Overview
The ImpactWX Genesis Grant provides small grants to people and community organizations that are focused on developing new ideas related to severe weather response and awareness.
ImpactWX is a Toronto-based social impact fund with a mission to enable organizations that, through scientific understanding and public awareness, work to improve people’s response and safety during severe weather events. We are proud to have experience partnering with world-class organizations that actively move the needle on our understanding of severe weather and are thrilled to introduce a new stream of community-oriented funding through the ImpactWX Genesis Grant.
Aligned with our mission, this fund seeks to support initiatives that can improve people’s response and safety during severe weather events. The ImpactWX Genesis Grant has a specific interest in initiatives that promote innovation, creativity and opportunities, as aligned with our core principles.
In 2023, ImpactWX Genesis Grant awarded five successful projects with $25,000.
Applications for the 2024 Genesis Grant are now closed. Thank you to all who applied.
Core Principles / Focus
Create Opportunities
- Create opportunities for community and public engagement
- Enable educational and learning experiences
Promote Innovation
- Promote human-centred innovation and design
- Develops and tests new concepts and ideas
Eligibility
Eligible applicants
We invite applications from individuals, groups and collaborators such as local community groups, researchers, artists, collectives, non-profits, public sector agencies, and registered charities. If you are not already a charity, you must include a Canadian charitable trustee as a partner. A charitable trustee is required to administer funds, but it is not necessary to be a programming partner in the project. Private for-profit businesses may not be the sole applicant but can be part of an application as a partner.
Geography
Applicant must be located in Canada; impacts must be felt in Canada.
Duration
The grant duration is 12 months; ideas/projects should be achievable within 12 months of receiving the grant.
Grant can cover:
- Operational and staff costs of directly delivering the project, core activities and/or ongoing work
- Research development
- Planning, public consultation, and community outreach
- Capital costs
- Programming and event costs
- Honorariums to people directly associated with implementing the project
- Website development or online activities
Grant will not fund:
- Previously incurred costs
- Contributions to a general fundraising campaign
- Activities or projects that duplicate existing work
RECIPIENTS
2023 RECIPIENTS
Infinite Mind Pictures Inc & NSTEP
“Using Minecraft to Build Weather-Awareness (Special Focus on Neurodivergent Community Members)”
The collaborative project between Infinite Mind and NSTEP aims to develop, test, and deliver engaging game-based learning to enhance students’ understanding of severe weather, focusing on neurodivergent community members. Students will participate in the role-play of extreme weather events in in-person and online activities through Minecraft, promoting resiliency and preparedness.
Canadian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society (CMOS)
“Improved prediction, understanding and response to Extreme Weather threats in Atlantic Canada”
During the CMOS Congress in St. John’s, Newfoundland, from May 28-June 1, 2023, CMOS will provide three innovative workshops to promote improved prediction, understanding, and response to extreme weather threats in Atlantic Canada. These workshops will include scientific training, service delivery coordination strategies, public outreach and engagement, and career planning for students. The goal is to promote innovation by exploring new techniques and sharing ideas and approaches among a critical mass of scientists from various sectors.
Community Resilience to Extreme Weather (CREW), a project of MakeWay
“Community Workbook for Climate Resilient High-rise Neighborhoods”
CREW’s project is to produce a workbook that delivers strategies and tools to help community stakeholders engage their neighbours in the social networking and climate impact preparedness central to resilient, high-rise neighbourhoods. Using a train-the-trainer model, CREW will engage and support high-rise residents in actions that prepare them for extreme or severe weather. The workbook will serve as a guide for community members to take action toward creating a climate-resilient neighbourhood.
Niagara Region Emergency Management, Niagara Safety Village & CMOS
“Weather Aware and Prepared”
The “Weather Aware and Prepared” initiative aims to develop a severe weather education program for youth delivered through a Community Emergency Response Team (CERT). The program will provide educational experiences that empower children to respond appropriately during severe weather. The goal is to equip children with knowledge and skills that will help them to be prepared for various weather events.
Sandbox Inc., Canadian Centre for Climate Change & Adaptation at the University of Prince Edward Island, & The River Clyde Pageant
“Sea Change: Climate Vs. Coastlines”
In partnership with UPEI’s Canadian Centre for Climate Change & Adaptation (CCCCA) and The River Clyde Pageant, Sandbox Inc. is developing the documentary film “Sea Change: Climate Vs. Coastlines” that looks to Hurricane Fiona’s destructive impact, and the related damage of erosion, rising sea levels and climate change, to explore threats facing island nations around the world. This documentary will explore the science in action to mitigate future extreme weather impact, and community-driven adaptation innovations and creative, artistic responses to understand this changing world.
FAQ
Monday, November 20, 2023, 12:00 AM EST: Application portal opens.
Sunday, January 14, 2024, 11:59 PM EST: Applications due.
Early March 2024: All applicants are notified of their status.
End of March 2024: Successful applicants must submit grant documents and wire transfer information.
Early April 2024: Funds sent to successful applicants.
End of March 2025: Impact report due.
This grant is highly exploratory, and we are eager to learn what kind of work is being done to advance our understanding of community awareness, response and safety during severe weather events. Some examples of activities that could be funded are, but are not limited to:
- Art exhibits, documentaries, or installations
- Educational Programming
- Research
- App or technological development
- Activating or creating solutions to protect vulnerable communities from extreme heat or cold
Severe weather is, in general, any destructive weather, usually applied to such things as tornadoes, damaging winds, large hail, heavy snow, ice storms, etc.
In Canada, for example, Environment and Climate Change Canada specifically defines summer severe weather as tornadoes, wind gusts of 90 km/h or more, hail with diameter of 2 cm or more, and heavy rain (with thresholds that are regionally dependent).
Extreme weather, on the other hand, is severe weather that has a size, intensity or even time of year well beyond what is typically expected based on past observations. This includes violent (EF4-5) tornadoes, wind gusts of 130 km/h or more, hail with a diameter of 5 cm or more, prolonged periods of intense heat or cold, an ice storm with accretions that cripple infrastructure, or a heavy snow event in southern Ontario in May. Extreme weather events, due to their unusual nature, are far less frequent than severe weather events.
Yes, core funding activities are eligible for the ImpactWX Genesis Grant, with the condition that there is alignment to the grant’s mandate and core principles.
Submittable is a secure and trusted grant management platform that ImpactWX is using to manage the grant process. As an applicant, you must create an account with Submittable to apply. Once you have an account, you can access the grant application, save your progress, and view status updates. Should your application be successful, Submittable will also be used to collect grant documents and reporting.
The ImpactWX team will inform each applicant of their status through email notification and a status update on Submittable.
If your grant application is approved, we will reach out to collect signatures for the grant letters and collect wire transfer information.
Funds will be distributed via wire transfer.
Towards the end of the 1-year grant term, our team will reach out to request a 2-3 page impact report and have a conversation to understand the grant’s impacts, lessons learned and next steps.
A strong application should include:
- Ability to demonstrate alignment with the mandate of ImpactWX and at least one of the two core principles of the grant
- Ability to clearly and concisely communicate concepts and ideas, bringing the application to life in a compelling way
- Very well-developed supporting materials, including the budget, timeline, and milestones