Mission & Vision

History

Governance

Agency Management

Our Commitment to Equity

Our Funders

Quick Facts

Annual Reports

Government of Canada

Citizenship and Immigration Canada

COSTI receives funding from Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) through the following programs:

Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program

The Immigrant Settlement and Adaptation Program (ISAP) funds service provider organizations to deliver direct, essential services to newcomers. These services include reception and orientation, translation and interpretation, referral to community resources, para-professional counselling, general information and employment-related services.

ISAP also funds projects to complement or improve the delivery of settlement services. These include research projects on settlement and integration, seminars and conferences to share information, and training of ISAP-supported agency staff.

Funding is also available through ISAP for pre-departure orientation sessions in selected countries overseas. These sessions help dispel unrealistic expectations that prospective newcomers may have about life in Canada, and prepare them for such aspects of Canadian life as climate, culture shock, employment, education, rights and responsibilities, housing and cost of living.

Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada

The Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada (LINC) program funds basic instruction in one of Canada's official languages to help adult newcomers integrate. It is offered to permanent residents in cooperation with provincial governments, school boards, community colleges, and immigrant and community organizations.

Before attending training, students are assessed to determine their placement level. LINC may include full-time or part-time training, self-assisted and distance learning, or community or institutionally based programs, according to the newcomer's abilities and needs. LINC is free to newcomers but does not include training allowances. Child minding is provided on site and transportation assistance is available if needed.

Job Search Workshops Program

The Job Search Workshop (JSW) program helps recent immigrants develop the necessary skills to find employment in the shortest possible time. These workshops are condensed three-day or four-day programs for job ready newcomers who are legally entitled to work in Canada. They focus on job search techniques and on accessing labour market information. These services are offered at no cost to participants.

Resettlement Assistance Program

The Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) provides income support and a range of other services to government-assisted refugees (GARs) who arrive in Canada following an overseas identification and selection process. Under RAP, income support is provided to GARs for up to 12 months and up to 24 months for those with special needs. Income support amounts are set in line with provincial social assistance rates. Service Provider Organizations (SPOs) deliver, on behalf of CIC, various settlement and orientation services to GARs within their first 4 to 6 weeks in Canada. These services range from initial reception at the airport to finding permanent accommodation.

RAP falls under the department's business line of Protecting Refugees and Others in Need of Resettlement and its associated strategic objective of Maintaining Canada's Humanitarian Tradition. Through this program, Canada welcomes and provides direct financial support to more refugees than any nation, other than the United States of America. The 1994 Immigration Consultations confirmed the continued importance of federal involvement in resettling refugees selected from abroad and the importance of continued funding for immediate services to GARs. Some of the lessons learned at that time, which resulted in the transformation of the Adjustment Assistance Program (AAP) into RAP in 1998, continue to be valid today, such as the need for increased coordination among program partners and enhanced flexibility in program design.

Department of Canadian Heritage

COSTI receives funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage.

Canadian Heritage is responsible for national policies and programs that promote Canadian content, foster cultural participation, active citizenship and participation in Canada's civic life, and strengthen connections among Canadians.

Service Canada

COSTI receives funding from Service Canada through the following programs:

Employment Assistance Services

Employment Assistance Services help unemployed individuals prepare for, obtain and maintain employment by providing them with services such as employment counselling, job search techniques, job placement and labour market information. This measure focuses on measuring positive results and outcomes achieved by clients. It is available to all unemployed Canadians regardless of whether they have had an Employment Insurance claim.

Skills Link

Skills Link provides funding to community organizations to help youth facing barriers to employment - such as single parents, Aboriginal youth, young persons with disabilities, recent immigrants, youth living in rural and remote areas and high school dropouts - develop the broad range of skills, knowledge and work experience they need to participate in the job market. 

Summer Career Placement

Summer Career Placement (SCP) is a wage subsidy initiative that enables public, private and not-for-profit employers to create career-related summer jobs for secondary and post-secondary students from 15 to 30 years of age (inclusive). These jobs provide students with the opportunity to acquire skills, gain valuable work experience and help finance their return to school.

 

Government of Ontario

Ministry of the Attorney General

COSTI receives funding from the Ministry of the Attorney General through the Ontario Victims Services Secretariat.

Ontario Victims Services Secretariat

The Ontario Victim Services Secretariat (OVSS), Ministry of the Attorney General works in partnership with community-based agencies and organizations to develop projects, programs and services that benefit victims in Ontario. The OVSS programs assist victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and hate crime; child victims of sexual abuse and exploitation; and under-served and unserved victims. These programs are designed to support: time-limited initiatives that address gaps in existing service to victims and enhance service quality and accessibility; and one-time community education initiatives that increase awareness of victimization and victims' issues.

Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration

COSTI receives funding from the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration through the Newcomer Settlement Program.

Newcomer Settlement Program

Through the Newcomer Settlement Program, the ministry supports community organizations to provide settlement, orientation, job-finding workshops and other direct settlement services to more than 100,000 newcomers that arrive in communities across Ontario each year. Services funded include assessment, information, referral, orientation, general settlement assistance, employment, and volunteer facilitation services.

Ministry of Community and Social Services

COSTI receives funding from the Ministry of Community and Social Services through the following programs:

Violence Against Women Program

The Violence Against Women Program (VAW) funds agencies that provide women, who have experienced violence or abuse, and their children with safe shelter and other support services. Any woman who identifies herself as having been physically or emotionally abused is eligible for these services. The Ministry's VAW program is a component of the government's Violence Against Women Prevention Initiative, which is delivered by ten provincial ministries, including the Ministry of Community and Social Services, and is co-ordinated by the Ontario Women's Directorate.

Ontario Disability Support Program

The Ontario Disability Support Program is an Ontario government program designed to meet the unique needs of people with disabilities and their families who are in financial need, or who want to work and need support. The program has two parts: income support, and employment supports.

Ministry of Health and Long Term Care

COSTI receives funding from the Ministry of Health and Long Term Care through the Acute Services Division; Mental Health and Addictions Branch; Community Health Division; and Long Term Care Division.

The Ministry of Health and Long Term Care is responsible for administering the health care system and providing services to the Ontario public through such programs as health insurance, drug benefits, assistive devices, care for the mentally ill, long-term care, home care, community and public health, and health promotion and disease prevention. It also regulates hospitals and nursing homes, operates psychiatric hospitals and medical laboratories, and co-ordinates emergency health services.

Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities

COSTI receives funding from the Ministry of Training, Colleges, and Universities through the following programs:

Access to Professions and Trades

The Access to Professions and Trades Initiative is based on the understanding that systemic solutions are required to address the systemic barriers facing the internationally trained. This program was established to undertake initiatives to reduce/remove barriers to licensure and certification in the professions and trades.

Improving access for internationally trained individuals to get licensed or registered to work in the occupations in which they have been educated/trained contributes to Ontario's economic prosperity.

Job Connect

The Job Connect program offers a range of services to respond to the employment needs of individuals and the skilled labour needs of employers. The program helps people plan, prepare for and succeed in the job market, and is delivered by community-based colleges and non-profit agencies, such as youth employment centres and Adult Help Centres. Each year, the program helps more than 125,000 people through about 130 sites in 80 communities across Ontario.

The program also helps private businesses and community organizations connect with people looking for work or on-the-job training opportunities.

Summer Jobs Services

The Summer Job Services program is designed to help young people find a summer job with businesses (including those in rural Ontario), as well as non-profit or community organizations. The program provides free services to improve job-search and self-marketing skills. It also provides a $2/hour wage support.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation

COSTI receives funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation, an agency of the Ministry of Culture, receives annually $100 million of government funding generated through Ontario's charity casino initiative. Ontario Trillium Foundation grants are awarded to fund capital, operating and/or specific project costs in support of: Arts & Culture, Environment, Human & Social Services, and Sports & Recreation. The Foundation makes grants that have province-wide impact as well as grants in local communities across Ontario.

Workplace Safety and Insurance Board

COSTI receives funding from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board.

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) oversees Ontario's workplace safety education and training system, provides disability benefits, monitors the quality of health care, and assists in early and safe return to work.

 

City of Toronto

COSTI receives funding from the City of Toronto through the following programs:

Shelter, Housing, and Support

The job of the Shelter, Housing and Support Division is to provide temporary shelter and support to homeless people while creating and maintaining permanent housing solutions.

This unit is responsible for supporting community-based homelessness and housing initiatives by managing the City of Toronto Homeless Initiatives Fund and Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI) grants and providing supports to the community-based sector. Key activities include: supporting community agencies that provide services to homeless people; co-ordinating the Alternative Housing and Services and Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committees that provide input to the City on service needs and community issues; and implementing the City's Community Plan for Homelessness in Toronto under the federal Supporting Communities Partnership Initiative (SCPI) program.

Community Services Grant Program

The Community Services Grants Program (CSGP) facilitates access to services that improve social outcomes for vulnerable, marginalized and high-risk communities. The grants provide ongoing funding to community-based programs that: are designed for vulnerable, marginalized and high-risk communities; clearly identify a social service need of this community and focus on achieving attainable, measurable results, and maximize the capacity-building approach to be effective.

Ontario Works

The Ontario Works program provides short-term financial support to eligible individuals, and assists them as they work towards their goal of finding paid employment.

 

Government of Italy

COSTI receives funding from the Government of Italy.

The Government of Italy provides financial support for education, skills training, and settlement services.

 

United Way

United Way of Greater Toronto

COSTI receives funding from the United Way of Greater Toronto.

United Way of Greater Toronto is an incorporated non-profit charity focused on improving the long-term health of our community. It runs Canada's largest annual fundraising campaign in support of 200 social and health service agencies, providing a vital network of support.

Donations to the United Way are designated to the Community Fund — a pool of donations that draws on the combined strength of donors to rebuild lives and neighbourhoods across Toronto. Through the Community Fund, United Way supports a vital network of 200 social and health service agencies helping at-risk youth, newcomers, people in high-needs neighbourhoods and countless others.

United Way of York Region

COSTI receives funding from the United Way of York Region.

United Way of York Region is the largest source of non-profit funding for social and community health services in York Region. No other charitable organization helps so many people overcome hardships to lead better lives.

United Way of York Region also plays a vital role in developing volunteer leadership and planning and problem-solving community needs. It works with community partners to find the most cost-efficient way to address critical human service needs in the 9 municipalities of York Region: Aurora, East Gwillimbury, Georgina, King, Markham, Newmarket, Richmond Hill, Vaughan, Whitchurch-Stouffville.

 

Foundations

Children's Aid Foundation

COSTI receives funding from the Children's Aid Foundation.

The Children's Aid Foundation is committed to supporting programs that improve the lives of abused, neglected and high-risk children through Education, Enrichment and Prevention. To this end, the Foundation works with the Children's Aid Societies and other child welfare organizations across the country to deliver innovative programs to assist these children.

This three-pronged approach enables the Foundation to not only meet the immediate and urgent needs of high-risk children, but more importantly it positions the Foundation to export unique and innovated ways to make a longer lasting impact on our communities.

CHUM Charitable Foundation

COSTI receives funding from the CHUM Charitable Foundation.

The CHUM Charitable Foundation is dedicated to financially assisting charitable wish organizations and social service agencies as they carry out the work to which they are dedicated.

The Counselling Foundation of Canada

COSTI receives funding from the Counselling Foundation of Canada.

The Counselling Foundation of Canada, a family foundation funded by Frank G. Lawson and his estate was incorporated in Ontario in 1959. The Foundation was formed to create and enrich counselling programs and improve the technical skills of counsellors.

The object of the Foundation is to engage in charitable and educational activities for the benefit of people; thus enabling them to improve their lifestyles and make a more effective contribution to their communities.

F.K. Morrow Foundation

COSTI receives funding from the F. K. Morrow Foundation.

A private foundation, the F. K. Morrow Foundation promotes education, charity, and charitable activities in the interest of the public.

Maytree Foundation

COSTI receives funding from the Maytree Foundation.

The Maytree Foundation is a private Canadian charitable foundation established in 1982. The Foundation is committed to reducing poverty and inequality in Canada and to building strong civic communities. The Foundation seeks to accomplish its objectives by identifying, supporting and funding ideas, leaders and leading organizations that have the capacity to make change and advance the common good

Raptors Foundation

COSTI receives funding from the Raptors Foundation.

The Raptors Foundation is the charitable arm of the Toronto Raptors Basketball Club, and is dedicated to assisting Ontario's registered charities that support programs and sports initiatives for at-risk children and youth.

The Foundation strives to lift spirits and change lives for young people by supporting local and provincial organizations that provide recreational, educational and other youth-oriented activities.

Sir Joseph Flavelle Foundation

COSTI receives funding from the Sir Joseph Flavelle Foundation.

The Sir Joseph Flavelle Foundation provides funding, with preference for seed and project funding, to organizations in Ontario which are involved in innovative projects directly supporting their particular community or constituency.

Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund

COSTI receives funding from the Toronto Star Fresh Air Fund.

Founded in 1901 by Star publisher Joseph Atkinson, the Fresh Air Fund has raised millions of dollars and provided more than half-a-million children with a memorable summer holiday they may have otherwise never experienced.

Each year, more than 25,000 children attend nearly 100 different day and residential camps as the result of contributions from thousands of generous individuals, organizations and businesses. Many of the campers are from disadvantaged and single parent families. A significant number of campers are also children with special needs, medical conditions or who are confined to hospitals and other facilities. The Fresh Air Fund summer experience helps them build self-esteem and social skills in a safe, fun and nurturing environment.