Foundation of Hope Board of Directors had an enlightening session with Julie Hamilton last Sunday. Having exceeded the goals set during the 2015 Strategic Planning workshop, Julie once again generously volunteered her time and skills to get us focused on building on that success.

Intent on growth, FOH structured the session to look beyond a single year and set key objectives for the coming three years:

1) Increase Board capacity and enhance its effectiveness;

2) National development of strategic partnerships; and

3) Become a sustainable charity through long-term financial stability.

To achieve these objectives, Julie helped identify a few strategies that require a modest retooling of FOH’s message. Enhanced involvement of volunteers, donors, partners, and grant recipients is integral to our long-term vision.

The session began with a reflection on the achievements in Year 1. What did FOH do? Who was involved? What made us proud?

We all agreed that milestones included FOH’s governance structure, charitable designation, and ability to exceed the goals set for financial gain. We ultimately delivered on our mission to financially support charitable organizations assisting LGBT+ Refugees and Newcomers. The ability to gain charitable status prominently demonstrated a commitment by the Board.

Formal establishment of a legitimate volunteer board with working committees, successful fundraising efforts, and build out of the grant infrastructure allowed FOH to receive and approve funding applications. The tireless volunteer effort from within and beyond the LGBT+ community combined with an incredible wave of generosity from our partners and donors cannot be overstated. To this end, FOH is honoured to have built such an important bridge for the larger LGBT+ community.

A presence in the Pride parade and the creation of the STRUT event brought in folks and organizations to proudly step up to support this cause, including Prime Minister Justin Trudeau himself! Individual fundraisers held by Peter Fitzmaurice and Kevin Perra, exposure through Lush Cosmetics’ #gayisok campaign, and promotional events hosted by Neighbourhood House and Mercury Artists all demonstrate teamwork as a huge element of success.

But success is not without challenges. Valuable lessons came out of FOH first year agenda. For example, FOH understands better that it’s important to be clear when to say no. This extends to communication within social media and interpersonal relationships; it is critical to maintain clear and consistent messages and define boundaries. External challenges included being too receptive of negative feedback/criticism, which required strengthening our internal support network and growing a bit of thick skin!

So where do we go from here and how do we get there?

Foundation of Hope understands that board unity is its strength. This is not only effective, it can actually be contagious. And that’s a good thing, especially since we consist entirely of unpaid volunteers with full-time careers! Strength in unity comes through team building exercises, which we intend to foster as we move forward. This year, FOH will roll out an internal on-boarding strategy to expand board capacity in a way that is intentional, transparent, accountable, and predicated on success. It is precisely in keeping with our Constitution.

In terms of future growth and organizational development, FOH will cultivate strategic partnerships over the next twelve months. Our registered charitable status is conditioned on giving to other Canadian charities as a “rhizomatic” system (i.e., a lateral network of stems for disseminating grants). Like a farmer tending a garden, FOH aims to position itself at the heart of this network as the middle ground between the grassroots and wealthier organizations.  Through volunteerism and dedication, the individual contributions (i.e., “time, treasure, or talents”) from the grassroots are like essential nutrients from soil. This is equally as valuable as contributions from larger, deep-pocketed organizations, which act as sunlight – an energy supply to fuel growth.

Nutrients and energy are the essential ingredients that sustain a rhizomatic system of financial support, where FOH sees its role as most valuable. As a hallmark event, STRUT is our principal fundraiser that also raises the visibility of the cause. The intention is to build a financially stable legacy, though we mustn’t become overly dependent on one signature event.

Still, moving STRUT beyond Vancouver and into other provinces and cities can enable FOH to raise our profile. The cause is global in scope, so we’re gonna step up to the platform!

A metamorphosis is underway.

Reliable financial support to LGBT+ Refugees and newly settled migrants is a long-term priority for FOH. To develop a sound investment strategy, a key objective is going to be identifying the means to ensure longevity that allows us to be financially self-sufficient.

We have a lot of work to do over the coming three years. As the issue of LGBT+ identity persecution continues to pervade so much of the world, time is of the essence.

As February rounds out, I thought I’d take a moment and share the valuable lessons the Foundation of Hope has come to learn and expand on so far this year. These are lessons rooted in inclusivity and compassion. They focus on awareness and acceptance, which draws attention to the core of FOH’s purpose.

On queer competency – a lesson in awareness

How aware are you on this topic? On February 15th, five FOH board directors attended a queer competency training session hosted by Joel Von Flugen on behalf of the folks at Qmunity. It is fair to say that five cisgender gay males don’t adequately represent the sexual or gender diversity contained within our Board of Directors. Further yet, the board itself does not fully represent the diversity for which we advocate as an organization. So it is incumbent upon those able to attend the learning session to engage, share, and further educate others beyond the excessively narrowed view of sex, sexuality, and gender as binary subjects.

One valuable element that FOH brought to the session was our range in age demographic. Jeffrey Fisher and Carl Meadows, for example, reflected on the evolution of gay rights activism in the late 20th century. Sexual and gender identity terms have been adopted across different cultures over time along with associated euphemisms: queer, gay/lesbian/bisexual/transexual, genderqueer, cisgender/transgender, intersex, questioning, asexual/pansexual, two-spirited, etc… It is an  ever-growing list of inclusivity. And for every term there is an appropriate set of pronouns. The terms I’ve just listed represent a mere subset of identity perspectives. I haven’t listed them all and know that I still have much to learn.

It’s a broad subject that can be daunting. For me personally, I hold the greatest concerns about others’ sensibilities. Just in compiling that list, I put myself in a vulnerable position of being perceived or labeled as insensitive. Why did I lump certain terms and distinguish others? What gives me the right to define or label anything?  I understand this and unfortunately it worries me to the point of not wanting to speak at all for fear that I am promulgating bias or intolerance, which adds to the confusion.

Joel was extremely helpful. He cut through the confusion held among our group and eloquently explained why these different terms and their usages matter so much. He provided hypothetical scenarios of intolerance that resonated within us all. Joel intelligently conveyed the need for heightened awareness. There was no shortage of context provided among our own experiences as a group, and even though much of what was discussed will forever stay in that room, we all left feeling more aware and better prepared to promote inclusivity within the Foundation and beyond.

On private sponsorship – a lesson in acceptance

The notion that one Canadian or a group of Canadians are willing to gather the means necessary to bring a refugee into Canada is an indelible aspect of what it means to be Canadian. We are a country of immigrants, from the First Peoples to arrive during the last Ice Age to the current wave of Syrian migrants coming to Canada under a banner of acceptance born out of an historic federal election mandate.

On February 18th, the Multilingual Orientation Service Association for Immigrant Communities (M.O.S.A.I.C.) held a public information session to advise Canadians on the paths for private sponsorship in Canada. M.O.S.A.I.C.’s Refugee Working Group has been looking at trends, assessing levels of need, and developing responses to these needs. This includes the Refugee Family Reunification List developed for would-be sponsors in B.C. with families that are refugees. About 200 people are currently be processed under this program. Another key program is the federal Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP) managed by Catholic Crosscultural Services and based in Ontario. In Western Canada, RSTP is also managed by M.O.S.A.I.C.

Refugee Sponsorship Support Program (RSSP) Manager Saleem Spindari explained how, through its 30 offices in the greater Vancouver area, M.O.S.A.I.C. is providing support for 1000 refugees following the crisis in September 2015. RSSP trains lawyers to help sponsors with the process itself and help refugees meet requirements for private sponsorship.  RSSP lawyer Kassie Seaby chaired a session explaining the options available in Canada. She presented Lawyer David McLeod, who offers a course on Refugee Protection through UBC Continuing Studies, to describe avenues for private sponsorship in Canada and answer questions held by the attendees.

McLeod explained how policy has evolved for private sponsorship since the onset of the refugee crises in Iraq and Syria. Such policy has reduced the burden of proof required for Iraqi and Syrian refugees by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, formerly known Citizenship and Immigration Canada, at its Central Processing Office in Winnipeg. For all other refugees, he described the role of sponsorship agreement holders (SAHs), groups of five (G5), and community sponsors (CS).

The other key representative at the session was Iris Challoner, who is a refugee information and referral specialist. Through her church, Iris helped resettle a Syrian woman and her two children last spring. She is knowledgable about the role played by various SAHs that have been approved by the Canadian government alongside constituent groups (CG) acting as co-sponsors. M.O.S.A.I.C. is currently working to be recognized as a SAH under the federal government’s refugee acceptance process.

Inclusion of M.O.S.A.I.C. as a SAH will vastly expand upon the options available for individual Canadians looking to take up private sponsorship of LGBT+ refugees seeking asylum or escaping persecution from their countries of origin. These are individuals that remain persecuted when they are among refugees in camps. It is hard to imagine how such an overt lack of both acceptance and inclusivity can affect such individuals on top of the state-level persecution generally affecting populations of refugees living in camps.

If you are interested in private sponsorship, there are many resources available to assist you, from the application process itself through to the arrival and resettlement of newcomers to Canada.

Suffice it to say, 2015 was a fast-paced year for Foundation of Hope in terms of establishment and growth. The calendar year was marked by so many achievements and with each successive milestone, it’s becoming clear that a movement is underway.

The overarching goal of FOH is to rise far beyond the individual founders, donors, and membership and become greater than the sum of its parts, stronger than any single government mandate, and more collaborative than any single community, organization, or interest.

The year began as an exploration of how FOH should best reach its potential. Strategic planning, communications, and networking within the larger community led FOH to put a call out to LGBT+ newcomers and newcomer services for direction in its funding mission. The Community Needs Assessment workshop served to hone the Foundation’s purpose, refine its mission, and realize its vision as a registered charity.

Hard work by the volunteer Board of Directors in the spring allowed FOH to draft bylaws and a constitution – important conditions under which FOH became a registered charity with Canada Revenue Agency on April 2nd. Attaining charitable status was a critical milestone and perfectly timed for STRUT, the flagship fundraiser that nabbed over $45,000 in donations from corporate partnerships and the tireless efforts of individual participants who collected donor pledges to strut a mile along the seawall in stiletto heels. The inaugural STRUT event literally kicked off on June 6th and was a smashing success. STRUT is expected to be the springboard for expansion beyond the City of Vancouver in the years to come. Stay tuned!

Working into the summer, FOH managed to formally adopt bylaws in the first Annual General Meeting on July 22nd, which officially established a Board of Directors with standing committees and an Executive team – all of us volunteers. We sure grew up fast! But there is so much to do and no time to be wasted…

…And grow we did. Fundraising efforts ramped up and FOH began to feel the momentum.  Individual organizations have begun to approach us seeking to hold fundraisers on FOH’s behalf, including Neighbourhood House, Mercury Artists, and the generous support of caring individuals in the queer community like Kevin Perra and Peter Fitzmaurice. FOH also teamed up with Chimp to get added exposure to the larger world of online philanthropy. All of this enthusiasm has brought tens of thousands of dollars in to date.

During the 2015 Pride celebration, Prime Minister-to-be Justin Trudeau embraced the queer community and stood proud with FOH as an important ally. He later pledged to the world to reform the way Canada addresses refugees. His decision to bring in 25,000 Syrians by year’s end was further qualified to specifically acknowledge inclusion of members the LGBT+ community.

The Grants Committee developed streams of funding devoted to Sponsorship and Community Services and FOH began to receive applications for financial aid on both sides. The ultimate milestone of the year was the disbursement $25,000 in grants during the first round of applications. This included a total of $17,500 in sponsorship funding awarded to Rainbow Railroad of the Greater Toronto Area in collaboration with the Rainbow Refugee and the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto. The funds will be devoted to assist with the private resettlement of LGBT+ refugees within the Lifeline Syria project, as well as for emergency travel needs. The remaining $7,500 was awarded to MOSAIC, a locally important newcomer services provider that intends to use the funding to directly assist LGBT+ newcomers with much-needed counselling services.

As always, we remind you to consider a donation, no matter how small. Everything counts! Whether it’s your Time, Treasure, or Talent, we are always looking for enthusiastic people who care as much as we do about the plight of refugees.

On the evening of Thursday, December 17th, Foundation of Hope received a wonderful gift: an unsolicited Christmas fundraiser organized by Christopher Steffler at Mercury Artists. It was a fine evening with talented musicians, all of whom donated their time and showcased their skills.

One of the greatest things about events like this, aside from the generosity of those present, is that it provides an opportunity for people to reflect on the freedom we have in Canada. Such freedom of expression is not evident in vast regions of the world.

At this time, Canada has a heightened sense of the Syrian refugee crisis. Less apparent to many is the treatment of those that identify as LGBT+, many of whom are still under acute persecution, as well as those that have managed to seek some form of asylum.

Beyond the plight of the Syrian LGBT+ community, at least 78 countries still exist under laws that view homosexuality as criminal. This makes it extremely dangerous for queer individuals to behave outside of what the majority of their societies view as “normal”.

Most individuals under persecution have been unable to flee to safety. Many have died or have been severely traumatized. They attempt to survive by keeping a low profile while others are singled out and frequently get verbally and physically assaulted by haters. Such hatred is the true crime.

Foundation of Hope endeavours to help Canadian charities that work to assist LGBT+ individuals seeking asylum from hatred and persecution, as well as LGBT+ newcomers that are currently under resettlement in Canada.

As part of the event, Chad Mathew of Outlook TV interviewed me as a representative of FOH. It was a great opportunity to talk about why ongoing fundraising is such an important pillar of success – just as important as our mission of giving. The interview will be available online some time in January 2016.

Foundation of Hope is incredibly grateful to Mercury Artists for its generosity of spirit at this time of year. The “Family Affair” Holiday Party and Fundraiser is tremendously appreciated by us and everyone we hope to assist through our collective efforts.

On October 19th, 2015, while many were intently watching televisions and computer screens or scrolling their devices to find out where Canada’s political compass would point in the 42nd general election, Foundation of Hope’s Grant Selection Committee gathered in a quiet room at QMUNITY to deliberate over the first round of grant applications. The committee consists of FOH Board members Hasan Abdessamad, Catarina Moreno, and Chad Wilkinson alongside community representatives Rojina Farrokhnejad, Kevin Murphy, and Destiny Sharp, whom FOH requested review the applications and provide feedback.

As the Toronto Blue Jays cruised past the Kansas City Royals to pick up a crucial win in the American League Division Series, FOH reviewed four grants worth a combined total of $25,000. Applications valued at $17,500 came through FOH’s sponsorship stream from a different Toronto organization for its mandate to privately sponsor LGBT+ Syrians in collaboration with the Lifeline Syria Project.

Toronto-based Rainbow Railroad plans to organize resettlement teams in concert with Vancouver’s Rainbow Refugee Fund and the Metropolitan Community Church of Toronto acting as the sponsorship agreement holder.

Rainbow Railroad’s mission is to help LGBT+ individuals find a safe haven from state-sponsored violence, murder, and persecution. The second element of its combined funding application will provide emergency travel assistance to individuals in high-risk situations to seek immediate asylum from persecution. Individuals will benefit by gaining the necessary pre-travel support, local travel costs, short-term accommodations, passport and visa fees, or any other obligatory costs.

The final grant reviewed by the committee came through the community services stream from M.O.S.A.I.C., a B.C.-based multilingual non-profit organization dedicated to addressing issues that affect refugees in the course of their settlement and integration. M.O.S.A.I.C.’s mandate is to support and empower immigrant and refugee communities, helping to address critical issues in their neighborhoods and workplace. An application valued at $7,500 will provide individual and group counselling support services to LGBT+ newcomers to Canada. The grant targets individuals facing psychological barriers or dealing with lingering stresses associated with traumas experienced while living under persecution.

Foundation of Hope is very proud to approve these applications and looks forward to taking the next steps to administer funds in a timely manner. Organizations that are eligible for funding under our terms and conditions are encouraged to apply.