The government invested more than $15 million dollars from the Victims' Justice Fund over three years to fund special projects developed and delivered by more than 240 community organizations.

Victims' Justice Fund money is collected through a provincial victim surcharge, which has been applied to all fines under the Provincial Offences Act (except parking violations) since January 1, 1995. Federal fine surcharge revenues are also collected. These funds are dedicated to providing support for victims of crime.

The Community Grant Program's goal was to improve supports and services to victims of crime in communities across the province by:

• Addressing gaps in services
• Enhancing service quality and accessibility
• Supporting community development
• Increasing awareness of victimization, victims' issues and services available in a community

To ensure the money was allocated where it was needed most, the government identified clear priorities for the grants. The funding was invested in programs providing support for:

• Victims of domestic violence, sexual assault or hate crimes
• Child victims who have suffered sexual abuse and exploitation
• Under-served and un-served victims

Thanks to these grants, many organizations have created and developed useful products that may benefit other communities that provide services to victims of crime.

Examples include:

• Manuals
• Protocols
• Bookletsand brochures
• DVDs
• Training and educational tools

For more information about these products, including contact information for the community organizations that developed them, please refer to the Resources page.

Note that the views and opinions expressed in these products do not necessarily reflect those of the Government of Ontario.