Announce additional support for 161 Black-led organizations through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI)
Cliquez ici pour le français.
Today, as Black History Month comes to a close, the Intermediary Network for the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative announced the recipients who will benefit from the second call for proposals to build capacity of Black-led and Black-serving community organizations. With today’s announcement, the Intermediary Network has awarded close to 20 million in grants to a total of more than 560 Black-led grassroots organizations serving Black communities in Canada.
On 21 November 2021, the SBCCI Intermediary Network, Black Business Initiative from Halifax, Groupe 3737 from Montréal, Tropicana Community Services from Toronto and Africa Centre from Edmonton closed their second call for proposals. Together, the Intermediaries will be providing over $5.6 million in funds to 161 Black-led grassroots and community organizations serving the needs of Black communities across Canada.
The Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) was created by the Government of Canada to address long-standing systemic barriers impacting social and economic outcomes for Black Canadians. It also supports Canada’s international commitment under the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent. The initiative works with a national network of Black-led Intermediaries to re-distribute SBCCI funding to build community-based and localized Black-led and Black-serving organizational capacity.
The Intermediary Network consists of four Black-led organizations: Black Business Initiative, Groupe 3737, Tropicana Community Services and Africa Centre. This SBCCI funding works to assist in building the capacity of grassroots Black-led community organizations serving Black communities across Canada.
“Through the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative we are working to identify and address the significant and unique challenges, as well as the systemic barriers, faced by Black communities in Canada. I want to recognize the incredible work being accomplished by Tropicana Community Services, Black Business Initiative, Groupe 3737 and Africa Centre to address long standing structural and capacity issues within Black Canadian community organizations. Today is an important step in supporting the essential work of Black-led and Black-serving organizations.
—The Honourable Karina Gould, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development “In Canada, diversity is a fact but inclusion is a choice. Our government believes everyone deserves an opportunity to succeed. The Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative and the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund will both serve as significant tools in dismantling systemic anti-Black racism in Canada. This Black History Month, we celebrate and recognize the incredible work that the Intermediaries and hundreds of other Black-led organizations are doing to empower and lift-up Black Canadians from coast to coast to coast.”
–The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion.
“When we reflect on the amazing work done by these four exemplary, Black-led intermediary organizations, we will quickly realize that delivering funds in a timely manner to hundreds of community organizations was not the single most important aspect,” says Rustum Southwell, CEO of the Black Business Initiative. “ Equally important was the collaborative nature of a solid community developed to raise the level of operational accountability and excellence in the Black Canadian community. We commend Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) for having the courage to support this initiative.”
Groupe 3737 is proud of the Supporting Black Communities in Canada Initiative, as it is tailored to meet the reality of NPOs from the Black Canadian community. We have established a committee and an advisory committee to ensure a fair and transparent selection process and are thrilled to finally announce the recipients. This funding is very special as it is a testament to the vitality of the Black NPO sector, which is now being enhanced. It is an effective response to the needs of the community.” says Louis Edgar Jean-François, Chief Executive Officer of Groupe 3737.
“Black history is made every day in the lives of ordinary black people who face and overcome extraordinary barriers. SBCCI and the Canadian Black Intermediary Network exist to empower the organizations that support those courageous individuals. We continue to make Black history as we prepare to announce funding for even more capacity building projects for Black led agencies across Canada. Tropicana is proud to be among the Intermediary Network’s founding members and to join them, along with the Canadian government, in celebration of Black History Month 2022” says Raymund Guiste, Executive Director, Tropicana Community Services.
It has been an honour to work in collaboration with incredible, Black-led organizations across the country with the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative. In a year that has been dominated by the COVID-19 pandemic and tackling anti-racism, the project has been a symbol for what happens when organizations come together in power to seize and create opportunities to make our society more just. We hope that this is just the beginning to Canada’s commitment towards the International Decade for People of African Descent, and I look forward to more opportunities and collaboration between our organizations. – Sharif Haji, Executive Director of Africa Centre.
List of successful organizations will be posted on the relevant Intermediary website through which they applied for the funding.
To view Tropicana Community Services successful applicants from the second call for proposals, click here.
For more information or to arrange an interview please refer to the following contacts below:
Myriam Valcin
Media relations Groupe 3737
rp@groupe3737.com
514-574-6224
Migdalia Jones
Director Community Engagement and Project Development, Interim
Tropicana Community Services
media@tropicanacommunity.org
Tel: 437-918-9239
Ayo Makanjuola
Project Lead Black Business Initiative | BBI
makanjuola.ayo@bbi.ns.ca
782-640-2502
Riyah Lakhani (She/Her)
Communications Lead
C| (587) 989-5883
Email: riyah.lakhani@africacentre.ca
Website: africacentre.ca
About Groupe 3737
Groupe 3737, located at 3737, boul. Cremazie E, in the heart of Montreal’s St-Michel district, is a hub of innovation and entrepreneurial, inclusive diversity. For the past five years, it has created an entrepreneurial environment focused on innovation, immigration, diversity and inclusion by bringing together startups, SMEs, globally-competitive companies and more recently institutions, all under one roof. With its relevant and inclusive entrepreneurship programs and initiatives, Fempreneurs, Elevation and Migranpreneurs(es), among others, Groupe 3737 quickly established itself as an influential advocate for diversity and inclusion in the economic sphere.
About Black Business Initiative
BBI is the premier business development organization uniquely positioned to support Black-owned businesses and the Black community of Nova Scotia. BBI began in 1996 because of the work carried out by a Task Force jointly set up by Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA) and the Nova Scotia Government to identify and address the unique circumstances faced by the Black community in the province, specifically the economic challenges. Since then, BBI has been tirelessly working to close the gap for aspiring and existing African Nova Scotian entrepreneurs who are working to create prosperity within their community and the mainstream business sector. Hence, BBI supports building vibrant Black business communities through entrepreneurial training, partnership building with the broader business community, business consulting and access to financing. “We change lives by enabling economic independence of individuals and communities.”
About Tropicana Community Services
Tropicana Community Services (Tropicana) was founded in 1980 as a non-profit community organization, with a mission to serve disadvantaged youth and their families, particularly those from the Caribbean. Since then, the organization has grown into a multi–service delivery agency with programs designed to address issues affecting all youth, newcomers, members of the Caribbean and Black communities and others in need. For more information, visit: www.tropicanacommunity.org.
About Africa Centre
WE strive to create opportunities for full access and participation of all Albertans in various aspects of society including economic, social, cultural and educational endeavours that contributes to the holistic development and wellness of the ACB individual, family and community.
