Black-led non-profits from across Canada highlighted at Halifax conference

First at Five: Supporting Black Futures The Supporting Black Futures Conference brings together hundreds of leaders and change-makers to empower and strengthen Black-led nonprofits

Hundreds of leaders, innovators, and changemakers from Black-led non-profits have come together from across the country for a conference in Halifax.

The Supporting Black Futures Conference is being put on by the Supporting Black Canadian Communities Initiative (SBCCI) with help from the Halifax-based Black Business Initiative (BBI). The three-day conference aims to enhance organizational resilience, leadership development, and community impact.

"It's crucial to the success of Black communities across Canada. So, when we look at the different organizations here, we have organizations that support Black youth, we have organizations to support women escaping violence. The scale of the organizations that we have and just the depth of the impact is so significant," said BBI CEO Matthew Martel.

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Approximately 350 organizations are represented as part of the conference, each of which has received funding through the SBCCI, which is a federal grants and contributions initiative.

"Businesses are extremely important, but really when it comes to community change, community justice, and really, Black wealth creation and community development, grassroots non-profit, Black-led and charity organizations are really the pillars of that change," said Martel.

The BBI helped decide where funding would be allocated for non-profits.

"It's absolutely amazing that we were able to organize an event where we have leaders from over 200 sub-agreement holders, over 300 delegates, from Vancouver to Newfoundland," said BBI board chairman Joe Parris.

While people at the conference have come from across Canada, there are many local organizations in attendance which have been supported by funding.

"What that has helped us do is build capacity within the organization and amplify some of our programs and respond to … what we would call current and emerging needs, for example, cyber security," said Sylvia Parris-Drummond, CEO of Delmore Buddy Daye Learning Institute.

The institute's major focus is on Afrocentric research which involves community engagement. Parris-Drummond said that helps them produce reports which in turn influence policy.

This conference is a chance for non-profits to connect.

"It's a great opportunity to meet others. We can learn from each other. We network, we make new connections across Canada, partnerships. We build on each others experiences," said Bridget Williams, founder of It Takes a Village Community Outreach and Advocacy.

Williams said the Dartmouth-based organization supports marginalized individuals and provides accessible resources to those in need.

The Supporting Black Futures Conference is meant to uplift Black communities, advance equity, and ensure Black-led organizations can thrive.

"To have not-for-profit organizations that are effective and well-run helps business within the community, and it makes it all work," said Parris.

"A strong prosperous Black community is a strong prosperous community for all communities within Canada."

The SBCCI is a pilot program with a scheduled end date of March 31, 2025. The BBI is hoping the program will become permanent.

"We have a significant campaign now. We have a petition. We have a mobilization campaign. We're asking people to write to their MPs and really just articulate that this is important, not just to the Black community but to communities across Canada," said Martel.

More than $200 million was allocated as part of this project.