I’m excited to highlight the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC), an organization that is blazing a trail as the first philanthropic foundation focused on Black communities in Canada.
The Foundation for Black Communities was launched in 2020 in response to the
groundbreaking research report Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy, prepared by the Network for the Advancement of Black Communities and Carlton’s Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership Program. The study was the first to provide an in-depth analysis of the relationship between Canadian Philanthropy and Black communities. It uncovered that Black-serving organizations were consistently underfunded across public and private community foundations.
The creation of FFBC implemented a key recommendation of
the report as a first step to addressing the particular and complex needs of Black communities in Canada. I caught up with Liban Abokor, one of FFBC’s Co-Chairs and contributors to the Unfunded report.
Read our exchange on how FFBC is using philanthropy to drive sustainable change for Canadian Black communities.
Nancy Wanye (NW): Hi Liban, nice to meet you and thanks for taking the time to chat with me. Before we dive in, can you tell me a bit about yourself?
Liban Abokor (LA): Hi Nancy, likewise. In my day job, I am the Executive Director of Youth LEAPS, a nonprofit organization in Toronto that aims to improve educational and employment outcomes for Black youth. I am also one of the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) Co-Chairs and was a member of the Working Group that established the FFBC and worked on the
Unfunded report.
NW: Tell me a bit more about the FFBC and the importance of such an organization.
LA: The FFBC is the first of its kind. It is dedicated to investing in Black communities to ensure they have the resources to thrive. FFBC provides grants to sustain the services offered by grassroots community organizations tackling issues such as food security, housing, legal support, and youth and senior programs.
These services have always been essential for our communities but are even more important as our communities recover from the pandemic,
which brought job loss, income impact, housing insecurity and social isolation. FFBC is so critical as it offers dedicated funding to Black communities to sustain community programming and build capacity and structures to help communities to thrive.
NW: Tell me more about FFBC’s non-traditional approach to philanthropy.
LA: FFBC is changing the way funding to Black communities happens by adopting a community-driven approach. Our programs and grants focus on giving Black communities agency in defining their own future. That’s why we put out the Unfounded report. The report wasn’t about shaming but about shading light on the amount of giving going to Black communities, so we can help funders to do better.
FFBC’s work is grounded in 3 pillars: grants, collaboration and influencing policy. On the policy front, we’ve advocated for change in tax policy guidance to remove barriers for Black communities and create a pathway to unlock more
monies for community organizations.
NW: As a policy wonk, I couldn’t agree more that a lot of change stems from advocacy and policy influencing. So, what work is currently underway in FFBC’s Grants pillar?
LA: This year, FFBC launched its first major round of grant applications through its Ontario Youth Wellness Grant: Explorer Stream. The grant will provide up to $25,000 to support Ontario’s Black communities in exploring ideas, projects, structures, and systems aimed at positively impacting youth wellness through sports and recreation.
The application is not limited only to registered organizations. Again, we want to remove barriers Black community organizers
usually face within traditional philanthropic structures. We want to meet community organizers where they’re at and make it easier for community members to access capital to address long-standing issues in priority areas.
FFBC values all community organizers, whether they are
formally structured or informally structured. With this model, FFBC builds accountability through the grant proposal review process as community members will review the proposals coming from their own community and determine what the community needs are and who to fund. FFBC strongly believes that there is accountability in community-decision making, complemented by financial and reporting requirements.
NW: It sounds like a great opportunity for Ontario’s Black communities to take advantage of.
Last but not least, what recent work has FFBC done in its’ Collaboration pillar?
LA: On August 11 th, FFBC teamed up with Canadian Heritage to commemorate Canada’s second official Emancipation Day! We organized a virtual lunch-and-learn to provide an opportunity for Canadian Black community members and all Canadians to reflect, learn about Canada’s legacy of slavery, celebrate the strength and perseverance of Black communities in Canada and invite participants to engage in the ongoing fight against anti-Black racism and
discrimination. It’s important for folks to know that the impact of slavery still haunts us today.
90% of Canadians don’t think slavery is a part of Canadian history. We think of it as a US issue. If we don’t know our history, we’re doomed to repeat it. I’m not saying that slavery will be repeated, but conditions that promote anti-Black racism can continue to permeate Canadian society unchecked if we don’t regularly take the time to stop, reflect, and engage.
You can watch the replay of our Emancipation Day Lunch and Learn here:
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=636568071304699
NW: Any final words?
LA: As a new foundation, we’re always looking for more folks to get to know the work FFBC is doing and to engage in that work. Right now, we need Black community members to help us adjudicate the grant applications that are coming in. If that’s you or you know someone who would be interested, please get in touch. You can connect with us through our website and our social media pages. Foundations take real time to build.
There is still a lot of building required for FFBC to raise funds and increase the grant pools. FFBC is doing that work and is looking for others to join us.
FFBC belongs to Black people.
The dollars that FFBC is managing is Black wealth, and everyone has a role in this Foundation.
NW: Thank you so much for helping us to learn more about the great work the FFBC is doing as it provides a philanthropic home for Black communities in Canada.
Like what you read? Read more here:
