BIPOC Grants Grants
We strive to be strategic and responsive to the changing needs of our residents and communities.
We recognize that foundations have access to forms of power such as capital, networks and influence. As such, we must be explicit in our commitment to racial equity.
The BIPOC Grants highlight our commitment and approach to supporting organizations that are led-by and serve communities who are Black, Indigenous, and People of Color across the Greater Edmonton Area. The current attention given to anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism has created an opportunity for ECF to take additional action in support of communities most impacted by the ongoing and systemic racial disparities.
What We Explored
This summer, we connected with committee volunteers and funders who have grant programs focused on equity, racialization, or anti-racism. We aimed to learn about best practices from them.
What’s Next
The BIPOC Grant Program will re-open on October 1, 2024, with a submission deadline of October 31, 2024. Applications will be reviewed in November, and decisions will be sent out at the end of November. Successful grants will be paid in December 2024.
If you’re interested in applying, please contact us to check your eligibility.
Eligibility Criteria
- Must be a charitable organization or partnered with one.
- Cannot have a current BIPOC grant with ECF.
- Funding requests should be between $5,000 and $25,000.
- Funds must support initiatives starting after January 1, 2025 (no retroactive requests).
Grants are NOT available for the following:
- Deficit funding
- Endowments
- Medical equipment
- Research
- Funding to replace government cuts
- Travel outside the Greater Edmonton Area
- Capital campaigns and purchase of land and/or buildings
- Conferences, annual events, or organization celebrations
- Private schools, charter schools, or post-secondary institutions, including their foundations
- Other funders and organizations whose primary purpose is to raise money for a third party
- Grants primarily benefitting individuals (i.e. scholarships, bursaries, gift cards, vouchers, etc.)
- Fundraising events (such as tickets, raffles, auctions, or tournaments) or annual fundraising appeals
- Faith-based organizations and activities that require religious participation by those receiving services or that are providing religious education
- National or provincial initiatives without specific benefit to Edmonton; initiatives that have specific benefit to Edmonton will be considered for a proportional request.
Looking Ahead
Our grants staff will continue exploring and consulting into 2025. The 2025 grant program will move to an annual summer deadline (exact date TBD). Applications will be reviewed by an external volunteer committee.
We will keep refining the program’s goals, outcomes, and impacts, as well as the grant request ranges, multi-year versus single-year requests, application format, and reporting/evaluation questions.
We’d love to hear your thoughts on future program development for 2025. Once the current application cycle is complete, we would be happy to meet with you in December 2024 or January 2025. Contact us by email to request a meeting.
Want to stay up to date with granting information? Explore all of the grants we have distributed.