Deadline: 1-Feb-24
The Foundation for Black Communities has announced the Black Ideas Grant: Bridge and Build to support Black-led organizations intentionally working with Black communities in Canada.
The Foundation for Black Communities’s Black Ideas Grant: Bridge and Build 2023 is a significant investment of $8.9 million to acknowledge and support solution-oriented initiatives led by Canada’s Black communities. This pilot program will fund some of the immediate and direct needs of Black communities and give valuable insights for future funding programs.
The Bridge and Build Fund provides one-year flexible funding to increase the capacity of Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving charitable and non-profit organizations and groups as they combat anti-Black racism and improve social and economic outcomes for Black communities.
Funding Streams
- The Bridge and Build Fund will accept applications from eligible B3 organizations at various stages of implementing projects or programs that positively impact Black communities. There are three Funding Streams. Please select the funding stream that reflects your organization or groups current needs. The three Funding Streams are:
- Core Stream for funding up to $40,000 to address core and operational needs unrelated to programming;
- Catapult Stream for funding from $40,000 to $100,000 to invest in new ideas or expand existing programs and services, and;
- Community Capital Stream for funding up to $250,000 to invest in capital projects and social infrastructure.
Approaches
- FFBC is a first-of-its-kind institution, and their goal is to understand, recognize, and celebrate solutions-making in Black communities. But first, they must look to communities to help inform future funds and programs. They need the voice and expertise of all Black communities. The unique approach embraces a Participatory Grantmaking Process —a process grounded in interconnectedness and shared improvement. They recognize the power of community voices, and they want yours to shape their future funds and programs.
- This approach places significant emphasis on the knowledge, creativity, experiences, and ideas of those closest to the desired outcome of the programming. All applications will be reviewed by Black community members, including applicants.
- FFBC also recognizes that there is historic and important work supporting communities that face the highest barriers and least access to funding in climate justice, disability justice, and gender justice. This includes 2SLGBTQI+, women and girls, trans community members, those living on low incomes, those living with disabilities, those who are d(D)eaf, newcomers, migrants, those who were formerly incarcerated, and those who are food insecure. FFBC is committed to supporting intersectional, anti-oppressive, decolonial, justice-oriented approaches that bridge and build a future where all Black communities thrive.
- The Black Ideas Grant is a testament to community collaboration, but it’s also a beginning. They’re on an iterative journey, eager to shape future multi-year funding initiatives inspired by this pilot. Join them as they rewrite the story of empowerment, celebrate solutions, and build a future where every Black voice is heard, and every Black community thrives.
Eligibility Criteria
- Only eligible organizations can apply to the Bridge and Build Fund.
- To be eligible, organizations must:
- Be Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving (B3). This means that the majority of organizational leadership at all levels are Black. The organization’s primary goal is to meaningfully support and engage Black communities, and a significant portion of program activities prioritize serving Black communities.
- The Foundation for Black Communities takes a communityinformed, iterative, and learning-focused approach to the definition of Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving. Applicants will be asked to describe how the organization and/or proposed initiative are Black-led, Black-focused, and Blackserving.
- Be a registered charity, incorporated non-profit, other qualified donee, or an unincorporated non-profit or group working with an incorporated partner. Unincorporated groups could include Black collaboratives, Student Unions, Affinity Groups, etc.
- Be located in Canada.
Ineligible
- The following organizations are ineligible for funding:
- Organizations that are not Black-led, Black-focused, and Blackserving;
- For-profit organizations or corporations;
- Individuals;
- Business institutions, including business associations, chambers of commerce, and condominium associations;
- Provincial/territorial entities, including hospitals, medical centres, schools, private schools, universities, colleges, health authorities, public health authorities, educational institutions, and health/social services institutions;
- Municipalities and entities controlled by a municipality, including municipal governments, regional governments, and regional districts, and;
- Organizations primarily engaged in political activity supporting or opposing any political party, elected representative, or candidate for public office.
For more information, visit FFBC.