Overview

The LEVEL BIPOC Grants Program invests in the leadership capacity of BIPOC-led and BIPOC youth-led and/or youth-engaging organizations operating in B.C. These grants of $150,000 offer flexible, operating funding for three years to registered charities and registered non-profit societies. This funding can be used to cover costs that will contribute to their operational sustainability and adaptability to continue supporting the changing needs of their communities over time.

BIPOC-led organizations face disproportionate barriers to accessing reliable and flexible funding, which impacts their capacity to run programs and initiatives, manage resources, and respond to emerging needs. Addressing racial inequities and injustices is important systems change work and racialized communities are at the forefront of solutions by and for their communities. These grants are to be used in whatever way supports their organizational priorities and needs, which can include (but are not limited to):

• Operating costs
• Capacity building
• Staffing costs
• Employee assistance programs
• Service delivery costs
• Technology investments

Available Grants & Eligibility

The amount to be granted through LEVEL BIPOC grants is at least $9.0 million. The funding will be distributed through at least 60 grants, separated into two grant streams:

• • 40 grants are available through the BIPOC Leadership stream for BIPOC-led organizations who meet the eligibility criteria.
  • 20 grants are available through the BIPOC Youth Leadership stream for BIPOC youth-led and/or youth-engaging organizations that meet the BIPOC Leadership eligibility criteria AND have a record and representation of Black, Indigenous and/or other POC youth in their decision-making.

BIPOC Leadership Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a LEVEL BIPOC grant through the BIPOC Leadership stream, organizations must self-identify as “BIPOC-led” (defined on page 1 in our Glossary) and must ensure the following criteria are met:

• • You are either a registered charity OR registered non-profit society (including community service co-operatives) operating in B.C. since January 1, 2024, and has (or will have) society incorporation or charitable registration by November 30, 2024,
  • Your organization’s primary purpose is to operate for community benefit ,
  • Your organization is BIPOC-led, meaning at least two-thirds (67%) of your organization’s leadership team and/or board/non-conventional governance structures are held by individuals who self-identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour;

Review the additional eligibility criteria for the BIPOC Leadership grant stream on page 4 of the Application Guide.

BIPOC Youth Leadership Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for a LEVEL BIPOC grant through the BIPOC Youth Leadership stream, organizations must meet the following criteria:

• At least two-thirds (67%) of its leadership positions (Board of Directors and/or leadership team if staff are employed and/or any other unconventional governance structure that influences operational and strategic decision-making) are held by people who self-identify as Black, Indigenous or People of Colour AND are aged 19-30 years old and,
• Your organization’s governance structure actively empowers BIPOC youth to significantly influence the organization’s policies, practices, strategies and decision-making processes (beyond advisory or consulting roles).

Unsure if your organization is BIPOC youth-engaging? Refer to page 6 of our Glossary to see how we define ‘youth-engaging’. 

How to Apply

1. Review the Application Guide.
2. Confirm your organization is either a registered charity OR registered non-profit society (including community service co-operatives) operating in B.C. since January 1, 2024, and has (or will have) society incorporation or charitable registration by November 30, 2024,
3. Confirm your organization’s eligibility for either the BIPOC Leadership or BIPOC Youth Leadership grant stream.
4. Set up an account or log into the Online Grant Management System to start your application.
5. If your organization is selected to receive a grant in the BIPOC Leadership stream, you will be contacted by staff to validate your eligibility and alignment to the grant priorities. If you apply to the BIPOC Youth Leadership stream, you may be contacted by staff to confirm information on your application.

How Applications Will Be Selected

Although the online application is the same, the selection processes will be different for each grant stream:

Randomized Selection for the BIPOC Leadership stream:

This stream uses a randomized selection process to select the available number of grants (40), providing an equal opportunity for BIPOC-led organizations to receive funding.

1. Applications will be sorted into six (6) pools:
   • Smaller, Rural and/or Remote BC Communities, Black-led
   • Smaller Rural and/or Remote BC Communities, Indigenous-led
   • Smaller, Rural and/or Remote BC Communities, other POC-led
   • Large Urban BC Population Centres, Black-led
   • Large Urban BC Population Centres, Indigenous-led
   • Large Urban BC Population Centres, other POC-led
2. Applications from each pool will be randomly selected until the funding pool is committed
3. Selected applications will be invited to a conversation to discuss how their leadership, governance, sustainability and community accountability practices align with our community-informed decision-making matrix. These conversations will be hosted by staff and Community Advisors.
   • If the eligibility criteria are not met or cannot be validated, then a new organization will be selected using the same process.

Adjudicated Process for the BIPOC Youth Leadership stream:

This stream uses an adjudicated process, led by staff and Community Advisors to select 20 eligible applications.

1. All applications in this stream will be considered within a single pool of applications.
2. Staff and community advisors will review and identify twenty (20) eligible organizations to fund using our community-informed decision-making matrix.
   • If necessary, staff may schedule a conversation with the applicant to validate the provided information before confirming the awarded grant.

Please note: Applications for the BIPOC Youth Leadership stream will also be considered in the BIPOC Leadership stream. If the application for the BIPOC Youth Leadership stream is not selected for adjudication, the application may still be selected through the randomized selection process in the BIPOC Leadership stream.

If you have any questions about LEVEL BIPOC grants, including how to navigate and troubleshoot the online grant management system, please email us at level@vancouverfoundation.ca .