Dear friends and community members,

This Black History Month we want to celebrate the tradition of “call and response” which has been a vital aspect of African-disaporic/Black communities for generations — serving as a means of communication, expression, and community development for people of African descent for millenia. This tradition has been a quintessential element and fuel for the Foundation for Black Communities’ journey over the last 3 years. We have witnessed the power of community, wherein individuals from all walks of life come together to create a collective voice that resonates with energy and strength and allows us to support each other in our times of need.

Our community has consistently demonstrated its commitment to supporting each other and making a positive impact in our country through call and response. This was evident in the contributions you all made to our ground-breaking Unfunded Report, the rally to encourage the creation of a historic $200 million Black-led philanthropic fund in Budget 2021, and the co-designed granting programs that have invested over $2.5 million dollars in community-led initiatives to date. These efforts have led to substantial changes in the philanthropic sectors’ support of Black communities and will continue to allow us to confront the needs and challenges of our community.

When we called for assistance, our community responded with tremendous enthusiasm. This was most recently demonstrated by the overwhelming support we received from over 800 organizations and individuals in response to our submission for the Black-led Philanthropic Fund. This was an important reminder that the work of the Foundation for Black Communities is your work and that indeed, your work — is our work.

These achievements are a testament to the power of call and response in our community and the unwavering commitment of our members to creating a better future for us all. We can be proud of the impact we have made and the positive changes we have inspired through our collective efforts. As we continue to work together, our community’s call and response will continue to be a driving force for progress and change, and we look forward to building an even brighter future for all Black communities.

In the near future, we hope to have some positive news to share as to the next steps for the Foundation for Black Communities. And in that future, you can be certain of one thing, when our community calls, we will respond!

We look forward to continuing to work closely together to support a future where all Black people have the resources, infrastructure and agency to thrive and define our own futures! Happy Black History Month!

Gladys Ahovi
President & CEO

The Foundation for Black Communities announces intent to bid for the Government of Canada’s historic, Black-led philanthropic endowment.

The organization is calling on Black community, partners and allies to endorse their bid by signing a letter of support.

November 17, 2022, (Toronto, ON) – As the leading Black-led voice in Canada’s philanthropic sector, the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) announced today that it will be responding to the Government of Canada’s request for proposals for the new $200 million Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund.

The Government of Canada’s historic pledge to support Black-led charities, non-profits, and grassroots community organizations was first announced in the 2021 Federal Budget, referencing our ground-breaking report “Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy,” which included a vision to establish a Philanthropic Foundation for Black Communities.

“This endowment puts Black communities squarely in the driver’s seat to relentlessly invest in our own agenda and priorities today and for future generations,” says Liban Abokor, Co-Founder and Board Member.

While there are many organizations that focus on addressing systemic barriers and anti-Black racism, what sets the FFBC apart is their community-informed and equity-focused approach to grants and giving. The FFBC continues to examine and evaluate the grant process to ensure that community needs are addressed, and communities thrive.

“Trust-based, participatory grant-making is central to our identity at FFBC. Our role as trustees of Black wealth is not to decide which priorities are funded or who receives funding. Instead, the best decisions are made by those who use the services and those who provide them. Nothing for us, without us. Simple,” shares Omar Omar, Director of Community Investments

To-date the Foundation for Black Communities has partnered and worked closely with foundations such as the MLSE Foundation, Vancouver Foundation, Edmonton Foundation, Calgary Foundation, Community Foundations of Canada, Ontario Trillium Foundation, Laidlaw Foundation, Inspirit Foundation, Sunlife Foundation, and Canadian Tire Foundation to ensure Black communities are prioritized and supported.

Through these partnerships they are:

• Investing over $2.5 million dollars into Black communities through grant programs to date
• Advocating to amend legislation to make it easier to fund Black-led community organizations and increase funding available to Black communities

The Black-led philanthropic endowment will allow the Foundation for Black Communities to continue investing in Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused charities, non-profits, and grassroots groups throughout Canada. The FFBC’s vision includes a future where Black communities in Canada have the resources, organizations, and influence necessary to shape their own future.

“FFBC is working every day for a future in which Black communities can readily and responsively invest in our own solution-making. It is no longer a question of if, but of when, and this endowment would bring us one step closer,” Djaka Blais, Co-Founder, Board Chair

About the Foundation for Black Communities

The Foundation for Black Communities invests in change-making, working alongside the Canadian community, philanthropic, political, and business organizations to ensure that Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused non-profit, charitable, and grassroots organizations have the sustained resources and infrastructures they need to make a meaningful impact.

Media contact:

Courtney Roberts

Communications Lead

Foundation for Black Communities

416-857-9036

Media@forblackcommunities.org

After years of collective advocacy to address funding gaps facing Black Communities, including the launch of our groundbreaking report Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy the Government of Canada has announced a new $200 million Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund Call for Proposals.