Many Black-led organizations in Canada are doing incredible work but can’t access certain grants because they don’t have charitable status. Since many Black-serving and Black-led organizations are in the early stages of they journey, they lack the credibility and resources, that full fledged non profits and charities leverage to fund their community initiatives. Trusteeship offers a solution, allowing you to access funding while keeping control of your programs.

What Is Trusteeship?

Trusteeship is when a registered charity holds and manages funds on behalf of a non-charitable organization.

• The charity receives grants or donations

• Funds are earmarked for your project

• You lead the program, while the charity ensures legal compliance

In short: trusteeship lets you access funding legally without being a registered charity.

Trusteeship vs. Fiscal Sponsorship

You might have seen some grants mentioning Fiscal sponsorship, a similar concept, more commonly used in the U.S., where a charity sponsors a non-charitable project.  The Foundation of Black Communities is a major funder as the name entails for Black organization in Canada, it’s Black Ideas Grant is an example of a grant that requires at least a fiscal sponsor for unincorporated groups. Most organizations equipped to to Trustee can be fiscal sponsors but not all fiscal sponsors can be trustees.

Key difference in Canada:

• Trusteeship is recognized under Canadian charitable law

• It’s preferred by government and institutional funders

• Provides stronger governance and compliance

How Trusteeship Helps Your Organization

1. Immediate Grant Eligibility – Apply for grants even without charitable status

2. Access Larger Funding – Foundations and corporations fund projects under trusteeship

3. Build Credibility – Funders trust programs supported by an established charity

4. Focus on Impact – You handle programming; the trustee handles compliance

Trusteeship isn’t about giving up control. You remain the leader while gaining access to funding, compliance support, and credibility.

The Federation of Black Canadians Trusteeship Program

The Federation of Black Canadians (FBC) offers a Trusteeship Program  through our Black Builder’s Network specifically for Black-led and Black-serving organizations.

Through the program, your organization can:

• Apply for grants under FBC’s charitable status

• Receive guidance on compliance and reporting

• Build long-term funding capacity

• Access tools and mentorship to scale your impact

This program ensures you don’t have to navigate funding barriers alone.

Grant-Readiness Checklist (Free Download)

To help Black-led organizations get started, here’s a simple checklist to prepare for funding under trusteeship:

✅ Program clearly defined and outcomes measurable
✅ Organization or initiative mission documented
✅ Budget for project or program prepared
✅ Governance or leadership structure in place
✅ Compliance and reporting processes identified
✅ Community impact and target audience clearly described
✅ Past achievements or impact stories collected
✅ Partnership opportunities identified (like FBC trusteeship)

Grant-Readiness Checklist for Black-Led Organizations FBC

Who Should Consider Trusteeship?

Trusteeship is ideal if your organization:

• Does not have charitable status

• Serves Black communities or B3 initiatives

• Wants to apply for grants immediately

• Needs structure without losing program autonomy

Ready to Access Funding and Scale Your Impact?

Joining Premium Black Builders gives your organization:

• Priority access to the FBC Trusteeship Program

• Step-by-step guidance for grant applications

• Tools and mentorship to build capacity

• A network of like-minded Black-led organizations

Take the first step: Become a Premium Black Builder today and unlock funding, support, and growth for your organization.