst all Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The sharing of food with participants, particularly at events with a cultural or spiritual element, is seen as an integral and important part of Indigenous protocol and culture.

To eliminate hospitality from community-based projects that are founded on traditional knowledge and experiences would be taking away from an integral part of what makes the process unique. Culturally, it would show great disrespect to the participants, which would jeopardize future relationships. As a result, for Indigenous communities in Canada only, hospitality will be considered as an eligible expense for:

• Gatherings;
• Feasts;
• Ceremonies; and
• Circles.

Hospitality in this case takes the form of food and drink but does not include alcohol.

Ineligible Costs include:

• Capital costs, such as land, buildings, vehicles and most other capital costs (more than $10,000 per acquisition);
• Hospitality that does not meet the eligible expenses criteria;
• Core or ongoing operating expenses;
• Amortization and interest (cost of borrowing);
• Travel for delegates or participants not directly related to the project, invited by others, or voluntarily attending; and
• Profit, defined as an excess of revenues over expenditures.

121. Maximum Amount

Grants (60 months):

The maximum amount of grant payable to each recipient will not exceed $600,000 per recipient, per fiscal year. The assistance is provided only at the minimum level to further the attainment of the stated transfer payment program objectives and expected results.

Contributions (48 months):

The maximum amount of contribution payable to each recipient will not exceed $300,000 per project, per fiscal year. The contribution provided will be based on the specific initiative or project, and the minimum level of assistance needed to attain the program objectives and expected results.

12. Determination of the Grant or Contribution Amount

Grants:

Grant amounts are based on the lowest level of funding required for the organization to maintain its national presence and deliver key services and activities that align with the Eligible Initiatives and Key Activities outlined in Section 5. The following factors are considered to determine the amounts allocated to each organization:

• The size of the organization, the scope of its mandate and target population;
• The capacity of the organization to deliver on its existing mandate and undertake new initiatives; and
• The financial health of the organization, number of sources of income and the stability of its funding partners.

Contributions:

Contribution amounts are based on eligible project activities outlined in Section 5, and funding required to achieve project objectives, in addition to the following factors:

• The size of the organization, the scope of its mandate and target population;
• The capacity of the organization to deliver on its existing mandate and undertake new initiatives; and
• The financial health of the organization, number of sources of income and the stability of its funding partners.

13. Basis of Payment

Grants:

Payments will be made on the basis of multi-year arrangements with each recipient, and upon approval by the Minister – or his or her delegate – of a Grant Authorization form that provides the name and the annual amount of each grant.

Funding provided to recipients will be disbursed annually over a multi-year funding cycle, subject to annual Parliamentary appropriations.

Annual funding will be provided in installments or a single payment based on the amount of the grant and associated level of risk.

Recipients must meet and continue to meet the specific terms and conditions of the grant agreement and the recipient eligibility requirements in Section 4 Eligible Recipients, prior to payments being made.

Contributions:

The total amount of contribution funding paid to a recipient under a funding agreement cannot exceed the eligible expenditures actually incurred by the recipient in completing the recipient’s initiative or project, after considering all other sources of revenue received for the project or initiative.

Transfer payments will be paid to the recipients in the form of progress payments (i.e., reimbursement of eligible expenditures incurred) based upon the receipt and acceptance by the Department of financial statements, including a cash flow document, indicating expenses incurred to date and project reports outlining the activities completed for the period.

Advance payments will be provided based on assessed risk and the cash flow requirements of the recipient.

The release of payments may also be conditional on other monitoring activities and/or supporting documentation, which may include on-site visits, the provision to the Department of expense receipts, purchase orders or copies of products and or materials produced as part of the agreement.

A holdback provision, based on assessed risk, may apply to contributions provided by the Department. In this case, provided that the recipient has met the terms and conditions of the contribution agreement, a final payment (holdback) will be made only upon receipt and acceptance of an credited (if appropriate) financial statement covering the duration of the initiative and/or project and any other required activity reports and supporting documentation.

Unspent funding for contributions must be considered in keeping with the spirit and intent of the program Terms and Conditions and Treasury Board policy. Generally speaking, recipients of the program would not be expected to return unspent monies to PS. However, it is important to note that the total government assistance cannot exceed 100% of the organization’s eligible costs. As per section 6 of the program Terms and Conditions, this would be ‘considered an overpayment and the Department would either reduce future contribution installments or seek reimbursement from the recipient.

14. Performance Measurement Strategy

Grants:

The Performance Measurement Strategy contains strategies for on-going performance measurement, evaluation and reporting. The following is a list of key performance indicators that will assist in measuring and monitoring the progress of the GCP-NVO:

• Influence on policy development: number of Departmental initiatives, activities and decisions influenced or informed by the recipient organizations;
• Impact on service delivery initiatives: level of recipient’s participation in engaging the Department to address community needs; and
• Dissemination of information and knowledge: number of conferences, public education initiatives and other knowledge-building activities developed by the recipient organization.

Contributions:

Immediate:

• Service providers, NGOs, Indigenous organizations/communities have capacity to administer projects through program funding.

Intermediate:

• Service providers, NGOs, Indigenous organizations/communities implement support services for pardon application assistance

Long Term:

• Influence on policy development: number of Departmental initiatives, activities and decisions influenced or informed by the recipient organizations.
• Impact on service delivery initiatives: level of recipient’s participation in engaging the Department to address community needs.
• Dissemination of information and knowledge: number of conferences, public education initiatives and other knowledge-building activities developed by the recipient organization.

15. Intellectual Property

The recipient retains copyright for any work produced under the GCP-NVO. However, in the event the Department wishes to use the intellectual property produced by a recipient, the following clause will be included in the funding agreement/letter addressed to the recipient:

• The recipient gives the Minister a royalty-free, permanent and non-exclusive license to produce, reproduce, translate, modify, or publish, in any way, the original work or an adaptation, in any language, for use within the federal public service and for non-commercial distribution, including the evaluation research design, data collection instruments and all interim and final evaluation reports.

16. Official Languages

During the funding cycle, the recipient will respect official language commitments, and where applicable, make public announcements and public documents related to the grant or contribution available in both official languages.

Funding will be consistent with all relevant policies and regulations of the Official Languages Act.

The Department will work with organizations in their preferred official language. All the information published as it relates to the GCP-NVO will be made available and posted on the Department’s website in both official languages.

The GCP-NVO’s overall objectives are to be implemented within the broader context of the linguistic duality of Canada by supporting organizations that will serve official language minority communities while being mindful of gender and diversity issues.

17. Duration of the Program

Contributions:

The Contribution-specific sections in these Terms and Conditions will take effect upon approval by the Treasury Board. Funding for the Contributions will only be available until the 2025-26 fiscal year. An evaluation of the relevance and effectiveness of the Contributions will be undertaken towards the end of the funding cycle (2025-26). The Minister will be informed of the results of the evaluation, which could inform any future amendments or changes required to the Program Terms and Conditions.

Date modified:

2023-12-06