Grassroots Accelerator Program
Grassroots Accelerator Program (GAP) Funding Application NOW OPEN October 1 – November 30 2025
Choose a format that works for you:
Short online form
Fill out the online form here: https://forms.office.com/r/
Please note: you can save your progress, come back to it later, and edit your response until November 30th.
Phone or video call with a GAP staff member
Email grassroots@aaisa.ca with the subject “EOI appointment” in the subject line.
Voice note or video via email
Please email the voice note or video to grassroots@aaisa.ca with the subject “EOI submission”.
The Grassroots Accelerator Program (GAP)
The Grassroots Accelerator Program (GAP) is a collaborative initiative between Centre for Race and Culture (CFRAC), Gateway Association (Gateway), and Alberta Association of Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA) which supports grassroots organizations led by and serving equity-deserving communities across prairies and northern territories: Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, and the Northwest Territories.
Grassroots organizations, particularly those working with migrant women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, racialized people, individuals with disabilities, youth, and seniors, are often serving newcomers in their communities. The aim of the GAP is to strengthen the capacity of grassroots organizations to increase their participation in the newcomer-serving sector.
Through funding, coaching, and tailored supports, the GAP will help grassroots organizations to:
- Strengthen their internal organizational systems
- Increase their ability to deliver community-informed programs for newcomers
- Build connections and long-term sustainability for grassroots organizations
Interested in learning more? Join an upcoming information session:
Grassroots In Conversation Event Registration
Our ‘Grassroots in Conversation’ event is a relationship-building pilot that will bring together grassroots organizations and leaders across the Prairies and Northern Territories (PNT) before GAP officially launches applications.
We want to understand what grassroots organizations need to thrive, from their perspective, and create a space where they can connect with each other. This event will inform how GAP designs its capacity-building offerings, outreach strategies, and application process in a way that is responsive, relational, and equity-rooted.
Register for an Upcoming Event HereConversation avec les Communautaire
Notre événement « Grassroots in Conversation » (Conversations avec les communautés locales) est un projet pilote visant à établir des relations qui réunira des organisations et des dirigeants locaux des Prairies et des Territoires du Nord (PNT) avant le lancement officiel du programme.
Nous voulons comprendre ce dont les organisations locales ont besoin pour prospérer, selon leur point de vue, et créer un espace où elles peuvent entrer en contact les unes avec les autres. Cet événement permettra à GAP de concevoir ses offres de renforcement des capacités, ses stratégies de sensibilisation et son processus de candidature de manière réactive, relationnelle et équitable.
Inscrivez-vous à un événement à venir iciGAP has two components:
The Grassroots Collective
An open network for all grassroots organizations in the region.
- Connect with other Grassroots
- Share knowledge and resources
- Learn from each other’s experiences
If you are a grassroots organization in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Nunavut, or the Northwest Territories, big or small — you are welcome here.
Funding + Capacity Building
Funding and tailored support for grassroots organizations that meet certain criteria:
- Are incorporated/registered
- Have an annual operating budget under $500,000
- Are led by and serve equity-deserving groups (for example: racialized newcomers, migrant women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people, people with disabilities, seniors, youth)
- Already serve newcomers, or want to expand their work to support newcomers.
- IRCC and GAP defines a newcomer as someone who is a permanent resident of Canada for five years or less.
Who should get involved?
- If you are a grassroots group in the Prairies or Northern Territories, you can join the Grassroots Collective to connect and share.
- If your group meets the criteria above, you can also apply for funding and additional support through GAP.
Note: If you are not selected for the GAP funding, you can still be part of the GAP Grassroots Collective, a network offering training, tools, and peer learning opportunities.
Through funding, coaching, and tailored capacity-building supports, the GAP helps organizations:
The Grassroots Accelerator Program (GAP) is a collaborative initiative between Centre for Race and Culture (CFRAC), Gateway Association (Gateway), and Alberta Association for Immigrant Serving Agencies (AAISA).
