Social Development Partnerships Program – Disability component

The Social Development Partnerships Program - Disability (SDDP-D) is a grants and contributions program that supports through funding:

• not-for-profit organizations
• First Nations, Inuit, and Metis groups; and
• volunteer sector organizations

The program gives funds to disability organizations to:

• increase operational capacity; and
• develop new approaches to remove barriers to social inclusion for persons with disabilities

SDPP-D encourages funding recipients to work with a variety of partners to maximize their impact on complex social issues.

Program objectives

Develop, share, and apply knowledge, tools and resources that address the social needs of persons with disabilities and their families.

Foster partnerships to address existing and emerging social issues.

In the spirit of "Nothing Without Us", support initiatives by disability not-for-profit organizations to identify social development priorities.

Promote engagement with the disability community through volunteerism and partnerships.

National operating funding

The objective of SDPP-D National Operating Funding is to support the capacity of national disability organizations to remove barriers to social inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Further to a 2016 program renewal, the Department moved to an open competitive process in 2017 supported by the Performance and Accountability Framework. This framework was co-developed with the disability community to bring transparency to how operating funding is distributed.

This funding stream supports capacity building efforts of national non-profit disability organizations in 4 areas:

• governance and accountability
• effective leadership and operations
• developing and maintaining partnerships
• measurable impact

Regional operating funding

The Community Inclusion Initiative (CII) supports community-led action to advance the social inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities and their families. The CII is a regional operating funding stream of the SDPP-D.

Funding recipients work in partnership with regional stakeholders to support the inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities by:

• removing barriers to social inclusion for persons with intellectual disabilities; and
• raising public awareness about:
  • barriers to social inclusion
  • innovative solutions; and
  • programs and services to advance the inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families

Project funding

Since 2016, SDPP-D has led periodic thematic Calls for Proposals for project funding to support a range of initiatives to address barriers to inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Project themes are developed in consideration of current gaps and funding priorities in support of initiatives that remove barriers to social inclusion for persons with disabilities.

Additionally, through Budget 2024, the Government of Canada committed to ongoing funding for community-based navigation services to improve awareness and take-up of federal, provincial, and territorial programs available to working-age Canadians with disabilities including the Canada Disability Benefit.

Register and receive alerts on future funding opportunities.