We are calling for;

1. Specific directed funding for Black, Indigenous 2SLGBTQ+ led, serving and focused agencies. These communities are the most impacted by COVID-19, Opioid crisis, sexual violence, physical violence, incarceration, and many societal inequities, yet are the least funded.* Based on these established facts we are calling for a specific directed and targeted funding to these communities.  

2. Implementation of Open-granting and Trust-Based Grant Models. 

3. The removal of the **Charitable Status requirement to access funding due to inaccessibility and inequities for marginalized communities. 

4. Access to safe and affordable infrastructure within the City to serve these marginalized communities. 

5. Removal of the barriers of access to funding - lack of information sharing, cumbersome application processes, reporting requirement that is not matching the funding provided. 

**In order to access funding, the requirements is to have Charitable Status, this is a long arduous bureaucratic process through CRA. Most Black, 2SLGBTQ+ and Indigenous grassroot organizations who are actually doing the frontline work do not have the capacity, time and resources to go through these processes. They are also oftentimes rejected for a multitude of reasons. So what happens is that organizations with Charitable Status will act as Fiscal Sponsor/Qualified Donnee for those who don't have the Charitable Status for an administrative fee of 10-20% of whatever funding the agency receive! For example, if an agency applies for $50,000.00 the Fiscal Sponsor will collect $10,000.00 (example, 20%). The Non-Charitable Status (applying agency) does all the work - they complete and submit all funding applications. However, once the funding is received, it goes to the Charitable Status organization's bank account - they control the funds and how it is spent. This is a very oppressive and demeaning system as these are the communities impacted most and least funded. There is no need for another agency to take 10-20% of another organization's funds just for acting as a fiscal sponsor. The applying agency does the bulk of the work. They complete all the application and paperwork to apply to the funding as well as deliver ALL the programming. Based on these inequities we are demanding the abolishment of this inequitable system and instead implement open funding and trust base funding models. Agencies will still comply by all the standard CRA requirements. Agencies can work with their own independent Chartered Accountant for accounting of the funding and provide audited financial reports. The 10-20% can be used to cover the Accountant's costs - which will be less than the 10-20% Fiscal sponsor administrative fee and save the underfunded agency some much needed funds.

*A report was released in November 2020 supporting what we have been saying - https://www.forblackcommunities.org/#report  The report shows that "Black organizations receive as little as 7 cents for every $100 donated to Canada's big charities, study finds." (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/black-charities-underfunded-canada-1.5825934