Artwork:
nch7mut | One Heart, One Mind, One People
míkw’achi7m | Marissa Nahanee, sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Nisg̱a'a Nation
Photo Credit: Muncho Lake, British Columbia, Ryan Dickie, Fort Nelson First Nation
míkw’achi7m | Marissa Nahanee, sḵwx̱wú7mesh and Nisg̱a'a Nation
Photo Credit: Muncho Lake, British Columbia, Ryan Dickie, Fort Nelson First Nation
Indigenous Communities Fund
The TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund (ICF) offers $5,000 - $25,000 grants for Indigenous-led social, health and community programs. Together, we can make the future friendly by supporting Indigenous leaders and community groups who know their communities best.
Our commitment to reconciliation
In partnership with Indigenous Peoples, TELUS is committed to progressing the path of reconciliation in a deeply meaningful way and is dedicated to fulfilling our role and responsibilities in this regard.
For more than a decade, TELUS has collaborated with Indigenous Peoples and organizations to enable connectivity and bridge digital, geographic and socio-economic divides.
Working together, we are helping create tangible outcomes that will impact generations to come.
Funding Indigenous-led solutions
The TELUS Indigenous Communities Fund provides flexible grant funding to Indigenous-led programs supporting Indigenous Peoples in Canada across all provinces and territories.
Funding is available for projects focused on, but not limited to:
- Health, mental health and well-being
- Access to education and resources
- Preservation of the land and water
- Community building and enhancement
- Intergenerational language and cultural revitalization
Preference may be given to programs where technology is being used to advance reconciliation.
Application deadlines
Applications are reviewed two times per year. The application portal will remain open until either the first 200 applicants are received or the deadline is reached, whichever comes first. We encourage all applicants to apply early.
Please allow 12 weeks following the application deadline to receive a response regarding your application status. Applications are due by midnight (your local time) on the following dates:
- Spring: February 4 to March 4, 2026, or until the first 200 applicants are received.
- Fall: September 10 to October 7, 2026, or until the first 200 applicants are received.
Please note: Applying for the fund does not guarantee that an applicant will receive funding.
If you are an Indigenous-led registered charity or qualified donee supporting youth through health or education programs, apply for a
TELUS Friendly Future Foundation Community Board grant
.Funding guidelines
The ICF provides one-time grants to Indigenous-led organizations such as Band Councils, Indigenous Governments or representative groups, community groups and non-profits.
Non-Indigenous-led organizations can apply if they demonstrate a clear and tangible relationship with an Indigenous organization and have documented support from an Indigenous-led organization or community.
Eligible organizations can apply once per calendar year. $5,000 - $25,000 grants are available to support Indigenous-led initiatives that support tangible positive outcomes.
Requests eligible for funding:
- Your organization, community group or project supports Indigenous peoples (First Nations, Métis, Inuit) within Canada
- Your organization has not received funding from TELUS or the Indigenous Communities Fund in the last two years
- You clearly address a pressing social or well-being need and create measurable community outcomes such as, but not limited to:
- Accomplishing individual and community wellness and healing
- Reviving cultural strength, knowledge and skills
- Helping overcome geographical and economical barriers
- Increasing social connections to help foster community engagement.
Requests ineligible for funding:
- For-profit initiatives
- Retroactive funding
- Religious-focused projects or organizations
- Sponsorship requests
- Sole proprietorship/Individually-owned applicants
- Lobbying
- Projects that operate outside of Canada
- Go-Fund-Me campaigns or individual fundraising initiatives
Indigenous Communities Fund recipients
TELUS is proud to announce the second of 2025 recipients of the Indigenous Communities Fund.
Bilijk First Nation in Kingsclear, New Brunswick, is addressing a critical youth mental health crisis affecting education, employment, identity, and overall well-being through culturally grounded support for 350 youth. The Psi-te ntolonapemok - All My Relations: The Bilijk Youth Mental Wellness Project will provide access to traditional knowledge holders, land-based healing activities, workshops with Elders, language and storytelling circles, seasonal healing camps, and peer leadership development opportunities. This initiative aims to reduce youth suicide risk, strengthen cultural identity, and foster long-term emotional resilience.
Chiefs of Ontario's Women's Initiatives Sector will deliver five virtual learning sessions in 2026 for Two Spirit/LGBTQQIAPD+/Indigiqueer people across Ontario who face disproportionately high rates of violence, suicide, and systemic discrimination through the Two Spirit+ / Indigiqueer Learning Series project. Led by the Ontario First Nations Two Spirit/LGBTQQIAPD+ Council and featuring Two Spirit+ community leaders, Elders, and Knowledge Keepers, the series will reach 400 participants. This virtual format bridges geographical barriers to foster community-building and cultural revitalization for remote and northern communities.
Chief Sunrise Education Centre in Kátł'odeeche First Nation on the Hay River Reserve, NT, is addressing financial and transportation barriers that prevent Indigenous youth from participating in organized sports and healthy recreational activities. The CSEC Sports Access Project will provide 25 youth with transportation, nutritious meals, coaching and mentorship, equipment, and access to a full-sized gym. Through training 3-4 times per week and tournament participation, students will develop lifelong habits of wellness, teamwork, and leadership.
The Qu'Appelle Valley Friendship Centre in Fort Qu'Appelle, Saskatchewan, is addressing transportation as the primary barrier to employment and opportunity in the region. Without a driver's license, many community members are isolated and unable to access essential services, attend job interviews, secure employment, access healthcare, or participate in cultural events and community gatherings. The Keys to Independence project will support 200 community members in obtaining their driver's licenses, breaking down critical barriers to education, employment, and community connection.
Swan Valley Crisis Centre in Swan River, Manitoba, serves three First Nations and surrounding communities where Indigenous women and children fleeing domestic violence face impossible choices between leaving their support systems or returning to abusive situations due to lack of available housing and support. Funding will support the New Resource Centre with Healing Room and transitional housing project to serve 500 community members, offering culturally appropriate emotional and spiritual healing, cultural connection, and reconciliation with wrap-around support.
Wahkohtowin's Guardian Program serves three First Nations in northern Ontario (Brunswick House, Chapleau Cree, and Missanabie Cree) by training youth as scientists and stewards who protect lands and waters while revitalizing cultural knowledge and practices. Through the Guardian's Wiigwaas Jiimaan project, 50 youth will learn traditional birch bark canoe-making from a knowledge holder, harvesting natural materials from their traditional territories. The completed canoe will be launched in a public ceremony celebrating cultural revitalization and land-based learning.
Art: syó:qwem | The Sun
kwexta’lsp | Ovila Mailhot, nlaka’pamux And stó:lō Nation
kwexta’lsp | Ovila Mailhot, nlaka’pamux And stó:lō Nation
Past recipients
TELUS’ commitment to artistic integrity
We are committed to supporting the artistic practices of Indigenous Peoples, while being mindful of the historic role organizations have played in the misappropriation of Indigenous art and culture. We have an obligation and responsibility to ensure that TELUS’ use of Indigenous art in our digital and physical spaces is respectful of Indigenous artists. TELUS works with each artist to ensure that they retain full intellectual property and control over their work.
Contact us
If you have a question or a funding request that falls outside of the application deadlines, please contact us at
[email protected]
