Item - 2026.QS10.1

The Two-Spirit, Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender and Queer Advisory Committee:

1. Received the item for information.

Wayne Chu, Associate Director, Social Data Analytics, Social Development and Linda Ho, Manager, Community Funding, Social Development gave a presentation on Supporting Equity Deserving Communities through the Toronto Grants, Rebates and Incentives Portal.

• Founders often experience, food, financial and housing insecurity while founding the grassroots initiatives that serve their community.

• It is challenging to find and win grants that cover for the operational and founding teams of non-profits: therefore, community members are forced to operate the organization on a volunteer basis for years.

• Most grants that are categorized as operational, cover the expenses of consultants, co-creators and other experts in the field, but not the founders or the operational team.
  Few grants support founders with legal advice, or grant-writing support, or other capacity building for the team members themselves.

• There is an overreliance on non-profit system were these basic expenses are not even covered

• Most organizations that already have a high capacity are the ones receiving the funding. For many grassroots initiatives, it is challenging to be part of the ongoing grant cycles. 

• There might be even less funding for the non-profit sector in the future, especially in the nuanced issues that lack representation.

• It tends to be indigenous folks that create community grassroots projects for indigenous communities: Black folks that create it for their own community and this rationale applies for many other QTBIPOC founders. These individuals are forced to create these initiatives for desperate gaps that their communities are asking for.

• Less and less folks can create these systems with our current economy.

By way of this letter, I am requesting a report that includes: 

• Asking for a review of current funding for 2SLGBTQIA+ Non-profits through the city?

• What kinds of projects are getting funded?

• Who are the operational teams running these projects? How are they getting paid?

• Who are the founders?

• What other org’s have created similar types of research (on the allocation for funding) and how can we benefit from these reports?

• What types of organizations is the city funding?

• Is there a centralized place for 2SLGBTQIA+ concerns/ questions regarding funding streams and funding allocation?

• Creating a GAP analysis to determine where capacity building efforts are needed for QTBIPOC founders?

• How can we ensure that are dedicated funds for QTBIPOC founders and Non-profit/ grassroots initiatives creators?

The presentation will be on how community granting works at the City, a description of the Toronto Grants, Rebates and Incentives Portal project, and tips for small and emerging non-profits who wish to apply for grants at the City. The presentation is for information only and is in response to Item QS9.5.