Grants boost multiculturalism and fight racism
Applications open Nov. 4 for Alberta’s ethnocultural and anti-racism grant programs to support community-driven initiatives that celebrate Alberta’s diversity, address racism.
Alberta’s diverse cultural communities are one of the many things that make the province a great place to live, work and raise a family. Up to $13.5 million over three years has been dedicated to help support community organizations and Indigenous communities promote the value and benefit of multiculturalism and intercultural connections through two grant programs.
Alberta organizations that are legal entities incorporated or registered for at least one year, have an Alberta-based address, and are operating in Alberta, are eligible to apply for funding.
Ethnocultural Grant Program
Alberta’s Ethnocultural Grant program has two streams to support community-led initiatives that promote Alberta’s multicultural diversity and foster inclusivity, including by supporting Indigenous community organizations in celebrating and sharing their rich culture and heritage.
- Stream 1 provides up to $50,000 for projects that create opportunities for intercultural connections with ethnocultural and Indigenous groups.
- Stream 2 provides up to $15,000 for projects that create opportunities to celebrate diversity.
Anti-Racism Grant Program
Alberta’s Anti-Racism Grant program has two streams to support community-led initiatives that help address and prevent racism and promote more inclusive and accepting multicultural communities across Alberta.
- Stream 1 provides up to $5,000 for projects that promote awareness and the impacts of racism faced by Indigenous and racialized groups.
- Stream 2 provides up to $10,000 to support community-led anti-racism projects.
This past spring, the Ethnocultural Grant program supported 182 projects with a total of $5.1 million to deliver programs to increase cross-cultural awareness, and 49 anti-racism initiatives received a total of $424,000 in funding through the Anti-Racism Grant program.
“This grant was crucial to the success of our project. It enabled us to expand the scale of our event, ensuring we could include more diverse performances, educational workshops and community engagement activities. Without this financial support, it would have been impossible to achieve the same level of impact, particularly in reaching underrepresented communities and providing free access to the public.”
“The success of our initiative to minimize systemic discrimination and foster collaboration across sectors in Medicine Hat would not have been possible without the dedicated involvement of community leaders. The government’s grant has played a pivotal role, particularly by enabling the opportunity to create a video series after the Newcomer Connectivity Summit. This funding ensures that the stories and actionable insights from the summit will reach a broader audience, enhancing both the project’s impact and sustainability as we continue to tackle the challenges newcomers face.”