Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) – Capacity Building Grant – Deadline: November 21, 2021, at 11:59 pm (EST)

The Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) is a development fund that the Government of Canada has set up to help not-for-profit organizations serving Black communities in Canada increase their capacity in a few areas.

This grant is something all Black run organizations should consider applying for. This grant provides funds to pay the expenses incurred while applying for Charitable status. If a Black run organization can successfully apply, it would have the funds to be able to apply for charitable status which could benefit a not-for-profit.

The SBCCI provides funding, support and inclusion. Applications to the second round of funding are now open and close November 21, 2021, at 11:59 pm (EST). SBCCI will support Black community organizations with $1,400,000 over four years and is administered by Black Business Initiative and Tropicana Community Services.

Capacity Building Grants through the SBCCI are designed to increase the organizational capacity of Black community initiatives in the areas of:

1. Facilitating access to funding from a more diverse range of funding sources
2. Enhancing organizational governance to provide greater organizational stability and improved planning and oversight functions with specific focus on the following:
   • Leadership and stewardship
   • Communication and transparency
   • Continuous learning and growth
   • Empowerment and accountability
   • Service and fairness
   • Accomplishment and measurement
3. Enhancing operational management effectiveness and efficiency

Eligibility:

Organizations that meet ALL the following criteria are eligible to apply for funding from the SBCCI program:

1. Legal entity in Canada
2. Registered as a not-for-profit or a charitable organization
3. Black-led organizations with a mandate to serve Black Canadian communities
4. Black-led organization are those that meet the following criteria:
   1. The leadership positions (directors, founders) are primarily occupied by people who self-identify as Black (minimum 2/3 Black-led);
   2. The governance structure (volunteer committee, advisory board, leadership, etc.) is primarily composed of people who self-identify as Black (minimum 2/3 Black-led); and
   3. The mandate serves Black Canadian Communities
5. The project requires a minimum grant of $10,000
6. The project does not require funding for any of ineligible activity

Required Documents:

1. Governance documents
2. Most recent financial statements of the organization, no later than December 2020
3. Tax filings for the last year (2020 tax year) T2 return, T2 Short Form (if incorporated) or any other tax return filings as applicable
4. Website of the organization, social media pages or accounts, if any, where the mission/vision and services of the organization are listed. If this is not available online, a one-page document listing this information

Category A: Contact Black Business Initiative at: info@bbi.ns.ca

You are an organization located outside of Quebec and looking for funding for:

1. Sustainability – To diversity your funding sources; or
2. Build you capacity in any of the following organizational governance categories:
   • Leadership or stewardship training; or
     • Continuous growth and learning; or
     • Communications and transparency

Category B: Contact Tropicana Community Services at: sbcci@tropicanacommunity.org or Africa Centre at: sbcci@africacentre.ca

You are located outside of Quebec and looking to:

1. Enhance operational management effectiveness & efficiency; or
2. Build your capacity in any one of the following organizational governance categories:
   • Empowerment through accountability; or
   • Accomplishment and measurement; or
   • Service and fairness

CHARITABLE STATUS

If your organization is a Black-led and Black-serving not-for-profit organization in Canada looking to obtain charitable status, the SBCCI Capacity Building Grant provides funding to cover all related processes leading to, and including, applying for charitable status.

CAPACITY BUILDING

Black-led and Black-serving not-for-profit organizations in Canada looking to build capacity should apply before the end of the day on November 21, 2021. Funds allow for the hiring of someone to train board members on how to run a Not-for-Profit Organization. The project requires a minimum grant of $10,000

The Charity Law Group at Mills & Mills LLP will work with organizations to successfully apply for an SBCCI Capacity Building Grant and subsequently to prepare and file an application to attain charitable registration status with the Canada Revenue Agency.

Author: Taras Kulish, B.C.L., LL.B (Senior Charities Lawyer)  – taras.kulish@millsandmills.ca