Estates management funding
The Estates Management Funding Program provides funding to support capacity-building for estate planning and administration for First Nations.
On this page
About the program
The Estates Management Funding Program provides financial resources to eligible persons, communities and organizations for estate planning, management and administration related work, including work to support the impact of settlement agreements on minor, dependent adult and decedent estates.
Indigenous Services Canada and Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada recognize the importance of estate planning, management and administration and we are committed to supporting:
- the development of estate administration capacity
- access to estate management resources
- Indigenous management of estate services
That commitment extends to supporting individuals, communities and organizations in managing estates impacted by settlement agreements.
Funding for this program is limited and application approval is subject to available resources.
Who can apply
The Estates Management Funding Program is open to any person, community or organization interested in advancing Indigenous estate governance capacity. Priority will be given to Indigenous individuals, communities and organizations.
Deadline
Applications for funding in the 2023-2024 fiscal year must be submitted by August 20, 2023. A second deadline may be announced for the 2023-2024 fiscal year if additional funding becomes available.
How to apply
Applications for funding need to include a completed Estates Management Program Application form (PAW #3869162).
Certain details should be included directly on the form:
- Who is applying
- If a community or an organization is applying, specify the community or type of organization, for example, First Nation or educational institution.
- A clear description or summary of the proposal
- Briefly describe
- the proposal objectives
- how the proposal aligns with at least one of the Estates Management Funding Program goals and how the applicant has the authority and capacity to reach that goal
- the amount of money requested
- any planned activities
- anticipated outcomes
- Identify if this proposal has previously received funding from the Estates Management Funding Program. If yes, provide a summary of the previous proposal and its outcomes.
- If a proposal is being submitted on behalf of multiple communities or organizations, or with the intention of delivering services to multiple communities or organizations, include evidence of the parties' informed consent to their inclusion in the proposal. This could be a signed letter from a First Nation administration or organization or a similar document.
- Briefly describe
- A completed declaration
- Be sure to fill out the last section of the form.
Supporting documents to be included, if applicable
- A detailed description of the proposed initiative, including:
- objective or objectives
- how the proposed initiative aligns with at least one of the Estates Management Funding Program goals
- key activities and how they support the objectives
- timelines covering all activities
- expected outputs and outcomes and how they support at least one of the Estates Management Funding Program goals
- A detailed itemized budget for all components of the proposal.
- Evidence that the applicant has financial management controls or practices in place or has financial management experience. Such evidence may include:
- references to institutional capacity
- references to other programs or projects that the applicant administers
- letters of reference
- similar material
It may be helpful to approach the Estates Management Program Application form (PAW #3869162) as a summary of the proposal, with the supporting documents providing a more detailed overview of the proposed initiative. We encourage you to ask questions and find out more on how to apply by emailing financementsuccessions-estatesfunding@sac-isc.gc.ca.
After the application deadline has passed, we will conduct a review of the proposals received to determine funding eligibility. All applicants will be informed of the eligibility of their proposal.
What types of initiatives can be funded
Most initiatives can be funded as long as they support at least one of these goals:
- Developing Indigenous governance capacity for the management of estates
- Exploring, developing or advancing alternative management frameworks for the management of estates
- Designing tools to provide information and training about estate management, being a property guardian, estate planning and substitute decision making planning
- Training family members or First Nations on how to be a property guardian
- Increasing the number of wills written by First Nations and Inuit persons
- Developing or disseminating tools that will increase awareness and capacity around the management of estates at the individual or institutional level
- Hosting workshops or information sessions on estate planning and how to complete estate forms and submit settlement agreement claim forms
- Increasing support for Indigenous communities affected by settlement agreements that impact the estates of deceased persons or the surviving heirs of estates
- Developing community capacity to better support Indigenous dependent adults living on a reserve
- Increasing support for Indigenous dependent adults to better access claims applications for settlement agreements for which they may be eligible
- Providing support services for Indigenous dependent adults
Note that funds from the Estates Management Funding Program are considered fixed contribution funding. This means that recipients may retain unexpended funding from the fiscal year in which the proposal was funded to use in the following fiscal year.
Ineligible expenses
- Meals, catering
- Incidentals
- Prizes
- Gifts
Contact us
You can send questions and completed applications to financementsuccessions-estatesfunding@sac-isc.gc.ca.