Research suggests the Canadian philanthropic sector has failed to support the urgent and specific needs of Black communities in Canada, according to Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy, a new report released today. Experts across the country see the Foundation for Black Communities (FBC), a first-of-its-kind philanthropic foundation, led by and for Black people, with a focus on investing in and supporting Black communities as a unique opportunity to address this critical gap in Canada’s philanthropic sector.
Prepared by the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities and Carleton University’s Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership Program, the report reveals Canadian philanthropy has largely been absent in supporting Black people in Canada. In fact, a review of 40 leading Canadian foundations, whose assets total nearly $16 billion, revealed only 6 of these foundations funded Black-serving organizations and two foundations funded Black-led organizations between 2017 and 2018.
The report points to the Foundation for Black Communities as playing leading role in strengthening the relationship and renewing commitments between Canadian philanthropy and Black communities.
Key highlights from the report:
- 1.2 million Black people in Canada, representing 3.5 percent of the total population. By 2036, population of Black people expected to increase to nearly 5.6 per cent.
- Most of Canada’s Black population lives in large urban centres like Toronto and Montreal, but the Prairies have the fastest growing Black population.
- The top 15 community foundations disbursed 0.07 percent of funds in the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years to Black-led organizations, and only 0.7 percent of funds to Black-serving organizations in the same timeframe.
- Of the 25 private and public foundations we surveyed, only two foundations funded Black-led organizations over the 2017 and 2018 fiscal years, and only six foundations funded Black-serving organizations in the same timeframe.
