☛ Ce texte est aussi disponible en français [➦].

Translated by Gabrielle Baillargeon-Michaud. 

With the upcoming provincial elections on the horizon, all political parties have laid out their diverse platforms to win over Quebec’s electorate. The agenda includes crucial issues like environmental protection, healthcare, and education, which have dominated recent debates. However, there’s a noticeable gap in commitments to support Quebec’s community groups and organizations, which play a vital role in reducing inequalities and ensuring a more equitable access to resources. Their future is scarcely mentioned in political discourse, despite their importance (DRSP, 2020).

Chronic financial instability

In February, the precarious financial state of many Quebec organizations prompted approximately 4,000 of them to strike, demanding a stable annual government investment of $460 million (Radio-Canada, 2022). LGBTQ+ community organizations are particularly vulnerable, relying predominantly on project-specific funding rather than mission funding. According to a 2022 IRIS report, 53% of these organizations name underfunding as their principal challenge, limiting their ability to employ enough full-time staff and resulting in excessive workloads.

This funding shortfall for LGBTQ+ community organizations in Quebec isn’t new; it reflects a longstanding lack of recognition and support from successive governments. From 1970 to 2001, LGBTQ+ groups struggled without the necessary recognition or financial support to establish a solid organizational foundation. The 1990s were marked by governmental efforts to cut public spending, especially on social programs, exacerbating the issue (Blais et al., 2022). It wasn’t until the 2010s that the situation began to improve with the introduction of new federal and provincial funding programs. The 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund of Women and Gender Equality Canada and the Anti-Homophobia and Transphobia Program of the Quebec Department of Justice (Programme Lutte contre l'homophobie et la transphobie) have notably and significantly enhanced funding availability. 

However, these programs primarily provide project-based grants, which many criticize for lacking real impact and sustainability of short-term projects (Blais et al., 2022). The pressure to constantly develop new projects is burdensome, and community organizations, long overlooked in government budgets, now face continually rising demands. Consequently, 77% of these organizations recognize the need for additional funding to fulfill their missions, with the average required amount being $132,835 per organization (RQ-ACA, 2022).

The case for mission-based funding

Mission-based funding, which grants organizations the autonomy to allocate recurring funds according to their members’ needs, contrasts sharply with the restrictive nature of project-based funding, which is tied to the specific criteria and preferences of funders (Fortin, M., & Wissam Mansour, p. 5, 2022). 

During the COVID-19 pandemic, a survey of over 700 autonomous community groups by IRIS highlighted that, despite 20% of these groups still in precarious situations due to chronic underfunding, those in Quebec fared better than their counterparts elsewhere in Canada during the first wave of the pandemic, thanks to their mission-based funding model (Couturier, E., & Maxim Fortin, p. 3, 2021). 

Recognizing the importance of mission-based funding is essential; it supports operational stability and fosters independence from governmental influence while also minimizing administrative burdens. Adopting mission-based funding acknowledges that the work of community organizations transcends mere service delivery, and aims for social participation and transformation. This funding approach demonstrated its effectiveness during the first wave of the pandemic, as it enabled Quebec’s community organizations to exhibit greater resilience and strength compared to their counterparts elsewhere in Canada (Couturier, E., & Maxim Fortin, 2021). Consequently, Les 3 sex* and other community organizations are actively advocating for increased mission-based funding.

Community-based organizations are essential contributors to our communities, actively enhancing living standards and championing collective rights. While the recent submission of the government action plan for community action (Plan d’action gouvernemental en matière d’action communautaire - PAGAC) marks a significant step forward for the community sector, it falls short of addressing all the sector’s needs, leaving many issues unresolved.