A $200 million “gamechanger” endowment is on the line; Black-led, Black-focused organizations can now apply
Why It Matters
Black communities and Black-serving organizations are chronically underfunded by both the private and public sector, receiving about seven cents for every $100 donated to big charities in Canada. A self-sustaining fund could help change that, by providing Black-led organizations with a stable, predictable source of funding.
The Peace Tower in Ottawa. Photo: Jason Hafso, via UpSplash
Gabe Oatley’s work on this story is made possible by the Future of Good editorial fellowship covering the social impact world’s rapidly changing funding models, supported by Future of Good, Community Foundations of Canada, and United Way Centraide Canada. See our editorial ethics and standards here.
After months of virtual roundtables and engagement with Black stakeholders, the Canadian government has issued a call for proposals for its previously announced $200 million, endowment fund.
“We’re very pleased to see that the federal government is moving on realizing what has been a long-awaited and long-dreamt institution for Black communities,” said Liban Abokor, co-founder of the Foundation for Black Communities, which plans to submit a proposal. “This is going to be a durable and sustainable pool of capital that’s going to ensure that, no matter the seasonal changes in the broader practice of philanthropy, Black communities are always going to have investments driven towards their needs.”
Interested organizations have until noon on November 25, 2022 to submit a proposal. The successful applicant will receive a nearly $200 million endowment and be responsible for providing funding to Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving non-profits,charities, and social purpose organizations nation-wide, using a Black-centric, intersectional lens in its operations and granting strategy.
Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, launched the call for proposals during a press conference in Ottawa.
“Diversity is a fact, but inclusion is a choice,” he said. “Our government recognizes the systemic barriers that Black communities continue to face, and we are committed to ensuring that the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund provides direct supports to Black-led charities and non-profit organizations across the country.”
The federal government expects to announce who will act as the endowment fund’s intermediary next spring. Eligible organizations will be assessed on organizational capacity, objectives, activities, results and budget.
“We’re hopeful that the government will receive those RFPs, assess them quickly, and then move swiftly to ensure that capital flows,” Abokor said. “These are dollars that need to get out to our communities immediately.” The organization has long pushed the federal government to establish a Black-led and administered endowment.
amanuel melles, executive director of the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities, described the endowment fund as a “game changer.”
“The endowment fund will create a new reality in terms of collaboration, research and exchange,” he said. “We are really pleased.”
The Network partnered with Carleton University to release a landmark study in 2020, titled: Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy. It found “both public and private foundations underfund Black-serving and Black-led community organizations” and that grants received by those organizations are miniscule, sporadic and fail to “invest in the long-term capabilities of Black community organizations.”
melles said that research informed the current government’s decision to create the endowment fund.
In a written release, the federal government indicated priority consideration will be given to proposals from organizations reflecting regional and linguistic diversity. They must also demonstrate funding strategies that ensure equitable distribution of resources across Canada, including in official language minority communities.
“The condition of Black-led community organizations hasn’t significantly improved and the needs of our communities has only expanded,” Abokor said. “That $200 million can do a lot right now in community.”
Tell us this made you smarter | Contact us | Report error
