The Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism

Public Awareness Campaign - The public awareness campaign is a pledge that asks Canadian organizations to commit toactionable goals to help Canada end anti-Black systemic racism and create opportunities for underrepresented groups (the'Pledge'). Through the Pledge we encourage organizations to create additional opportunities for Black Canadians and to make the environments in which Black Canadians work amenable to complex and sometimes difficult conversations about anti-Blacksystemic racism. The Refugee Support Program launched in 2024 was a time-limited funding initiative developed in alignment with the Council’s registered charitable purposes—specifically to promote respect for human rights improve the moral and ethical development of the Black community and support the work of registered charities. The program focused on addressing the systemic and intersectional barriers faced by Black refugee communities in the Greater Toronto Area. Through strategic disbursements to qualified donees the Council supported programs in housing stabilization food security mental health support and educational access—critical areas affecting the dignity and long-term integration of Black refugees. All funds disbursed were restricted donations designated for this purpose and were distributed through a structured grantmaking process that included due diligence alignment with donor intent and recipient reporting requirements. The Council did not engage in any direct service delivery. Although distinct in focus this initiative falls within the scope of the Council’s registered charitable purposes by addressing systemic discrimination and promoting respect for human rights consistent with the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Canadian human rights legislation.