Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative
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About this initiative
The Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) is a federal grants and contributions initiative. SBCCI was created in 2019 to:
- celebrate and share knowledge about People of African descent's contributions in Canada
- build capacity in vibrant Black communities across Canada
- reflect Black voices in policies and programs that affect their lives
- remove barriers related to anti-Black racism and other systemic inequities
SBCCI provides funding to help Black-led organizations build foundational infrastructure within Black communities.
Capacity building
Investments to strengthen and improve the capacity of Black-led and Black-serving organizations.
The SBCCI has partnered with 4 Black-led organizations to support smaller Black-led and Black-serving, Black-focused community-based not-for-profit organizations:
- Tropicana Community Services (Toronto)
- Black Business Initiative (Halifax)
- Groupe 3737 (Montreal)
- Africa Centre (Edmonton)
The Black-led National Funders provide grants to support capacity building in community-based organizations. They also give grants to support capital projects like:
- buying work-related equipment
- renovating and retrofitting existing community and work spaces
We encourage Black-led and Black-serving organizations to reach out to the national funder in their respective regions, as well as to consult our site on projects that SBCCI has funded.
Systems change
SBCCI supports projects that reduce systemic barriers and inequities faced by Black communities in Canada.
External Reference Group
The External Reference Group (ERG) is an advisory council established in 2022. The ERG advises the Minister responsible for diversity and inclusion on:
- SBCCI
- the United Nations Decade of People of African Descent
Learn more about the ERG
National Institute for People of African Descent (more information to come)
The National Institute for People of African Descent (the National Institute) will work on issues that affect Black communities. Objectives of the Institute include:
- informing and influencing policy and program creation, of all orders of government, from a Black-centric perspective
- undertaking applied research
- gathering knowledge, sharing information, working with communities and building connections
- serving to improve overall outcomes for Canada's people of African descent, and their communities
Learn more about the National Institute for People of African Descent
Emerging priorities
SBCCI helps address the emerging priorities of Black communities and organizations in Canada. It does this by funding activities and projects, led by Black community stakeholders, that meet specific needs they have identified.
Latest news
- The federal government invests in a new site for the Montreal Afro-Canadian Cultural Centre
- Government of Canada announces call for proposals results to support Black communities
- Minister Gould announces funding for over 500 capacity-building projects under the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative
- Government of Canada invests in initiatives that support Black Canadians
- Minister Gould announces members of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative External Reference Group
- Government of Canada announces funding for project in support of African Nova Scotian communities
Reports
Closing The Black Funding Gap: A Study of the SBCCI Funding Model (PDF, 1.60 MB)
This report, prepared on behalf of SBCCI’s National Funders, explores the program’s strengths and weaknesses, and concludes with recommendations for improvement.
This report explores the objectives of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative, how it was designed, and how it was put into action. It also recommends how to make it more effective. Our response to this report is online as well.
Contact us
Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative
National Grants and Contributions Delivery Centre (NGCDC)
Coordination unit mailstop 402
140 Promenade du Portage Phase IV Floor 4,
Gatineau, QC K1A 0J9
Email: ESDC.INFO.SBCC-ACNC.INFO.EDSC@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
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