Community Safety and Well-Being Fund: Building Safer Communities Grant Program

Community Safety and Well-Being Fund - Now Accepting Applications


The Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Fund supports the development of community-based violence prevention and intervention initiatives. This program will address community violence and youth justice involvement by supporting sector resilience, bridging service gaps, and encouraging resident engagement and leadership development.

Apply Now:

To apply, please submit the following documents to cswb@durham.ca by August 22, 2025, at 4:59 p.m. Please refer to the Program Guidelines for further information, including eligibility requirements.

  1. Grant application form
  2. Budget sheet
  3. Most recent financial statements

Stream One: Direct Intervention Fund

Applications open: July 28, 2025

Applications close: August 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Program period: October 2025 to March 2026

Notice of decision: September 2025

Amount: Up to $150,000

Eligibility: Youth-serving non-profit organizations in Durham Region, with revenues of more than $500,000 are eligible to apply.

This stream will support established youth-serving community organizations in delivering direct service provisions, which addresses the needs of children and youth experiencing one or more risks factors for involvement in serious violence and crime. Funded initiatives will utilize trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches to promote positive youth and community development.

Priority projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Initiatives that directly address and intersect with youth engaged in or exiting the criminal justice system, including those previously or actively involved with street or gang level violence.
  • Programming to improve access to protective factors, such as equitable and sufficient access to community services, supports, programming, opportunities and employment, family support, adequate and appropriate physical and mental health care, positive relationships with mentors and peers.
  • Examples include:
    1. Programming that directly addresses and intersects with youth engaged or exiting the criminal justice system because of street or gang level violence.
    2. Youth employment and/or life skills-based programming.
    3. Youth employment services for high school students.
    4. Youth hubs or safe spaces.
    5. Youth transition programming.
    6. Youth programming with outreach components.
    7. Other forms of child, youth, and family programming that reduce or eliminate systemic barriers, promote and improve youth safety and well-being.

Stream Two: Community Strengthening Fund

Applications open: July 28, 2025

Applications close: August 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Program Period: October 2025 to March 2026

Notice of decision: September 2025

Fund Amount: Maximum of $25,000 per project

Eligibility: Youth-serving non-profits in Durham Region

This stream will support youth-serving non-profit organizations in Durham Region to build capacity and deliver initiatives for the purpose of promoting youth safety and well-being. Priority projects will work to improve equitable access to services, programs, opportunities, especially for groups and locations who face barriers (including access/awareness) and intersecting risk factors. Applications should highlight how the proposed initiative will provide culturally responsive supports and involve people with lived experience and establish inclusive, welcoming and user-friendly service experiences.

Priority projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Organizational capacity-strengthening (e.g., database development, office supplies and equipment).
  • Training for staff and volunteers to support program operations and delivery (e.g., mental health first aid training, data management and record keeping, financial management, project management, program evaluation and impact assessment).
  • Strengthening intergenerational and peer support networks.
  • Community-based youth mental health initiatives.
  • Education and awareness activities.
  • Eliminating user fees for youth seeking access to protective services, programs and opportunities (e.g., no-cost summer or winter break camp, life skill or employment training, legal advice, counselling).
  • Other forms of child, youth, and family programming that reduce or eliminate systemic barriers, promote and improve youth safety and well-being.

Stream Three: Intimate Partner Violence and Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response Fund

Applications open: July 28, 2025

Applications close: August 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Notice of Decision: September 2025

Amount: Maximum of $20,000 per project

Eligibility: Violence Against Women responding agencies and non-profit organizations who provide supports and services to persons experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Durham Region.

This stream will support an organization’s ongoing initiatives that address IPV and GBV through activities including prevention, intervention, survivor support and systemic change. This fund aligns with the Region of Durham’s declaration of IPV as an epidemic, and Ontario’s Bill 173, Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024.

Priority projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Public education and awareness campaigns/initiatives.
  • Providing information, training, and tools to front-line staff/service providers.
  • Increasing prevention programming to address harmful attitudes and behaviours and help children, youth and young adults learn how to foster healthy relationships.
  • Engaging boys, male youth, and men in IPV and GBV awareness, education and allyship strategies.

Information Sessions

The Community Safety and Well-Being Secretariat are pleased to provide two information sessions on the Community Safety and Well-Being Fund. To attend, please navigate to the Eventbrite link to register:

July 30, 2025 - Virtual

August 13, 2025 - Virtual

Community Micro-Grants Program - Applications now closed.

This Program supports residents and small and emerging community groups to lead projects in their communities. These micro-grants will fund projects that reduce violence and support positive youth development.

Current Program Funding Activities

Organizations across Durham Region have received funding through the CSWB Fund: Building Safer Communities Grant Program, to help address youth violence and promote positive youth and community development.

The CSWB Fund supports the development of community-based violence prevention and intervention initiatives. These actions also include training and capacity-strengthening activities to enhance staff, organizational, and/or sector capacity to meet the needs of priority populations. Durham Region’s funding program supports the CSWB Plan which aims to support safety in communities and addresses needs related to education, health care, food, housing, income and cultural expression.

Program funding through the CSWB Fund: Building Safer Communities Grant Program supports multiple organizations and community groups in Durham Region, including:

Community Safety and Well-Being Fund - Now Accepting Applications


The Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Fund supports the development of community-based violence prevention and intervention initiatives. This program will address community violence and youth justice involvement by supporting sector resilience, bridging service gaps, and encouraging resident engagement and leadership development.

Apply Now:

To apply, please submit the following documents to cswb@durham.ca by August 22, 2025, at 4:59 p.m. Please refer to the Program Guidelines for further information, including eligibility requirements.

  1. Grant application form
  2. Budget sheet
  3. Most recent financial statements

Stream One: Direct Intervention Fund

Applications open: July 28, 2025

Applications close: August 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Program period: October 2025 to March 2026

Notice of decision: September 2025

Amount: Up to $150,000

Eligibility: Youth-serving non-profit organizations in Durham Region, with revenues of more than $500,000 are eligible to apply.

This stream will support established youth-serving community organizations in delivering direct service provisions, which addresses the needs of children and youth experiencing one or more risks factors for involvement in serious violence and crime. Funded initiatives will utilize trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches to promote positive youth and community development.

Priority projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Initiatives that directly address and intersect with youth engaged in or exiting the criminal justice system, including those previously or actively involved with street or gang level violence.
  • Programming to improve access to protective factors, such as equitable and sufficient access to community services, supports, programming, opportunities and employment, family support, adequate and appropriate physical and mental health care, positive relationships with mentors and peers.
  • Examples include:
    1. Programming that directly addresses and intersects with youth engaged or exiting the criminal justice system because of street or gang level violence.
    2. Youth employment and/or life skills-based programming.
    3. Youth employment services for high school students.
    4. Youth hubs or safe spaces.
    5. Youth transition programming.
    6. Youth programming with outreach components.
    7. Other forms of child, youth, and family programming that reduce or eliminate systemic barriers, promote and improve youth safety and well-being.

Stream Two: Community Strengthening Fund

Applications open: July 28, 2025

Applications close: August 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Program Period: October 2025 to March 2026

Notice of decision: September 2025

Fund Amount: Maximum of $25,000 per project

Eligibility: Youth-serving non-profits in Durham Region

This stream will support youth-serving non-profit organizations in Durham Region to build capacity and deliver initiatives for the purpose of promoting youth safety and well-being. Priority projects will work to improve equitable access to services, programs, opportunities, especially for groups and locations who face barriers (including access/awareness) and intersecting risk factors. Applications should highlight how the proposed initiative will provide culturally responsive supports and involve people with lived experience and establish inclusive, welcoming and user-friendly service experiences.

Priority projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Organizational capacity-strengthening (e.g., database development, office supplies and equipment).
  • Training for staff and volunteers to support program operations and delivery (e.g., mental health first aid training, data management and record keeping, financial management, project management, program evaluation and impact assessment).
  • Strengthening intergenerational and peer support networks.
  • Community-based youth mental health initiatives.
  • Education and awareness activities.
  • Eliminating user fees for youth seeking access to protective services, programs and opportunities (e.g., no-cost summer or winter break camp, life skill or employment training, legal advice, counselling).
  • Other forms of child, youth, and family programming that reduce or eliminate systemic barriers, promote and improve youth safety and well-being.

Stream Three: Intimate Partner Violence and Gender Based Violence Prevention and Response Fund

Applications open: July 28, 2025

Applications close: August 22, 2025, at 5:00 p.m.

Notice of Decision: September 2025

Amount: Maximum of $20,000 per project

Eligibility: Violence Against Women responding agencies and non-profit organizations who provide supports and services to persons experiencing Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) and Gender-Based Violence (GBV) in Durham Region.

This stream will support an organization’s ongoing initiatives that address IPV and GBV through activities including prevention, intervention, survivor support and systemic change. This fund aligns with the Region of Durham’s declaration of IPV as an epidemic, and Ontario’s Bill 173, Intimate Partner Violence Epidemic Act, 2024.

Priority projects include, but are not limited to:

  • Public education and awareness campaigns/initiatives.
  • Providing information, training, and tools to front-line staff/service providers.
  • Increasing prevention programming to address harmful attitudes and behaviours and help children, youth and young adults learn how to foster healthy relationships.
  • Engaging boys, male youth, and men in IPV and GBV awareness, education and allyship strategies.

Information Sessions

The Community Safety and Well-Being Secretariat are pleased to provide two information sessions on the Community Safety and Well-Being Fund. To attend, please navigate to the Eventbrite link to register:

July 30, 2025 - Virtual

August 13, 2025 - Virtual

Community Micro-Grants Program - Applications now closed.

This Program supports residents and small and emerging community groups to lead projects in their communities. These micro-grants will fund projects that reduce violence and support positive youth development.

Current Program Funding Activities

Organizations across Durham Region have received funding through the CSWB Fund: Building Safer Communities Grant Program, to help address youth violence and promote positive youth and community development.

The CSWB Fund supports the development of community-based violence prevention and intervention initiatives. These actions also include training and capacity-strengthening activities to enhance staff, organizational, and/or sector capacity to meet the needs of priority populations. Durham Region’s funding program supports the CSWB Plan which aims to support safety in communities and addresses needs related to education, health care, food, housing, income and cultural expression.

Program funding through the CSWB Fund: Building Safer Communities Grant Program supports multiple organizations and community groups in Durham Region, including:

  • Micro-grant program supports projects for a safer Durham Region

    For the Eastern Basketball Association, it was their dream to expand their club to include more kids and give back to their community. The financial requirement for the team made it too hard to reach.

    With the help of the Community Safety Well-Being (CSWB) Micro-Grant Program, Kerry Banes, one half of the Eastern Basketball Association, discovered a way to make that dream a reality in the form of a 3v3 basketball tournament and charity event.

    The CSWB Micro-Grant Program gives out up to $4,000 to community-led projects that provide a wide range of evidence-based social development activities, including youth leadership, peer mentorship, therapeutic art activities, and like Banes’ basketball club, sports and recreational activities.

    The goal of the micro-grant program is to fund projects that support positive youth development and reduce violence in their respective communities. In 12 weeks, these community-led projects reached over 300 Durham residents, primarily children and youth.

    Banes noticed her program was giving kids who can’t always afford to play for rep teams “something to look forward to” and keeps them off the street, focusing on playing basketball with kids their age and doing something good for their community.

    “It was a good fit for us, because we had been trying to do a charity event,” Banes said.

    The Eastern Basketball Association is run by 12 people, mainly volunteers, and teaches hundreds of kids aged six to 14 through skills classes and sessions.

    The initial spark to get the club started came when Kerry Banes’ husband found that house league coaching was spread too thin to teach kids the fundamental skills to play. He took matters into his own hands.

    He rented out a gym to teach his daughter and her friend in 2016, and a session once a week soon generated enough buzz to create their own basketball club in the form of the Eastern Basketball Association.

    For their tournaments, the Eastern Basketball Association partners with a local food bank to donate non-perishable items at the end of the eight-week tournaments. This year, at the food bank’s request, Banes, chose to have each team donate one box of diapers instead and one non-perishable food item per parent or spectator that attended the tournament.

    She said it made her happy to see so many people involved in the tournament, with over 30 boxes of diapers and many food items being donated by the end of the tournament.

    “I thought we would have maybe eight teams, because I was thinking some people would think they were not good enough, or maybe they’re too good,” she said. “But within the first two weeks we had 24 teams register, so we ended up having to make the tournament a little bigger.”

    Not only did the tournament exceed her expectations, with 96 players participating and over 200 spectators – but Banes also shared that for many of the kids playing, it was all about having fun and creating memories to look back on.

    “I think that really resonated a lot with the kids we talked to, they were happy to be able to play basketball and for a good cause,” she said.

    The grant money went towards the gym rental, equipment costs, and promoting the event.

    To learn more about the CSWB Micro-Grants program, or to apply, visit Information Hub - Region of Durham

Page last updated: 28 Jul 2025, 02:28 PM