The Manitoba government will establish a $15 million endowment fund to support families of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.
“This fund will ensure a stable long-term commitment to help meet the needs and support families for years to come,” Families minister Nahanni Fontaine said in a news release Sunday.
The province will work with MMIWG2S+ families, the Matriarch Circle and community partners to develop grant eligibility and distribution guidelines, the release stated.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES Families minister Nahanni Fontaine
The endowment fund will be managed by The Winnipeg Foundation and revenue generated will be doled out in application-based grants.
The release says the program is the province’s first step in its multi-year action plan to “empower and protect Indigenous women and girls.”
The initial monies is expected to generate up to $750,000 per year for the grant program. The program is expected to launch in 2025.