Black Students in Canada Fund

****UPDATE****

You can now donate directly to the Black Students in Canada Fund, skipping the GoFundMe fees. Donations of $20.00 or more are eligible for Canadian charitable tax receipts.

The link to donate directly to the fund can be found here: Black Students in Canada Fund 

Please donate and share with your networks. Your help is very appreciated!

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In light of the recent protests supporting Black Lives Matter, this continuous movement has demonstrated the need for expanded awareness and support for Black communities facing anti-Black racism in Canada, and how it impacts every aspect of their life. Systemic anti-Black racism perpetuates intergenerational poverty; as a result, many Black students can face difficulties accessing public post-secondary education, which we believe is one of the most important tools for change. 

 In solidarity with the movement, we are initiating this fundraiser for Black students to access public post-secondary education in Canada. We are creating this fund through KEATCA, a small Canadian endowment fund which allows prospective students to receive support and grants into post-secondary education. We are asking for a contribution from people like you, to help Black post-secondary students from across Canada meet their educational goals with the same opportunity as anyone else. 

Our Goal

Our goal is to fundraise money to have a sustainable endowment fund  to support Black students in attending Canadian public post-secondary institutions. The money raised in this initiative will become a permanent part of the KEATCA endowment fund maintained at the Vancity Community Foundation (VCF) in Vancouver, British Columbia. This endowment fund will hold the money donated and use the interest to sustainably provide grants in perpetuity. 

 Our Fundraiser

With this fundraiser, we are aiming to raise a minimum of $125,000 to give out $5,000 in grants every year for years to come. Identification of the students will be done in partnership with Canadian Registered Charity Organizations run by and for Black communities.

Regardless of the amount raised, we will continue to support Black students through partner organizations.

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About KEATCA

For the last few years, KEATCA (Knowledge, Education and Training Canada), a donor-advised fund at the Vancity Community Foundation (VCF) has been making grants to counter poverty through post-secondary education and training. Grants have been given through partner organizations, namely MOSAIC, Aunt Leah’s Place, and Bright Beginnings Foundation in British Columbia, and the Institution of Air and Space Law at McGill University in Quebec. The two conditions for eligibility are:

A.    The recipient must be enrolled at a public post-secondary educational institution in Canada, and

B.    The individual must have a family income of less than 30,000.00 Canadian or its equivalent in purchasing power parity (PPP) terms.

In the past, KEATCA grants made either directly or through partner organizations have been available regardless of gender, race, disabilities, origin or residential status. KEATCA recognizes the need to support students from marginalized communities and to partner with organizations that have been actively promoting students from these communities.

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This fundraiser is created by Sunil Singal, a research assistant based in Vancouver, BC and a volunteer for the  KEATCA organization.
 
If you have any questions, or would like to help with this initiative, please don't hesitate to contact the organizers.

Please note: Vancity Community Foundation is setting up a direct link for donations to the fund on their website with the ability to provide Canadian charitable tax receipts. The link will be posted here once it is set up.