In many cultures, there is a belief that every generation has a responsibility to make things better for the next. However, this belief often relegates young people to the sidelines to watch. Cynthia Bell-Clayton, co-founder of Eshkiniigjik Naandwechigegamig — A Place for Healing Our Youth —Aabiish Gaa Binjibaaying — Where Did We Come From? (ENAGB), does the opposite.

“Youth are the inheritors of what we leave behind,” says Cynthia. “So why wouldn’t you get them involved in what is being done today?”

ENAGB is a youth-led Indigenous agency based in Toronto. The agency, which has four locations, provides youth ages 12–29 and families with children ages 0–6 with opportunities in key areas such as culture, employment, and holistic wellness. The Youth Council is a central component of ENAGB. It was created to involve youth up to age 29 in decision-making processes.

Programs include land-based learning and cultural programming (e.g., beading, drum making, and ceremonies). Other supports include access to drop-in space and a community kitchen. The goal is to prepare Indigenous young people across North America to contribute positively to their communities.

That goal carries significant meaning. When Cynthia was a youth living on the Manitoulin Island (Wiikwemkoong) reserve almost 25 years ago, she participated in an intergenerational community conversation about a fellow youth who passed away by suicide. When she tried to speak up, she was shut down. Later, when she tried to advocate for youth as an adult working at a community organization, she was dismissed without cause.

But when she crossed paths with a Laidlaw Foundation Board member, she found a path that honoured youth voices: the building of ENAGB. Through the Community Equity and Solidarity Fund, Laidlaw Foundation has provided $174,600 to cover the cost of renting space for one of ENAGB’s locations until 2023.

ENAGB programs foster relationships between youth and adults that are built on trust and respect — and this requires staff to be active participants.

“Sometimes institutions say, ‘you’re working only if you’re doing paperwork,’” Cynthia says, “but it is also essential to participate in their programming, such as playing volleyball with them or setting up a baseball game. Doing this develops trusting relationships with the youth — a very important component that informs our work.”

Unfortunately, the pandemic has posed many challenges. The ENAGB space at 1005 Woodbine Avenue was open inconsistently due to changing provincial and municipal guidelines. Furthermore, those with mental health and addiction issues have been completely isolated and have had less access to resources.

While Cynthia and the ENAGB team have found success online via Facebook — they’ve reached 1,023 youth and families with children ages 0–6 since September 2020 — they have also found that many Indigenous people, themselves included, are experiencing mounting losses, such as the discovery of unmarked graves at residential schools.

Although the journey has been challenging, the triumph has been in the leadership of young people and the space that their elders, including Cynthia, continue to make with them.

“A lot of people want the youth to sit back and listen when they’re supposed to be the ones to decide what’s best for themselves,” she says. “We believe here at ENAGB that youth are the PhD and master’s degree holders in their own healing journeys.”

When Natasha Lariviere was in high school, she lost several friends and loved ones to suicide and substance use. Luckily, she had support at her school. “When I was struggling as a youth with my grief, they were really there for me, and they actually helped me become the helper I am today,” she says.

That’s also how she connected with her culture.

“Emski Misgokwe ndizhnikaaz. Nbisiing ndoonjibaa. Waawaashkesh ndoodem. My name is Strong Earth Woman, also known as Natasha Lariviere. I am from Nipissing First Nation. I am part of the deer clan. I’m a mother of three. I’m a wife. I’m a student. I’m 29. I’m taking my Bachelor of Indigenous Social Work at Laurentian University, and I have my Diploma in Social Service Work.”

As the founder and chief executive officer of Endaayaan Awejaa, Natasha is also a leader.

Endaayaan Awejaa is dedicated to providing youth and families with safe places to heal and build solid foundations for their futures. Natasha started the organization in July 2020 in memory of the friends and loved ones she lost. The mission statement is Maamwi Bmosedaa — walking in unity.

“We strive to walk in unity with the youth and families we work with,” she says. “We want to provide youth with support and tools to be strong leaders for our future generations.”

Endaayaan Awejaa provides programming within the Nipissing First Nation and surrounding areas and builds community capacity amongst youth, community members, and elders. Youth support includes care packages, medicine bundles, and ongoing workshops on life skills, ceremony, and culture teachings. The response from youth is encouraging.

“They’ve been enjoying our workshops and the supports,” says Natasha. “We’ve created a safe place for them to really open up and reconnect.”

Like Natasha, many of the youth didn’t grow up in the culture. “Many of them struggle with mental health, and we work with youth who are also in recovery, so having those teachings has helped them grow a lot,” she says. “When they get teachings, you can see the spark in them. You can see the change happening. It’s amazing.” The biggest highlight for Natasha has been creating their youth wellness council.

“I’m really proud of them,” says Natasha. “They are the guiding force of our organization right now. They give ongoing input for what programs or workshops and services that they’d like to see in the community. We really wanted to give the youth a chance to use their voice and make them feel like they have a say.”

While the pandemic cancelled some ceremonies, there has been a positive consequence for Endaayaan Awejaa: their online following grew, as more people can attend online than are able to attend in person. Then, in December 2021, Endaayaan Awejaa moved from being a mobile operation based out of Natasha’s living room into its own space in downtown North Bay. The next goal is a youth home for high school students that offers culture teachings, counselling, mentorship, workshops, and activities.

“A lot of youth relocate to our area for education, and there’s not a lot of funding out there specifically for a living allowance for high school students,” she says. “That youth stage is a very important stage. Youth are trying to figure out who they are, and there’s already a lot of stress going on with that, then they have to worry about where they are going to live. Having these programs in a residential setting would be very beneficial.”

A youth home would also be the realization of a business plan Natasha created in high school.

“We want to provide a safe space for our youth to live, and heal, and grow, and start building that solid foundation for their future.”

Yonis Hassan is determined to work his way out of a job — literally. Yonis is CEO and co-founder of Justice Fund, a non-profit dedicated to supporting communities in conflict with the law through three strategic priorities: supporting community-led initiatives, reforming philanthropy, and creating community infrastructure.

“At our core, we are an anti-violence organization,” says Yonis. “And we believe the best way to address violence is by making bold investments in the social determinants of health.

Yonis and co-founders Jermyn Creed and Noah “40” Shebib formally launched Justice Fund in 2021. Their first year-end recap was impressive: over $1 million in charitable assets to Toronto communities, including 335 care packages; over 2,000 hours of online education, and outdoor and experiential community programming; and $500,000 of unrestricted, trust-based philanthropic funding and additional wraparound services.*

All told, Justice Fund assisted more than 10,000 individuals in 2021 — and it’s the kind of assistance that changes lives. Consider their skills and workforce development training.

“We were taking kids who were recently released through the criminal justice system and providing them access to economic mobility,” says Yonis. “We don’t believe in charity; we believe in justice.”

They also believe in philanthropic reform — significant reform.

“I am a recovering fundraiser in the not-for-profit sector,” says Yonis. “That means I have a pretty good understanding of how philanthropy works in this country, who benefits from philanthropy, who has access to philanthropic resources, who has access to social capital, campaign cabinets, advisory committees. The reality is a tremendous power imbalance.”

The root of the imbalance is historic and cultural.

“Every time I say ‘philanthropy,’ I’m talking about settler philanthropy,” he says. “Canadians need to understand that Canadian philanthropy is rooted in exploitation, extraction, and genocide of Indigenous populations. The barriers that exist are rooted in colonialism, and the fact that we allow ourselves within the charitable sector to be governed by laws that go back to colonialism is irresponsible of us collectively.”

The Ontario Deaf Youth Collective is driven by an important vision: an Ontario where Deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) youth ages 13–30 are empowered and supported to succeed and thrive. In April 2021, six organizations, including Silent Voice, Deaf Youth Canada, and Sign Language Institute Canada, came together for their first Youth CI workshop, where they began designing the framework for their collective impact initiative.

“There are a lot of gaps in services for Deaf and hard of hearing youth,” says Michelle Chung. “Bringing other organizations together was essential for us to start something.” Michelle is the treasurer at Deaf Youth Canada, an organization that promotes the unification of Deaf youth by organizing and stimulating the exchange of information and experiences among them. This organization brought the collective together.

“Deaf Youth Canada didn’t have the capacity to lead a collective impact initiative,” says Michelle. “So we brought on Kelly MacKenzie (Silent Voice) and tapped other organizations on their shoulders to see what the interest was like.”

That interest gave birth to the Ontario Deaf Youth Collective. Now, they’re designing a robust theory of change using Youth CI resources, such as Development Coaching and an Exploration Grant.

“We often work in silos,” says Rose Etheridge, Director of Resource Development Services at Silent Voice. “We don’t realize that working together makes the resources stronger and greater.” Rose is currently leading a group of young people to collect data on the gaps for DHH youth. According to the collective, 95% of DHH youth are born into hearing families.

These young people often experience isolation and a lack of access to language acquisition, education, and career development.

To maintain community connection and support young people’s passions and talents, the collective began designing a concept called the HUB, a resource that will leverage existing programs and services in one place for DHH youth, their families, and partnering organizations.

“We know the Deaf community knows there are gaps,” says Rose. “We want something to fill those gaps. This was an opportunity to lift youth up in some way, and the HUB cannot happen with just one organization.”

The collective is using various methods, with guidance from their Youth CI coach, Brittney Patton, to advance their joint vision. Members at the table have found the process validating, and although it is hard to see the gaps in the system, they are inspired to see themselves getting closer to action and to building the HUB.

“I’ve been singing the praises of the Youth CI program because, when we did the theory of change, we knew we weren’t going to see success in 12 months,” says Kelly MacKenzie, Executive Director of Silent Voice. “We’re going to see it in five years. The Youth CI process is realistic.”

In the coming months, the Ontario Deaf Youth Collective hopes to increase the diversity of voices at the table. Already, 87% of the collective’s members are DHH individuals, with 50% being DHH youth. The collective hopes to engage Indigenous Deaf youth, LGBTQIA2S+ youth, Black youth, and young people of colour in their collective discussions and decision-making.

In community work, the process is just as important as the outcome. Process determines how relationships are built and maintained, and good processes include and collaborate with different voices and perspectives from the very beginning.

Such is the case at Yellowhead Institute (Yellowhead), a First Nation-led research centre based at Toronto Metropolitan University. The Institute produces community-facing research and offers critical education on urgent issues in Indigenous communities. Their partnership with Laidlaw Foundation began in 2018.

One of the Institute’s major projects has been a series of original multi-faceted research reports called the Red Papers. This title is a nod to the Chiefs of the Indian Association of Alberta, who created the first Red Paper in 1970 in response to a statement from the  Government of Canada in 1969, known as the White Paper, which proposed political and legal assimilation of Indigenous communities.

Eva Jewell, Research Director of Yellowhead, is continuing the legacy of that document and its authors. Eva and her team participated in a series of community workshops to discuss several topics for Cash Back, the second published Red Paper. Topics included sources of poverty, First Nation–Crown financial relations, and the importance of Indigenous economies.

“[Cash Back] is kind of a natural second step to looking at how much Indigenous nations built up the wealth of not only Canada itself but the global economy,” says Eva. “So often, Indigenous peoples are looked at as poor, downtrodden and victims etc. when, in fact, much of our contributions to the world are in wealth and lands that were dispossessed.”

At the very beginning of the process of developing the report, a community of experts was invited to participate. And not just academic experts. People with, as Eva puts it, “a record of excellence” in various areas, including land, community organizing, and building relationships, were also invited so that the discussions would be rich and fruitful.

As a result, the topic of economic justice struck a chord: Eva recalls that while some participants did not respect the value of money due to its colonial ties, others were “very assertive about money as a tool for liberation, particularly as it relates to what is owed to us as Indigenous peoples and the wealth that has been extracted from our territories as a result of our dispossession and our erasure.” The outcomes of these discussions shaped Cash Back.

The impact of the report has been momentous. To date, Cash Back has been downloaded approximately 6,000 times. Educators at Toronto Metropolitan University have assigned the report in classes, shifting the language and discourse around Indigenous communities. In fact, Yellowhead supported the collective push to rename Ryerson University, publishing the first student letter in support.

The continued commitment to inclusive and deep community-building processes ensures a bright future for Yellowhead. That future includes developing ideas for more Red Papers and activating plans to become more youth-led.

For Eva, the impact of community-building is simple: “Our community and support make Yellowhead outstanding.”

Since 2009, the Raven Indigenous Impact Fund managed by Raven Indigenous Capital Partners (Raven) has addressed systemic barriers that Indigenous entrepreneurs face in North America, such as accessing capital to scale their businesses. Raven invests in early- and growth-stage Indigenous enterprises that contribute to building a viable Indigenous economy in Canada and the United States.

For Stephen Nairne, Chief Investment Officer of Raven, impact investing goes beyond achieving financial returns.

“Impact means that we’re looking for opportunities where we’re obviously achieving a return of capital for our investors,” he says. ”But there also has to be an explicit intention to deliver positive social and/or economic returns as well. You’ll hear a lot about ‘ESG strategies’ or ‘socially responsible strategies,’ but that’s mostly about avoiding doing harm. What Raven and other impact investors are doing is one step further along the continuum, which is about intentionally doing something positive.”

Raven is serious about doing something positive.

“We made a commitment to both our investors and Indigenous people that every dollar we invest will be directly linked to lifting up Indigenous communities,” says Stephen. “So there has to be that link and grounding toward what we would call ‘Indigenous integrity’ in terms of the way we are deploying capital as well.”

At the core of Indigenous integrity is centering relationships with Indigenous communities that are based on trust and transparency. This is how a cold call from one company to Raven — Stephen picked up the phone — turned into a meaningful investment collaboration that continues today.

Virtual Gurus is an Alberta-based talent-as-a-service digital marketplace founded by Bobbie Racette, a Cree-Métis woman of the LGBTQ2IA+ community. The service uses machine learning and algorithms to match people with underrepresented backgrounds with companies that are looking for virtual assistants and offer a living wage.

After 168 “Noes” from 168 investors, Bobbie secured $1.25 million from Raven and other investors, and her company took off.

Stephen shared that “in the two years since Raven’s initial investment in 2020, the revenues of the company have grown tenfold, and the company recently closed an $8.3 million financing round led by the TELUS Pollinator Fund for Good.”

Beyond the financial success, Stephen says that Virtual Gurus has “created 90 jobs for Indigenous people who are working as virtual assistants. They are able to work in their own communities, and access upskilling opportunities through the virtual academy as well.” To reflect the interests of their investors, Raven uses a proprietary system that measures success in terms of diversity, employment, equity, inclusion, and more.

Virtual Gurus is an example of what can happen when consumers and investors recognize the value of impact investing for diverse founders from underrepresented groups. The company illuminates a world of possibilities, particularly for Indigenous youth who don’t often see themselves in business spaces that are grounded in cultural integrity.

Stephen and the Raven team hope to continue creating new opportunities for impact investing.

All descendants of the Foundation’s founder, Robert A. Laidlaw, who are 18 years of age or older may apply to the Family Discretionary Grant Fund (the Fund) on behalf of a recognized Canadian charitable organization or project. There are currently 43 Family members aged 18 and older. Eligible Family members can each apply for a maximum of $10,000 per year, either as one grant to one organization or as a series of micro-grants to different organizations. Since the inception of the Fund in 2017, a total of $715,451 has been granted by Family members to the end of 2021. Family members are encouraged to consider the Foundation’s mission when submitting their applications. They can also collaborate with each other to submit co-funding applications, thus increasing the total amount granted to a particular organization.

The Family Committee administers the Fund and is composed of the four Family members on the Board, seven additional Family members, and two non-Family Board members. This year, the Committee welcomed three new additional Family members: Melissa Laidlaw, Nicole Denouden (Bahn), and Kathryn Simmers. On October 16, 2021, the Committee held a planning retreat at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection to explore ways to expand the Family’s interest and participation in philanthropy and the Foundation.

In 2021, the Fund supported 25 initiatives with a total of $184,500. Grants were made to  a range of organizations and projects that serve the arts, the environment, children, youth, and women’s services. Most notably, a contribution of $90,000 over two years was made to Brigs Youth Sail Training on behalf of past president Rod Laidlaw’s children and his Weir and Denouden grandchildren. This contribution established the RWL Laidlaw Merrythought Fund (RWLL Fund) within the Brigs’ Pathfinder Access Fund. The RWLL Fund’s primary purpose is to provide access and bursaries to disadvantaged youth.

Brigs Youth Sail Training

Brigs Youth Sail Training is dedicated to building leadership, self-efficacy and self-esteem in youth ages 13–18. This is accomplished through the peer-to-peer delivery of challenging programs aboard a traditionally-rigged vessel, with a focus on safety and the creation of positive and memorable experiences on board. Brigs also fosters the learning and development of practical skills, the adoption of environmentally sustainable practices, and an appreciation of the rich marine heritage of the Great Lakes.