Reimagining settlement funding and service delivery to improve outcomes for newcomers (webinar recording)

This November 2023 Wellesley Institute webinar presents findings from the report Reimagining Funding and Service Delivery for Newcomers: Lessons from the Literature and Stakeholders. This project explored how newcomer settlement and integration outcomes are impacted by the current model of funding and service delivery. The report looked at the dynamics of collaboration, data sharing, and service delivery among im/migrant- and refugee-serving organizations in the Toronto South area, with a particular focus on the experiences of racialized and marginalized newcomer communities as well as small, grassroots, and POC-led organizations.

Panelists:

• Jennifer Chan, Department of Imaginary Affairs
• Sharma Queiser, Social Planning Toronto
• Alisha Griffith, Unified We Grow

The environmental scan includes three main components:

1. A literature review that captures the key challenges facing Ontario’s im/migrant and refugee-serving sector and lessons learned from alternative funding models and approaches — specifically, collaborative governance, delegated decision-making, and participatory grantmaking. 
2. A socio-demographic profile of the Toronto South LIP area to provide a snapshot of the newcomer and immigrant population in the catchment area.
3. Focus groups with newcomers and service providers to understand their first-hand experiences of gaps, challenges, and opportunities with the current funding and service coordination model.

This research is part of a larger project entitled Community Based Service Delivery and Funding: Centering Newcomer Experience, led by the Toronto South Local Immigration Partnership (TSLIP) in partnership with Social Planning Toronto (SPT) and the Department of Imaginary Affairs (DIA). Launched in 2021, this three-year initiative aims to propose a funding and service delivery model that will centre the voices of newcomers, particularly those who are racialized and marginalized, as well as organizations that work with them, in funding decisions. If implemented, a community-centred model could improve service access for those who face greater barriers.

View and download the report: