CEF Digital Program

CEF does not guarantee that funding is recommended at the full request amount. A passing application does not guaranteed funding.

• Funding up to a maximum of $20,000 is available
• Funding Requests Over $15,001: Funding requests should not exceed 30% of the total program budget
• Funding Requests Below $15,000: CEF funding requests cannot be 100% of the proposed program and must demonstrate additional funding / revenue sources

The City Enrichment Fund does not fund 100% of program expenses. Application budgets should include diverse revenue in support of the proposed program

• Not-for-profit, community organization, volunteer organization with not-for-profit goals, whose mandates align with the objectives of the CEF Digital Equity program. 
• The program activities must occur in Hamilton and must benefit the local community.
• Groups of two or more organizations with similar vision/project ideas may collaborate on projects.

• Foundations; political parties/organizations; for-profit groups and ventures; individuals; and religious organizations (except in cases where the applicant demonstrates clear boundaries between religious activities and the budget of the proposed program)
• Organizations whose activities are deemed to come under the jurisdiction of other levels, divisions, departments, or agencies of the City or other governments, i.e. school boards, post-secondary institutions, social service organizations, hospitals, business improvement associations

Digital Literacy Programs:

• Increasing equity, skills development and empowerment of Indigenous people, youth, racialized Canadians, older adults, and low-income people.
• Developing and implementing training programs and digital inclusion activities for underserved populations that cover basic, advanced, and applied skills, or other workforce development programs.
• Public education on privacy, digital policy, data governance and understanding algorithms regarding how they shape access to information, rights, and equality.
• Developing digital skills.
• Creating local networks or associations devoted to digital literacy in Hamilton. 
• Facilitating the adoption of broadband by underserved populations in order to provide educational and employment opportunities to those populations.
• Examples include: 
  • Digital skills workshops aimed at seniors — basic device use, online banking, and scam/fraud awareness etc.
  • In-language digital literacy programming for newcomer and immigrant communities. 
  • Culturally specific digital inclusion programming developed with and for equity-deserving communities (e.g., Black, Francophone, or newcomer-led organizations). 
  • Coding, media production, or STEAM-based digital skills programs for youth. 
  • Digital literacy or digital skills training delivered through creative formats such as digital storytelling or digital media production, where building participants’ digital skills is the program’s primary objective. 
  • Social media and digital branding training for grassroots organizations, small collectives, or individual community-based creators.

Digital Infrastructure:

• Expanding free publicly accessible Wi-Fi access points across the City of Hamilton.
• Providing affordable internet access to underserved populations at low/no cost.
• Providing low-cost or free equipment, devices, networking capabilities, hardware, and software for those in need.
• Constructing, upgrading, expanding, or operating new or existing public access computing centres for underserved populations through community anchor institutions.
• Piloting programs to test proof of concept, including mesh networks and other technology solutions.
• Researching and piloting projects to help define infrastructure models that are sustainable for Hamilton’s lower-density and dispersed neighbourhoods. 
• Examples include:
  • Community Wi-Fi pilots in a specific underserved neighbourhood, apartment cluster, or community housing site. 
  • Device lending libraries (laptops/tablets) run through a community hub, library branch, or settlement agency. 
  • Refurbished-computer distribution paired with a short training session so recipients can actually use the device. 
  • Staffed public computing spaces at an existing community centre (drop-in tech help plus access to hardware). 
  • Mobile hotspot lending programs for families without home internet. 
  • Small-scale feasibility pilots — e.g., testing mesh-network coverage in one underserved pocket of the city.

Community Leadership:

• Developing a coalition or ecosystem of groups working on similar issues.
• Policy advocacy and development, including research and evidence to support it.
• Digital Ambassador programs that build community capacity and champion digital equity locally.
• Taking existing research and packaging it in ways that are easily understood by decision makers. 
• Promoting consumer awareness of internet service options, digital rights, and data privacy.
• Examples include:
  • Digital ambassador / peer-mentor models, where trained community members help others in their own community build skills. 
  • Coalition- or network-building among organizations already working on digital equity issues locally.
  • Capacity-building for grassroots or newcomer-led organizations to build their own digital presence (website, social media) so they can better reach the people they serve. 
  • Community-based needs assessments or research that identify local digital equity gaps to inform future programming. 
  • Advocacy or awareness campaigns run by community organizations on digital rights, privacy, or affordable internet options.

• Retaining external expertise or consultants to work with the applicant on a specific digital equity project or program, including the external experts, consultants, or coaches’ fees and travel costs within Ontario
• Costs associated with infrastructure projects (e.g. renovations, purchase/lease of buildings) 
• Volunteer costs (e.g. training, food, non-alcoholic beverages, distinctive clothing)
• Logistical, production and technical requirements (except for alcohol related costs)
• Costs including supplies, fees, and expenses for demonstrators, educators, and performers of digital activities
• Administration
• Insurance
• Policing and security cost (except for those costs related to alcohol)
• Road Closure expenses
• Evaluation

• Alcohol and associated expenses (permit fees, police, fencing, etc.)
• Ongoing operations (e.g. salaries, wages, travel, supplies, material, fundraising, marketing, governance, and other costs related to ongoing operations)
• Deficit reduction
• Retroactive activity
• HST
• Expenses for programming that takes place outside of the City of Hamilton

All applicants must demonstrate good use of public funds. Applications are evaluated against the following  criteria and weightings:

Organizational Capacity (30%) as demonstrated by:

• An active Board of Directors providing a proper stewardship role
• Effective fiscal checks and balances
• Evidence of thoughtful planning towards the organization’s vision
• Proactive strategies with appropriate and updated policies
• Good financial health 
• History of its commitment to the Hamilton community

Program Merit (40%) as demonstrated by:

• Effective and safe execution, in compliance with your organization’s vision
• The target group that is benefiting from this request 
• The quality in what will be offered / provided to the community
• Benefits beyond the immediate request 
• Demonstrating what you will do to ensure program/project success 

Community Impact (30%) as demonstrated by:

• Project alignment with the City’s strategic goals.
• A need within the community.
• The types of partnership that will be developed.
• The evaluation and reflection upon project completion.

Hosted by Jasleen Arora, Program Manager for the Digital Program, City Enrichment Fund, there will be two invite-only Information Sessions. The sessions will introduce the City Enrichment Fund and provide an overview of the Digital Program - Digital Equity Initiatives Stream. The presentation will cover eligibility, submission requirements, timelines and a Q&A. These sessions are intended for returning and new applicants. Sessions will also be recorded and made available for anyone who is unable to attend.

Hosted by Jasleen Arora, Program Manager for the Digital Program, City Enrichment Fund, there will be two invite-only Information Sessions. The sessions will introduce the City Enrichment Fund and provide an overview of the Digital Program - Digital Equity Initiatives Stream. The presentation will cover eligibility, submission requirements, timelines and a Q&A. These sessions are intended for returning and new applicants. Sessions will also be recorded and made available for anyone who is unable to attend.

Application Information Form

• Applicant contact information
• Applicant email
• Additional contact person
• Organization/Applicant Full Name
• Organization/Applicant Legal Name (if different from above)
• Organization Established Date
• Organization/Applicant Address
• Mailing Address
• Legal Status of Organization
• Registration Number
• Head Office Location
• Is the program taking place within the City of Hamilton?
• Brief Summary in 60 words. 
• Organization’s Mission or Mandate Statement. 
• Provide a brief history of your organization. 
• Provide a detailed description of your program (Max 1000 words). 
  • What is the program direction?  What makes it important?
  • A summary of your activities, describing the quality, diversity, and innovativeness. How will you evaluate the quality of your programming?
  • Details of the program’s impact on educating, informing, and enhancing the digital equity in the City.
  • Details of key dates and scheduled activities.
  • Details of all marketing plans.
• Specify how funding from the City Enrichment Fund will be used. (Max 500 words). 
  • What will the expenses be and why they are needed? 
  • Why are extra funds needed to support this program or event versus using a current operational budget? 
  • This description should relate to the details provided in the programming description above and to the proposed budget.
  • Be specific on which of your expenses will be funded using CEF funding and why these expenses are important to the success of the initiative.
• Describe how this program can be scaled should the total funding request not be received. (Max 500 words)
  •  The City Enrichment Fund does not guarantee that successful applicants will receive their full grant request. Applicants are asked to confirm how they will adapt to funding amounts below request level.
• How will your program increase community participation? (Max 500 words). 
  • Details on the following: 
    • The contribution of the program to further develop the agriculture sector in the City.
    • Description of your audience and participants.
    • Volunteer program(s) with the organization
    • External recognition of programming within the organization
    • Economic impact of the program
• Provide a minimum of three (3) measurable outcomes of the program that benefit the organization and /or the community as a direct result of your program/services/projects/events.
  • What is the primary goal?
  • What does success look like?
  • How is success measured?
  • What is the start and end state?
• Describe both formal and informal program partnerships. How do these relationships enhance your program activities? (Max 300 words). 
  • How will you work with other groups?  How does this assist your group in achieving its goal?
  • Note: “other groups” may include but are not limited to; your local, provincial, and national organizations, community outreach groups, other agriculturally based not for profits, and for-profit organizations relationships and partnerships.
• List the team members that will ensure your program is well managed and achieves your desired goals. Include a brief explanation of how their expertise / specialization will make your program a success. (Max 300 words). 
  • This may include staff, members of the Board of Directors, and volunteers. 
  • What are each team members’ skills, education, experience, knowledge and how will their skills (etc.) contribute to the success of the program?
• How does this program enrich the city? (Max 300 words). 
  • Why is this program needed and how was it identified?
  • What benefits does your programming have on the agriculture sector and the City?
  • What are the challenges facing your organization?
• What City of Hamilton’s community priorities does your program align with (select up to three that apply):
  • Culture and Diversity
  • Economic Prosperity & Growth
  • Community Engagement and Participation
  • Healthy & Safe Communities
  • Clean and Green
  • Built Environment and Infrastructure
• Describe how your program is aligned with the community priorities chosen. (Max 200 words).

Program Information Form

Ensure that each outcome is measurable. Multiple measures for a single outcome are acceptable. All successful applicants are required to report on the outcomes achieved in the Final Report.

Digital Specific Form

Describe how increasing digital literacy, digital access, or digital inclusion is the primary and direct goal of this program — not a secondary benefit of programming focused primarily on another outcome (e.g., arts, recreation, environment etc.). Explain specifically how your activities build digital skills, provide digital access, or advance digital inclusion for Hamilton residents and will bridge the digital gap, ensuring City of Hamilton residents will have access to the resources, opportunities and skills needed to thrive in our increasingly digital world.

Budget Information Form

• Brief Revenue and Expenses 
  Provide point form, brief notes to support proposed budget. of line items.
• In-kind: Provide the estimated volunteer hours and value of other in-kind contributions. The total in-kind value will automatically be reflected on the program revenue.

Attachments – Support Material and Documents

• Board of Directors list (mandatory) - Include role & titles, length on BOD. 
• Staff list (optional) - Include job titles and whether full or part-time.
• Financial Statements (mandatory) - If audited financial statements are not available, then unaudited statements are required. Note: for grant requests greater than or equal to $30,000 audited financial statements are mandatory.
• Program Marketing Material (optional). Poster, flyer, pamphlet, etc.
• Program Specific Material (if applicable).
• Additional Information (optional) (if any)

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility Form

To help us understand how IDEA (Inclusion, Diversity, Equity & Accessibility) groups are currently supported through City Enrichment Funds, please identify the target population for the specific program you are apply to for this application. These are for data collection only and will not be scored or affect your program’s overall evaluation.