2 Spirits in Motion Society

Published purpose

This 43-month project will address, through the first phase, organizational capacity needs of 2 Spirits in Motion Society (formerly 2 Spirits in Motion Foundation) and promote collaborative knowledge generation and dissemination amongst Two Spirit peoples and organizations in order to foster the creation of a safe and supportive environment for Two Spirit peoples in Canada. Organizational capacity building will be enhanced through the development of a strategic plan to advance 2 Spirits in Motion Society (2SiMS) finance, governance and human resource management structures, as well as disbursement of micro-grants to strengthen the capacity of locally and regionally engaged two-spirit organizations in Canada. A national Two Spirit gathering will inform priority setting for future policy and planning. The second phase of the project will allow the organization to expand its ability to undertake key activities through enhanced governance, networking, collaboration, and advocacy measures within the 2 Spirit community in Canada. As part of the third phase, additional funding of $40,000 will be used to hire an Indigenous owned law firm to give legal guidance in redeveloping the organization's by-laws. These by-laws will contribute to adapting the governance structure to the important growth of the organization. An Indigenous staffing company will be hired to carry out a national recruitment campaign to recruit a permanent Executive Director for the organization. Increased coverage of the Executive Director and Administrative Coordinator salaries will also be supported by this additional funding. Additional funding of $175,000 and a one-year extension will allow 2 Spirits in Motion Society to continue to build their organizational capacity by refining their governance pieces and strengthening partnerships. With the support of an Indigenous legal expert, 2SiMS will re-visit policies and practices to ensure they are in concurrence with the recently revised by-laws. To align, financial processes will be adjusted to ensure sound management of the organization's increased revenues and expenses that have resulted from its growth. Human resource policies and practices will also be adjusted to meet growth demands, including hiring practices, training, work planning, and retainment. Partnerships will be strengthened through face-to-face engagements, and increased online presence.