Frequently Asked Questions

The Regional Municipality of Durham Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) Plan was adopted by Durham Regional Council on November 24, 2021, in accordance with Ontario’s Police Services Act. The goal of the CSWB Plan is to support safety and a strong sense of belonging among residents of Durham Region; and address needs related to education, health care, food, housing, income, as well as social and cultural expression. The CSWB plan brings community partners together to address challenges before they become bigger problems and improve the well-being of all residents in Durham Region. Visit the CSWB Information Hub for more information.

The CSWB Fund supports the development and community-based violence prevention and intervention initiatives. The goal of the CSWB Fund is to assist community partners in developing or implementing their own projects which identify and respond to the needs of residents of Durham Region.

Stream 4 of the CSWB Fund, Community Micro-Grants, supports small and emerging community groups to lead projects in their communities. Micro-grants will fund projects that reduce violence and support positive youth development.

• Grant Applications Open: February 10, 2025, to March 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m.

• Results Announced: May 2025

Eligibility with respect to the use of funds will be based on the guidelines set out by the Region of Durham and Public Safety Canada. These guidelines will aim to be flexible and based on community and equity needs. For more information, please see the Guidelines for the Community Safety and Well-Being Fund: Building Safer Communities Grant Program – Stream 4.

Examples of the eligible use of funds for project activities include, but are not limited to the following:

• Equipment rental.

• Program supplies (e.g., food, supplies, etc.).

• Promotion and publicity (e.g., flyers, posters, etc.).

• Purchased services (e.g., web design, translation, catering, printing, etc.).

• Accessibility supports (e.g., American Sign Language (ASL) interpretation).

• Administrative costs – related / required for the delivery of your project (e.g., partial rent for office space, partial staff cellphone costs, photocopies).

• Space rental (not including space rental for pre-existing programs).

• Stipends for project leaders, up to a maximum of $1,200.

• Transportation to and from project activities by youth leaders, participants, staff and volunteers.

• Volunteer honorarium and expenses.

• Caretaking (e.g., of children, elders, etc.) costs for participants and volunteers to support participation in project activities.

Examples of the ineligible use of funds include, but are not limited to the following:

• Debt repayment or deficit funding.

• Salary costs,

• Fundraising events,

• High-liability activities (e.g., fireworks),

• Projects and activities outside of Durham Region

Emerging non-profit organizations/groups and resident-led groups/grassroots groups are the targeted groups to receive funds. To be eligible to receive funds from Durham Region, the majority of the organization’s members must be residents of Durham Region, in addition to meeting general eligibility requirements. Definitions of eligible groups are listed below:

Emerging non-profit organizations/groups: Registered or non-registered non-profit organizations that are new to the non-profit sector with limited or no previous revenue.

Resident-led groups/grassroots groups: Groups of individuals (e.g. neighbours, parents, classmates) who wish to achieve a common goal, for a greater cause, at a local level, and largely on a volunteer and not-for-profit basis.

Emerging, small or grassroots organizations that are selected to receive funding will receive support from Durham Community Health Centre. Durham Community Health Centre will serve as the trustee for this grant program.

Project implementation period: June 2025 to December 2025

Your funds must be spent by the end of December 2025. However, your project may continue beyond this time frame.

An advisory committee will support the application review processes, using an equity framework. Application review committee members will indicate where they have a conflict of interest with an applicant or project. Reviewers declaring a conflict of interest will be recused from the review of the specified application.

Final grant decisions shall be made by the Region of Durham, in accordance with Public Safety Canada, Building Safer Communities Fund terms and conditions.

Coaching sessions will be available to applicants who are new to grant and proposal writing. To receive coaching support, please contact cswb@durham.ca or refer to durham.ca/cswb-fund.

If you have any questions or require more information about the Building Safer Communities Grant program, please get in touch with: Community Safety and Well-Being Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Division, Office of the Chief Administrative Officer cswb@durham.ca.