FAQ

What is the purpose of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities fund?

Provide project funding through a fair and transparent process, and otherwise support Black-led and/or Black serving organizations across Canada to increase their organizational capacity:
- Operational Management: projects that increase the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization’s operational management through improved human and financial resources management practices; projects that provide greater organizational stability and improved planning and oversight functions.
- Governance: projects that increase the effectiveness of an organization’s board of directors in the areas of empowerment and accountability, service and fairness and accomplishment and measurements.
- Fund Diversification: projects that diversify funding sources and/or enhance operational management effectiveness and efficiency; and/or strengthen your organizational governance.
Strengthen the collective capacity of Black Canadian communities by fostering partnerships with intermediary organizations and key partners.
Improve partnerships between Black not-for-profit organizations (intermediaries and sub-agreement holders) and partners from the not-for-profit, public, or private sectors so as to contribute to the vitality of the sector and building community capacity.

What component(s) of the SBCCI Fund is Tropicana responsible for administering?

Tropicana is responsible for administering the following eligible capacity-building project categories:
- Operational Management: projects that increase the effectiveness and efficiency of an organization’s operational management through improved human and financial resources management practices; projects that provide greater organizational stability and improved planning and oversight functions.
- Governance: projects that increase the effectiveness of an organization’s board of directors in the areas of empowerment and accountability, service and fairness and accomplishment and measurements.

What is the definition of a qualified donee?

An entity that is entitled to issue official donation receipts for gifts. Qualified donees include all Canadian registered charities.

What is meant by a non-profit?

Community organizations, associations, societies or trusts that are (whether incorporated or unincorporated) organized and operated exclusively for social welfare, civic improvement, pleasure, recreation, or any other purpose except profit.

What is a for-profit organization or business?

Organizations which generate a profit for its members or shareholders.

What is the difference between a not-for-profit and a non-profit organization?

In the context of this program, the terms not-for-profit and NPO (non-profit organization) are used interchangeably.

My organization is a non-profit but is not incorporated. Am I still eligible?

Yes, you may still be eligible even if you are a non-profit that is not incorporated.

What is a Canadian registered charity?

A charitable organization, public foundation, or private foundation registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) as a registered charity on their Charities Listing. If your organization appears on the CRA Charities Listing, it is a registered charity.

Can we use funds to pay for salaries?

No, you cannot use funds to pay for salaries.

What are the eligible expenses for the project?

Accommodations in support of persons with disabilities (must be used within the organization)
Data collection
Fees for professional service
Materials and supplies
Performance monitoring and reporting
Printing and communications
Temporary rental of premises for project
Small office equipment and tools directly attributable to the project capped at 25% of approved fund
Administrative costs directly related to the project capped at 10% for outside of Quebec (inside Quebec 15% eg. catering costs, telephone, Internet, etc.)

Who is ineligible for the project?

The following are ineligible to apply for funding from the SBCCI program:

Individuals
For-profit businesses
In Quebec: if you are a recipient organization of the first call for projects of the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative - Capacity Building Project component (CBP), managed by Groupe3737

What are the ineligible expenses for the project?

Operations that take place outside of Canada
Activities that occur before the signing of contracts and after the end of the project
Service activities duplicative of legislated mandates of governments or city departments
Expenditures which take place outside of Canada
Activities that are illegal
Activities that do not fall with the current objects or mandates of the applicant
Construction of housing, shelter or office
Debt reduction
Initiatives that would unnecessarily duplicate existing services
Purchase or lease of land
Salaries i.e staff pay
Rent or mortgage costs for any space used or owned by the organization

What is the maximum and minimum amount that could be paid out for the project?

Minimum: $10,000
Maximum: $45,000

If I am not a black-led organization, can I still apply?

Only Black-led or Black-serving organizations that meet the following criteria are eligible to apply:

Organizations in which at least two thirds (2/3) of the leadership positions (directors, founders) are primarily occupied by people who self-identify as Black;
Organizations in which at least two thirds (2/3) of the governance structure (volunteer committee, advisory board, leadership, etc.) is primarily composed of people who self-identify as Black;
Organizations whose mandate serves Black Canadian Communities.

Who manages the selection process?

The grants are administered by four intermediary organizations (Africa Centre, Black Business Initiative, Groupe 3737 and Tropicana Community Services). The funds are to be used solely to increase the organizational capacity of the grantee organizations.

How is it determined that an organization serves “Black Canadian communities”? For instance, would a Black-led organization that operates within a Black community but does not solely serve the black community qualify?

Black-led organizations that meet the following criteria are eligible to apply:

The leadership positions (directors, founders) are primarily occupied by people who self-identify as Black (minimum 2/3);
The governance structure (volunteer committee, advisory board, leadership, etc.) is primarily composed of people who self-identify as Black (minimum 2/3);
The mandate serves Black Canadian Communities.

If selected, what are the expected reporting requirements?

All recipient organizations will be required to submit narrative and financial reports for the project. Recipient organizations may be required to provide contact information of members of the board of directors and/or management of the organization so that they can participate in a survey, interview, case study or other data collection exercise initiated by the Government of Canada.

Is Tropicana also extending this opportunity to organizations outside of Ontario?

Non-profit organizations legally registered to operate anywhere in Canada are eligible.

Is there a system or quota to ensure fair distribution of funds across the country?

The intermediaries will ensure that funds are fairly distributed across the country to eligible organizations.

If you are an organization who is working with a trustee organization and does not handle its own funds, what kind of financial records do you need to produce?

Recipient organizations are expected to have financial management practices in place and be able to demonstrate how these have been observed. Note an audit by the intermediary or the Government of Canada may be required.

If I don’t qualify as an individual can I apply through my organization?

Individuals are not eligible. As an organization, you may still be eligible even if you are a non-profit that is not incorporated.

What if our organization does not have its own audited financials? Would you accept the trustee organizations audited financials?

Is there a word document of the application we can download for our coworkers to fill out sections and then pull together and enter it online?

All applications must be submitted online. The application platform is available in English and French. A list of all required criteria is available online in the Program Guidelines for circulation at the bottom of this page.

Do you provide mentorship to successful applicants?

In addition to providing project funding, organizations selected will benefit from other forms of support such as coaching, mentoring, training workshops, and networking activities to exchange knowledge and collaborate.

If our organization is currently going through the incorporation/designation process as a non-profit, are we eligible?

Organizations must have applied for and received non-profit designation to be considered eligible.

When is the application due date?

The deadline to apply for the funding is Sunday, November 21, 2021. Applications submitted after the deadline cannot be considered unless general extension is provided.

Does an organization need to have a trustee?

No.

What is the purse amount for the fund?

Funding with a budget of a minimum $10,000 to a maximum of $45,000.

How are the funds dispersed?

Notification of funding approval will be sent to all successful applicants on a rolling basis. Only successful applicants will be contacted.

How many organizations will be funded?

To support as many organizations as possible, the intermediaries will be balancing requests against the available funds and considering the funding project, beneficiary population and dollar value requested.

Is this a federal fund?

Yes. The Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) was created by the Federal government through Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) to help increase the capacity of grassroots not-for-profit organizations serving Black communities in Canada.

Would the purchasing of platforms such as Zoom, WebEx be acceptable if it is to build our capacity to host focus groups, webinars, and deliver programs?

Programming expenditures are not eligible under this fund. Only expenditures directly related to the specified organizational capacity-building project categories are eligible. Small office equipment and tools directly attributable to such projects capped at 25% of approved funds. Printing and communication are also eligible expenditures as long as they are directly attributable to the allowable capacity-building projects.

How long does the funds last- is the funding ongoing?

Activities approved for funding must occur between November 16, 2020, and April 1, 2024.

You mentioned that grassroots organizations can apply. What is your definition of a grassroots organization? If a “grassroots organization” is unregistered, will they need a trustee?

Funding is available to non-profit grassroots organizations across Canada that meet the eligibility and targeted review criteria (as per Program Guidelines).

Is the communications eligibility referring to communications for the capacity-building or communications material in general that a non-profit may use for reaching their target audiences?

Printing and communications eligibility refer to general communications a non-profit may use or engage in to reach its target audiences.

Our organization is based in Québec. Can you tell me more about the intermediary for this province?

We suggest you visit Groupe 3737’s website and reach out to them directly to learn more: Telephone: 514.544.3737 Email: contact@groupe3737.com

Can an organization that applied for the first federal call apply for this call as well?

Yes, it’s possible to submit a second application.

Can this funding be used for retraining, for example people who lost employment and need some form of retraining?

The funding cannot be used for retraining. However, fees for professional services, such as training related to building organizational capacity in once of the three eligible categories would be considered eligible for funding.

Does our organization’s mandate need to present a specific mention that we serve Black communities? Or can it be demonstrated through client profiles or demographics?

Black-led organizations with a mandate to serve Black Canadian communities/Black-led organizations are those that meet the following criteria:

The leadership positions (directors, founders) are primarily occupied by people who self-identify as Black (minimum 2/3);
The governance structure (volunteer committee, advisory board, leadership, etc.) is primarily composed of people who self-identify as Black (minimum 2/3)
The mandate specifically states that the organization supports Black Canadian Communities.

Are activities that fall outside of Canada eligible for funding?

Operations and activities that take place outside of Canada are not eligible.

Would capacity-building include the creation of a non-profit organization’s website containing all our information and future programs, for example?

Communications tools, including websites, are an eligible expenditure.

Will there be a grant available soon to focus on Staff Leadership Salary Funding?

We cannot speak to any future programming that will be provided by the Federal Government; however, we will provide this information as soon as it is available.

Is there a minimum regarding years of operation for the applying not-for-profit?

There is not a minimum requirement.

Would this cover the hiring of a consultant and acquisition of software to manage donor systems?

Yes, the hiring of professional services such as a consultant, and the tools needed are all considered eligible expenditures.

Can African Canadian not-for-profit qualify for projects in Africa?

All eligible projects are limited to and must be completed in Canada.

When is the deadline for applying for this year?

The deadline to apply is November 21, 2021. Applications submitted after the deadline cannot be considered unless a general extension is provided. Offers of funding to successful applicants will occur on a rolling basis.

Will Tropicana Community Services (or other intermediaries) invest a percentage of its funds to contribute to the project?

The involvement of Tropicana Community Services in the SBCCI is in the capacity as an intermediary, meaning that it has been approved by the Government of Canada to review applications and projects and disbursement of grant funds. This project is separate from the Tropicana operational activities and it does not have any additional operational funds to contribute to this granting program.

What is required for submission?

A complete list of required information to be included with your online submission is located here: Program Guidelines.

Is the tax filing requirement mandatory for non-profit organizations?

Yes. It is the responsibility of all recipients to comply with all applicable legislation, regulations, Canada Revenue, Agency and Revenu Québec rules and guidelines, health and safety standards, and privacy legislation relevant to the organization and funded activities.

There is an organization ACBN/Black Business Development Hub promoting a funding program for Black organizations located in the Niagara region of Ontario. Is this connected to Tropicana in any way?

No. Tropicana Community Services is an intermediary of the SBCCI granting program with the Federal Government of Canada which is not connected to The Afro Caribbean Business Network Foundation MicroLoan Fund.

Can we use this fund for legal fees to register our organization as charity?

No.

We are updating our website. Can we still be eligible to apply?

Yes. Status of an applicant organization’s website is not a factor for eligibility.

We organize a conference in diversity—do we qualify for this fund?

If the organization is a non-profit or charitable organization registered as a legal entity in Canada and is Black-led and Black-Serving, it is eligible to this funding program.

Is this application the same as the ESDC Initiative for Black Communities that opened in July 2020? Our organization applied to the SBCCI in July 2020

No. The July call for proposals was for a different component of the SBCCI fund.

Can the same organization be approved for separate distinct projects beyond $45K? Can two separate applications be submitted?

No, the maximum grant per organization is $45,000.00

Can the funding be used for the capacity building of the organization as a whole or does it have to be a specific project?

The funds must be used for projects that build organizational capacity in any of the three following categories:

Operational management
Governance
Diversification of funding sources

Do you have a contact number apart of the website for additional questions while applying for this fund?

Additional information to support your application can be found at www.sbcci.ca or you can contact us with any of your questions at sbcci@tropicanacommunity.org or (416) 439-9009.