Question Period Note: DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION ACCOMPLISHMENTS SINCE 2018

Summary of accomplishment on diversity and inclusion since 2018

Investing in Indigenous Peoples, and Black, racialized and religious minority communities and combatting all forms of systemic racism and discrimination are essential to building a stronger and more inclusive Canada.

The Government of Canada endorsed the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (UNDPAD) in 2018, recognizing the urgent need to address the unique challenges faced by Black communities across the country. This announcement acknowledged Black Canadians as a distinct group for the first time, and established Canada as the only OECD country to recognize the UNDPAD.

Subsequently, the Government announced several budget and mandate commitments specific to addressing the needs of Black and racialized communities, including:

Committing $200 million until 2024-2025 for the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI), which aims to build capacity in the vibrant Black communities in Canada by providing funding to Black-led and Black-serving community organizations.

Investing $95 million between 2019 and 2023 in Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy, which saw the launch and expansion of the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat, which has been leading a whole of government approach to combatting systemic racism, including anti-Black racism, in close collaboration with community organizations, and various sector of society.

Budget 2022 committed $85 million over 4 years to launch Canada’s new Anti-Racism Strategy to combat racism, including anti-Black racism, and deliver the first ever National Action Plan on Combatting Hate.

Committing $200 million to the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund, which was established in 2023 and is dedicated to supporting Black-led, Black-focused, and Black-serving charities and non-profits in their efforts to combat anti-Black racism and improve social and economic outcomes for Black communities.

Establishing a Task Force to conduct an independent review of Canada’s Employment Equity Act to improve equity, diversity and inclusion in federally regulated workplaces and to keep pace with the economic, demographic and social changes in recent decades.

In addition to the budget and mandate commitments the Government has made to support Black communities across the country, Canada participated in the United Nations Permanent Forum for People of African Descent, at the first session held in Geneva in 2022, and the second session in New York in 2023.

Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI)

In recognition of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, Budget 2019 provided $25 million over five years to create the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) to celebrate, share knowledge and invest in vibrant Black communities in Canada. Since this initial investment, the Government of Canada has announced an additional $175 million to continue supporting capacity building in Black-led, Black-serving, and Black-focused organizations and the work they do to promote inclusiveness.

To strengthen foundational infrastructure in Black communities, ESDC works in collaboration with National Funders: Groupe 3737 (Montreal), Tropicana Community Services (Toronto), Black Business Initiative (Halifax) and Africa Centre (Edmonton) to ensure that federal investments respond to the local needs of Black communities in Canada. The National Funders Network provides funding to support capacity building to help Black-led organizations diversify income sources and financing; enhance operational management effectiveness and efficiency and strengthen capacity for governance for Black-led organizations. To date, the National Funders Network has awarded over $50 million in grants to 939 projects. In addition, ESDC has funded, more than 1,300 projects with a total investment of more than $82 million in capital project assistance to purchase equipment and, retrofit and renovate spaces so Black-serving grassroots organizations are better equipped to fulfil their mission.

In addition to funding to community organizations, ESDC launched the SBCCI External Reference Group (ERG) in November 2022 address calls to have Black communities’ voices represented and integrated into policy decisions. The ERG consists of up to 15 members of African descent from across Canada who will work to support the Minister in ensuring the meaningful implementation of the SBCCI to help build capacity within communities by providing strategic advice, expertise and insight on the emerging priorities of Black Canadians, and to support the advancement of the Government of Canada’s commitments related to the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent.

Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund

Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving charities and non-profits provide targeted support to the over 1.5 million Black people in Canada who continue to face long-standing socio-economic inequities and anti-Black racism. Despite the important role these organizations play, they have been consistently underfunded.

In 2017 and 2018, Black-serving community organizations received only 0.7% of the total grants given out by Canadian foundations and Black-led community organizations received only 0.07%. Philanthropic leaders have said that the lack of representation of Black communities in philanthropy, inadequate data, and systemic barriers, including anti-Black racism, have led to this severe underfunding, and that a Black-led foundation is required to redress this imbalance.

In response to this underfunding of Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving charities and non-profits and in recognition of the United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent, Budget 2021 provided $200 million to establish the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund to create a sustainable source of funding for Black communities in Canada.

In February 2023, ESDC announced it selected the Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC), a national Black-led and Black-serving organization, to administer the Endowment Fund. FFBC is responsible for investing the Fund and using the income earned on those investments to support their operating costs and provide funding to Black-led, Black-focused and Black-serving charities and non-profits for projects that aim to combat anti-Black racism and improve social and economic outcomes for Black communities.

FFBC will administer the Endowment Fund with the support of partners they select who have expertise in investing and fund delivery, including one or more investment advisors and/or portfolio management firms and an allied public foundation. The program will run for a minimum of 10 years, until March 31, 2033.

Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy

Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy 2019-2022 was designed to build a foundation for broad-based societal change that could offer a solid basis for long-term federal action against racism and discrimination under three pillars: empowering communities, demonstrating federal leadership, and building awareness and changing attitudes. Key initiatives under the initial Strategy included the creation of the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat and the pilot of an Anti-Racism Framework which supports federal institutions in applying anti-racism lens to their initiatives; funding for 174 projects under the Anti-Racism Action Program; and funding for Statistics Canada to carry out the oversampling of the 2020 General Social Survey on Social Identity, and to develop the Social Inclusion Framework.

The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Former Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, was mandated in 2021 to work “across government and in close collaboration with communities to renew Canada’s Anti-Racism Strategy,” and “continue to strengthen and support the important work of the Federal Anti-Racism Secretariat to ensure a whole-of-government approach in addressing systemic racism, including through increased resources.”

Budget 2022 provided $85 million over four years starting in 2022-23, for the development of Canada’s new Anti-Racism Strategy and funding for initiatives that support the full participation of Indigenous People and Black, racialized, and religious minority communities in Canada, and raise awareness about issues related to racism and hate.

Building on the initial Strategy, the new Strategy will strengthen the whole-of-government approach; enhance collaboration and federal leadership; respond to evolving community needs; and drive accountability by measuring progress and increasing transparency to build trust with Canadians. The new Strategy, grounded in an intersectional approach, will be centered on community voices and informed by lived experiences. It will drive systemic change that evidence based and data driven.

The new Strategy will enhance federal, provincial, and territorial collaboration to maximize the impact of its anti-racism initiatives. Moreover, collaboration through the North American Partnership for Equity and Racial Justice will help enhance domestic efforts to eliminate systemic racism, discrimination, and hate.

Supported Black communities through:

Establishing a network of Black-led National Funders to provide funding to support capacity building in Black-led grassroots community organizations. Since 2020, the National Funder Network has provided grants to 761 organizations to build capacity – in areas such as fundraising, financial accountability strategic planning, board development, and performance measurement – supported by an investment of $48.3 million.

Investments in more than 1370 Black-led and Black-serving organizations to support capital projects – such as renovating work and community spaces and purchasing work-related equipment – so they are better equipped to fulfill their mission, supported by an investment of $82 million.
If Pressed (underrepresented groups)

Improved economic inclusion in the labour force through:

Investments of $84.2 million over four years to double funding for the Union Training and Innovation Program to target more participation from women, Indigenous people, newcomers, persons with disabilities, and Black and racialized communities in Canada.

Investments of $144.2 million in the Indigenous Skills and Employment Training Program in 2021-22 to increase support for Indigenous youth, persons with disabilities, and clients living out of territory and urban areas, as well as to enhance capacity of service delivery organizations and expand the Indigenous Labour Market Information Survey and Skills Inventory Pilot.

Established the Women in Construction fund with allocated funding of $10 Million; the Apprenticeship Incentive Grant for Women with $19.9 Million over 5-years for a pilot project; and the Women’s Employment Readiness Pilot Program which has funding of $14.9 Million for 2023-2024.
“Black Canadian communities have played and continue to play an important role in building a strong and resilient Canada, despite experiencing continued systemic challenges and racism. By continuing to empower Black communities and the work they do to promote inclusiveness, we are bringing positive outcomes and changes that will ensure a more inclusive Canada where no one is left behind.”– The Honourable Karina Gould, former Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

" Our government recognizes the systemic barriers that Black communities continue to face, and we are committed to ensuring that the Black-Led Philanthropic Endowment Fund provides direct supports to Black-led charities and non-profit organizations across the country. We will continue to build on our progress toward a more inclusive and more equitable Canada where no one is left behind."– Former Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion, Ahmed Hussen

"The Foundation for Black Communities (FFBC) is honoured to be entering into negotiations to administer the historic Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund with the Government of Canada. Now, more than ever, it's critical to invest in Black communities to create a more equitable system and break through the barriers that have challenged Black communities in Canada for generations. We are committed to ensuring this investment directly benefits Black Canadians across our nation and empowers transformational, community-led change. We are excited to work collaboratively with Black-led organizations to advance projects through the endowment and improve economic and social outcomes for Black communities."

– Gladys Ahovi, President and CEO of Foundation for Black Communities