It Gets Better Canada (IGB-CSA Canada)

Published purpose

Through this 41-month project, It Gets Better Canada will build a stronger capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance 2SLGBTQI+ equality. This project will address key barriers in the availability of tools and community-based resources that help 2SLGBTQI+ youth engage with other youth across Canada; and explore and navigate their sexual orientation and gender identity journey. To do so, this project will improve organizational governance by developing a Youth Advisory Committee as an extension of the Board, giving 2SLGBTQI+ youth a voice at the highest level within the organization. It Gets Better Canada will strengthen their strategic direction by establishing a national 2SLGBTQI+ Youth Network with representation from at least 4-different regions across Canada through strategic outreach. A performance-based strategic plan will also be created that aligns the existing resources on the achievement of equality for 2SLGBTQI+ youth. Relationships with other national 2SLGBTQI+ organizations will be strengthened, and a sustainable-funding model will be established. To recognize the needs of the community, and to address barrier 2SLGBTQI+ youth experience, the 2SLGBTQI+ Youth Network will engage with focus groups, town halls, and surveys to inform It Gets Better Canada’s strategic priorities, programs, resources, and partnerships. With the Supplemental funding and extension provided in early 2026, It Gets Better Canada will utilize key learnings and frameworks, developed in the first three years of the Community Capacity Fund, to create stronger capacity and an enhanced approach towards addressing key barriers in the availability of tools and community-based resources that help 2SLGBTQI+ youth engage with other youth across Canada. To do so, IGBC will develop a Governance Integration Model, improving on the organization’s governance processes and decision-making structures. Through the development of a strategic renewal and sustainability plan, the organization will create a Strategic Transition Framework that is led by the Board and incorporates key youth input to drive the organization’s growth and priorities for the following three years. Recognizing how shifting global priorities have impacted the fundraising landscape in the past few years, IGBC will pivot to better align their fundraising strategies through the development of a fundraising systems infrastructure, which will include a key performance based tracker that is heavily aligned with our Strategic Transition Framework and allow for the organization to develop a sustainable fundraising portfolio. To better recognize the needs of the community, and to address the barriers 2SLGBTQI+ youth experience, IGBC will work with their 2SLGBTQI+ Youth Network to develop a youth insight data framework that will lead into a national report which will be used to better inform IGBC’s Board, stakeholders, and cultivate new relationships that align with the strategic priorities. Through this they will further advance Gender Equality.