How can we support trans and gender diverse communities to thrive and live prosperous lives through supportive environments, economic and financial stability and inclusion, housing, education, and health care access?
About the Challenge
The Transcend Impact Challenge is a $2.1M fund to support trans and gender diverse communities across Canada to thrive and live prosperous lives. The Challenge is led by the Sonor Foundation with support from partner foundations, including World Education Services Mariam Assefa Fund, Ontario Trillium Foundation, United Church of Canada Foundation, Chamandy Foundation, Counselling Foundation of Canada, Canadian Women's Foundation, Toronto Foundation, and Martha LA McCain.
The challenge’s goal is to support trans and gender diverse communities to thrive and live prosperous lives through supportive environments, economic and financial stability and inclusion, housing, education, and health care access.
In addition to our funding partners, we are very grateful to our Advisory Committee, which comprised trans and gender diverse leaders across the country. From input into the design of the Challenge, to reviewing all funding applications, and providing recommendations - this group informed and shaped all aspects of the challenge.
Over 155 applications across 12 provinces and territories, totalling $35M in total requests were received.
Why now?
Trans and gender diverse communities have been systematically and historically underfunded by the philanthropic sector, despite ample calls for funding supports and interventions specific to this population.
For every $100 awarded by US foundations, only 4 cents focuses on trans communities. In Canada, there is limited data on how much capital flows to 2SLGBTQI+ communities – no data is available specific to trans communities.
While the 2SLGBTQI+ movement has achieved tremendous progress in recent decades in raising awareness around the needs and lived experiences of 2SLGBTQI+ communities, trans and gender diverse people continue to face high levels of discrimination and violence and significant barriers to education, safe employment, housing, and health care access compared to their cisgender counterparts. These challenges are particularly acute for trans and gender diverse youth.
The current data reflects these disproportionate challenges. In a TransPulse survey of trans and non-binary people in Canada in 2019, 57% worried about being harassed or stopped by police or security (75% for Indigenous trans and non-binary people, 94% for Black trans and non-binary people), 45% had a past-year unmet health care need compared to 4% of the general population, and 11% had experienced conversion therapy. A study by the Canadian Labour Congress in 2022 found that 73% of gender-diverse respondents have experienced harassment and violence in the workplace compared to 46% of cis women and 38% of cis men. Researchers from the University of Ottawa using 2019 data found transgender youth were five times more likely to think about suicide and 7.6 times more likely to have ever attempted suicide than cisgender youth.
We believe that supporting thriving trans and gender diverse communities drives economic prosperity for Canada and improves the experience of creativity, joy, courage, wellbeing, and safety for everyone.
Through the 2023 Transcend Impact Challenge, the Sonor Foundation and its funding partners are investing $2.1M across Canada to support trans and gender diverse communities to thrive. This is a one-time funding program that we hope will stimulate further investment into trans and gender diverse communities across the Canadian funding landscape. In addition to funding, selected grantees will receive capacity building coaching and support.
Through the Transcend Impact Challenge, we have awarded more than $2.1 million in funding across three years to nine incredible organizations across Canada.
These leaders and teams are making a significant impact in supporting trans and gender diverse communities.
The Sonor Foundation is furthering our commitment to the trans community by supporting the Central Toronto Youth Services in scaling the Families in TRANSition program in partnership with community organizations across Canada.
