TD Ready Challenge

Overview

<p>Each year, the TD Ready Challenge will invite eligible organizations to submit applications that offer solutions for a problem statement that is connected to one of the four drivers of change of the TD Ready Commitment: Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health. The 2020 TD Ready Challenge Problem Statement focuses on addressing the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.</p> <p>Today, COVID-19 and its devasting consequences have created a remarkable climate of uncertainty that has rippled through all aspects of our society. In the past few months alone, several studies have shown the significant impacts already being felt across North America, though not all people are experiencing these effects equally. There is growing evidence that COVID-19 is disproportionately impacting certain populations across North America including:</p> <ul> <li>Individuals from racialized and/or newcomer communities;</li> <li>Those who are a part of Indigenous communities;</li> <li>Those that have unstable employment or inflexible working conditions;</li> <li>Those experiencing insecure, inadequate, or nonexistent housing conditions;</li> <li>Individuals living in remote communities and are socially or geographically isolated.</li> </ul> <p>As people continue to navigate a new disrupted reality that includes physical distancing, experts and industries are currently working on what the new normal could look like post pandemic. History has shown how innovation plays a critical role in helping people develop the ability to overcome obstacles and have confidence in the future. Generating new ideas and solutions that address the needs raised by the current crisis will be key to help communities emerge resilient, inclusive, vibrant and ready for the continually changing future.</p> <p>At the core of the TD Ready Commitment is the recognition that the interconnectedness of its four drivers of change (Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health) are key to helping build the confidence necessary to help create an inclusive and sustainable future for everyone. The pandemic is not only a health crisis, but also a social, economic and environmental one. In the face of the COVID-19, these intrinsic links have never been clearer, and a holistic approach is needed to address the impacts. That's why this year, we have made the decision to focus the 2020 TD Ready Challenge on supporting innovative solutions that address the impacts of the pandemic, specifically for communities that are experiencing disproportionate impacts of COVID-19.</p> <p>We are seeking applications that will help drive accelerated, sustained and equitable recovery. Applications must work to explicitly address inequities exacerbated by the pandemic, as well as one or more of the four interconnected drivers of change of the TD Ready Commitment. The 2020 TD Ready Challenge seeks to provide financial support to organizations that have designed innovative, scalable and/or replicable solutions to help address the pandemic-caused issues faced by communities that are experiencing disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 across North America. Solutions must address at least one (but can address more) of the four interconnected drivers of change of the TD Ready Commitment (Financial Security, Vibrant Planet, Connected Communities and Better Health).</p>