Content/Trigger Warning: This post explores topics of systemic racism in philanthropy including colonialism and anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. For culturally safe and accessible resources for Black people visit Black Mental Health Canada or Healing in Colour. For culturally safe and trauma-informed support Indigenous people, available 24 hours a day, please visit First Nations Health Authority – Mental Health and Wellness.
Vancity Community Foundation (VCF) operates on the lands of many Indigenous Nations. We bring our hearts and minds together and acknowledge the territories of these Nations. Our office, 312 Main, is located on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish) and səl̓ílwətaʔ /Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
In honour of Black History and Futures Month, Anthonia Ogundele, Executive Director and Founder of Ethos Lab Educational Society, and Djaka Blais, Executive Director of Hogan’s Alley Society, spent an afternoon with Genesa Greening, CEO of Vancity Community Foundation, having conversations about Black History and Futures Month and how the Canadian philanthropic sector can better support organizations that serve Black communities in BC.
Hogan's Alley Society and Ethos Lab Educational Society are dedicated to empowering Black communities in BC through different yet complementary approaches. 
Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS) is a non-profit organization composed of civil rights activists, business professionals, community organizations, artists, writers, and academics committed to daylighting the presence of Black history in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia. HAS has been working with the City of Vancouver to ensure that the redevelopment of the Hogan’s Alley block represents the legacy of Strathcona’s Black community, which was displaced by the construction of the Georgia and Dunsmuir viaducts.
Ethos Lab is on a mission to increase representation in innovation. Ethos Lab delivers interdisciplinary after-school STEAM programming (Science, Technology, Engineering, Applied Art, and Math) that integrates culture and community, and they mentor youth, working to ensure diverse voices are co-creating a brighter and inclusive future that better reflects our humanity.
Whether it’s preserving the history and legacy of generations in the past, addressing the needs of the community in the present, or shaping and nurturing the future generation of leaders and innovators, Black communities and the organizations that exist to support them have always been an important part of what makes up the fabric of Canadian society, and in particular, makes Vancouver the diverse and unique city we call home.
Through these interviews, VCF celebrates the excellence of these wonderful organizations and honors the legacy they have established through their important and impactful work. In addition, the interviews are an opportunity to hear directly from these leaders, who share valuable insight about what the settler-philanthropic sector and granting organizations and funders like VCF could be doing better to support and empower Black communities. Most importantly, we hope to provide a platform for these amazing organizations to share their vision and support their respective missions and the communities they serve.
In each conversation Anthonia and Djaka offer candid insight, through firsthand knowledge and lived experience, of the impact of Black-led organizations as well as the barriers Black-led organizations face.
Here is a summary of key insights shared by Anthonia and Djaka:
Funding Barriers and Opportunities
Both Djaka and Anthonia address the barriers faced by Black-led organizations in securing funding.
The report, ‘Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy’, by the Foundation for Black Communities, revealed that less than 1% of philanthropic contributions go to Black-led and Black-serving organizations.
Djaka stresses the need for more flexible, unrestricted, and multi-year funding to support operational needs. Anthonia calls for a systemic reassessment of how funds are allocated to ensure greater equity and suggests several key changes to improve support for Black-led organizations:
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Mental health and wellness funding: Recognizing the additional costs of supporting Black leaders and communities.
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Operating funds and multi-year giving: Providing consistent funding to maintain operations and avoid the need for constant new initiatives.
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Support for young people: Increasing funding for programs that support the pipeline to post-secondary education and careers.
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Qualitative reporting: Shifting from purely quantitative metrics to include qualitative stories of impact, allowing organizations to share the real-life effects of their work.
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Trust and flexibility: Grantors should trust grantees to determine what is important to measure and provide the space for youth voices to be heard.
"As a Black-led, Black-serving organization, there are additional costs associated with our work. As Black leaders, we need space and funding for mental health and wellness, as well as capacity building, to support our population in doing the work that we do."
- Anthonia Ogundele, Executive Director and Founder - Ethos Lab Educational Society
Building Capacity and Partnerships
Hogan's Alley Society has benefited from partnerships with organizations that have shared knowledge and resources to help build their capacity. Djaka underscores the importance of such partnerships in creating a strong ecosystem of support for Black communities. Similarly, Ethos Lab envisions expanding its operations to serve more young people and provide higher wages for its staff. Anthonia emphasizes the need for unrestricted funding to hire more staff, to deliver more programming, and to pay Black leaders what they are worth.
Beyond philanthropy, the conversations also covered the importance of community restoration and building, creating inclusive spaces, shifting narratives, and what each organization’s vision for the future holds.
Community Restoration and Building
Djaka emphasizes the historical significance of Hogan's Alley, a multicultural neighborhood that was home to Vancouver's first Black community. The neighborhood was dismantled to build viaducts, leading to the loss of physical structures and the cultural, social, and economic capital of the community. Hogan's Alley Society aims to recreate a hub for Black community, connecting with other initiatives across Metro Vancouver to rebuild these bonds.
Creating Inclusive Spaces
Ethos Lab focuses on creating inclusive spaces for Black youth in STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Applied Art, and Math). By integrating culture and community into its afterschool programming, Ethos Lab ensures that Black youth are “respected, reflected, protected, and connected”. The organization serves schools across the Lower Mainland and offers programs at its site at 2nd and Main Street, fostering a sense of community and belonging.
Shifting Narratives
Djaka challenges the narrative that there are few Black people in Vancouver, highlighting the vibrant and active Black community in the city. She advocates for a shift from focusing on scarcity to recognizing the abundance of talent and opportunities within the Black community. This includes actively seeking out and supporting organizations that are often under-resourced but are doing significant work. Ethos Lab is shifting the narrative of what STEAM learning is and who can be involved. With the endemic lack of representation in STEAM disciplines, Ethos Lab employs storytelling to encourage young people to reimagine what they are capable of and ensure diverse voices are included.
“As a funder, you have access to community partners, donors, and tables where other community organizations may not be present. This allows you to engage with the government differently and enter conversations from a unique position compared to community-led organizations. Your role involves listening to what the community needs and bringing those needs to the tables you are at, advocating for the additional resources or changes required."
- Djaka Blais, Executive Director - Hogan’s Alley Society
Watch the full-length interviews:
Click here or thumbnail below to watch Djaka's interview.
Click here or thumbnail below to watch Anthonia's interview.
Black History and Futures Month 2025 in Canada
At the time of these interviews, the theme for Black History and Futures Month 2025 was announced by the Government of Canada as ‘Black Resistance’. This theme resonates deeply with the work of both organizations.
Djaka emphasizes that Hogan's Alley Society's efforts are rooted in resistance against systemic oppression and in creating spaces for joy, empowerment, and community convening. Anthonia highlights that resistance can take many forms, from changing algorithms to showing up authentically in spaces. She emphasizes the importance of telling diverse stories of resistance and acknowledges the burnout that often accompanies it. Both leaders stress the importance of reclaiming and celebrating Black identity and history. Their work underscores the importance of resistance against systemic barriers and the need for sustained and meaningful support for Black-led initiatives.
Recently, the theme for Black History and Futures Month in Canada was changed to ‘Black Legacy and Leadership: Celebrating Canadian History and Uplifting Future Generations’." Djaka and Anthonia exemplify how Black leaders uplift future generations while preserving Black legacies. They are empowering Black communities through restoration and community building. By creating inclusive spaces, fostering representation, and advocating for equitable funding, these leaders are working to build a brighter future for the next generation of innovators and leaders.
Vancity Community Foundation’s Continued Journey
Vancity Community Foundation (VCF) is on a transformative journey. Over the past several years, the organization has move away from traditional settler-philanthropy and towards prioritizing communities pushed into the margins – specifically Indigenous and Black communities - through funding, dialogue, planning, and decision-making. This transformation is rooted in the belief that those within the community are best positioned to utilize resources to drive meaningful change.
"It's about inclusion within the entire system, ensuring that people have access to all the wealth and power, not just the portion we're 'comfortable' allocating. There needs to be much deeper equity in how people can access these resources."
- Genesa Greening, CEO - Vancity Community Foundation
In alignment with the Halifax Declaration, VCF has publicly committed to the eradication of racial discrimination, as well as supporting Black-led and Black-serving philanthropic organizations.
This commitment is part of a broader strategic plan launched last year, which includes a pledge to become an anti-racist organization. VCF has been actively working to enhance its knowledge, skills, and abilities in anti-racism and anti-oppression. This includes efforts to diversify its workforce and ensure representation from various backgrounds at all organizational levels.
In 2024, VCF formed a REDI (Reconciliation, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion) Committee, which has been instrumental in seeking out training and workshops for staff. For instance, the entire staff participated in anti-racism training with SETSI (Social Economy Through Social Inclusion) in the fall of 2024. These efforts are complemented by ongoing discussions and learning sessions at all-staff town halls throughout the year.
Donor Relations and Community Support
Vancity Community Foundation's commitment to supporting Black communities is evident in its relationship with donors. In 2024, VCF launched two campaigns to share information about the underfunding of Black community organizations and to encourage donors to practice restorative philanthropy by directly supporting Black-led organizations. The first campaign took place during Black History and Futures Month in February, marking the first time in VCF's 35-year history that it acknowledged this important month through its external communication channels. The second campaign was launched in August during Black Philanthropy Month.
Throughout the year, VCF's Philanthropy team has prioritized building relationships with Black-led and Black-serving community organizations, both registered charities and those without charitable status. This approach is exemplified by the development and launch of the Youth and Elders Regenerative Fund. This fund provides strategic grants using trust-based approaches to support projects and programs that foster intergenerational connections between youth and elders in Indigenous and Black communities. These connections are vital for providing a sense of purpose, healing, social support, and cultural sharing.
In 2024, VCF provided support to several Black-led and Black-serving organizations, including:
Additionally, the Philanthropy team created the first annual Community Giving Guide in 2024 to highlight Indigenous- and Black-led and serving organizations and to invite Donor Advised Fund holders to support these organizations through their annual giving.
Our Vision for the Future: Thriving Communities
VCF is committed to working with “historically, persistently, and/or systematically marginalized” communities. These communities have been intentionally pushed to the margins by societal structures and settler-philanthropy – including at VCF – has perpetuated this oppression. That’s why VCF has dedicated itself to urgently addressing this inequity.
VCF aims to be a conduit, channeling resources to where they are most needed and empowering communities to drive their own solutions. This approach acknowledges the brilliance and expertise within these communities and seeks to support them in creating lasting change.
VCF’s unwavering commitment to anti-racism, equity, and community-led solutions is helping shape its strategic initiatives, campaigns, and support for Black-led and Indigenous organizations. By embracing restorative philanthropy, prioritizing trust-based approaches and fostering intergenerational connections, VCF is investing in a more inclusive and equitable future for everyone.
Special Thanks
Anthonia Ogundele and Djaka Blais for their leadership, time, and wisdom.
Ethos Lab Educational Society and Hogan’s Alley Society for their teams’ tireless work supporting community.
VCF’s REDI Committee for their consultation and guidance throughout this project.
312 Main for providing the facilities and supports to film these interviews.
Make a Donation
To make a one-time gift or set up a recurring donation to either of these Black-led and Black-serving organizations, visit their fund pages: