Call for concepts: Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund

Help us make philanthropy work for Black communities in Canada

Current status: Closed

Opened on January 24, 2022, and will close on March 7, 2022.

Black-led charities and non-profit organizations are key to fighting anti-Black racism and ending inequities across the country. However, Black-led and Black-serving community organizations are underfunded by Canada’s philanthropic sector.

Black Canadians are calling for a new approach to philanthropy that is led by and for Black communities. The Government of Canada has committed $200 million to establish the Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund dedicated to supporting Black-led charities and organizations serving youth and social initiatives. Led by Black Canadians for Black Canadians, the Fund will create a sustainable source of funding to improve social and economic outcomes in Black communities.

In several roundtable discussions, takeaways were that the Endowment Fund should:

• be governed to reflect the diversity of Black communities
• be accountable to those communities
• support diverse social and economic projects
• see regional expertise guide its funding decisions

Tell us what you think

To help meet these expectations, the Government of Canada wants to hear from you about how the Endowment Fund can be designed according to a “Nothing about us without us” approach. The Government of Canada is inviting Black-led organizations, charities and interested Canadians to take part in the call for concepts.

We want to know:

1. How can the Fund’s philanthropic principles center the lived experiences and realities of Black communities, including in its governance?
2. How can the Fund remain accountable to Black communities and its governance reflect the diversity of these communities?
3. How should the Endowment Fund prioritize its investments and its granting?
4. What should we consider when selecting an entity or entities responsible for the Endowment Fund?

How to prepare and submit your ideas

• Share your concepts by responding in writing to all or some of the questions in the Tell us what you think section.
• Written submissions can be made in either official language, French or English.
• Each submission must be a maximum of three letter-size pages in size 12 font.
• Written submissions can be entered directly into the body of an email or attached to an email message in the form of a Word document or PDF.
• Supplementary information, such as research reports, data and statistics, can be submitted as attachments, in addition to the 3-page submission. Please clearly indicate and organize the attachments by labelling them as Annex A, B, C.
• Please send your submission by email to: ESDC.INFO.SBCC-ACNC.INFO.EDSC@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca.
• The deadline for submissions is March 7, 2022.