Creation Grants Fundraising

We think a lot about what the work of reconciliation can look like for a little organization like Firefly.

We’re humbled by the privilege of living and working on this beautiful land, but we know we all arrived here as uninvited guests. We’re always looking for ways to “pay the rent” to the Indigenous communities who have called this place home for far longer than us.

Each season, we try a new project — a financial donation, a fundraiser, a free workshop for a friendship centre. This year, we’re starting something new, and bigger.

We’ve had massive joy getting to know some of the wonderful people at Indigenous Youth Roots (IYR). They are an Indigenous led organization dedicated to strengthening and amplifying the voices of Indigenous youth across the country.

They have a program called “Creation Grants” where they fund Indigenous youth who are leading their own meaningful community projects and initiatives, and then support them through culturally-appropriate training and mentorship while they see their grants through.

This year, we’re working towards funding at least three new grants, dedicated to creative expression.

Here’s how it will work:

  1. We’ll raise money throughout the year with your help. We’ll run fundraisers, we’ll invite you to donate directly, and we’ll keep thinking up new ideas.

  2. At the end of the 12 months, their Creation Advisory Committee, made up of Indigenous youth will review the applications and award the grants.

  3. If the grant recipients are cool with it, we’ll share what they got up to. (It’s important to us that they don’t feel pressured to share.)

  4. If it works, we’ll keep going.

This has been a joy to work on so far — brainstorming projects, having big laughs with our IYR friends, and watching our community blow us away by getting halfway to our $10,000 goal in just three days.

And actually, joy is an important part of this.

Our collaborators at IYR remind us that while true change on this land is incredibly complex, we need to remember the pleasure of solidarity. This can mean pausing to be amazed at how small donations add up. It can mean sharing time and laughter with each other. I know it will mean seeing what the youths get up to with their grants.

I’m glad you’re reading this, and I hope you’ll consider making a donation to help us spread this joy farther and farther.

You can donate here.