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Recently, the media shared the news that North Bay Pride is receiving additional funding of $90K, which caused a stir in the North Bay area. Not in a good way either.
Let me clear up a few things before we get into these comments.
This funding is not just for the event from September 15 through the 19th, 2021. All funding is for a fiscal year. The funding we received, is to support and hire artists and production. The arts are one of the hardest-hit industries during the recent pandemic. Not only are we supporting Canadians, but we are also supporting local businesses such as venues, production companies, hotels, catering, and so forth. Our organization is helping our economy recover.
The comments made were mostly homophobic, and here is why.
If you look at the history of other funding announcements, such as events, movies, or a for-profit long-term care home, they just had a few comments, usually positive. However, when the LGBTQ+ organization received funding, apparently the world is ending. And that is the issue. Over 500 comments, mostly negative and homophobic.
See the difference?
For those of you who start your comment with, "I am not homophobic", or "I have a friend is who is gay, I have a family member part of the LGBTQ+ community," does not suddenly make your comment not homophobic or discriminatory. Discrimination has a simple definition, it is treating one person or group differently than another person or group because of sexual orientation, race, etc. You all did not make the same comments to other groups who received similar funding and, in most cases, a great deal of more funds.
Hence, homophobia and discrimination are clear.
What these comments have proved, is not everyone is treated equally in Canada or our local city of North Bay. Events like Pride are clearly still needed.
Guess what? You will not break us, you will not scare us, you will not deter us. We are part of this city. We are part of this community. We are not going away. We will only get bigger. We will only get stronger. We will stand together for the betterment of everyone.
For those of you saying that you think it should go to the homeless. Let us truly be honest. How many of you have never done anything for the homeless? How many of you cannot even look at or talk to a homeless person? How many of you stepped over a homeless person on your way to writing your negative comments about pride? The majority of you really do not care about the homeless, which makes your comments hypocritical. Many homeless youths are part of the LGBTQ+ community.
However, in light of comments regarding grants, let me provide you how to get grants so that you can help the homeless, community, or people in need if your comments were real in any way.
- You need to find enough people to be on your board of directors. You need a minimum of three people.
- You must federally incorporate a not-for-profit. If you cannot do it yourself, which the majority cannot, you will need to find a law firm to incorporate your concept, which will cost you approximately $1,500. If you want a charity, that is even more money and more complicated.
- Once you have received your documents, you will need to open a bank account, which also includes a deposit.
- You must have a meeting with your board of directors, hire someone to do bookkeeping, then figure out an accountant, that will provide you a financial audit when the time comes. And yes, you guessed it, they cost money too. You must keep meeting minutes and financial statements because you need them for many grant applications.
- Before applying for grants, you must have a mission for your not-for-profit, what are you going to do with the funding if you get it.
- Now, you must find a grant to apply for that fits your not for profit, yes there are many to search through. Not only do you need to research federally, but provincially and with your local city council.
- You need to research the application guidelines and your eligibility to apply. If you make a mistake, your application will be denied.
- You need to figure out your budget, you need to figure out how you will run your program, and then explain how you will fund the remaining balance that the grant does not cover.
- Now, get your letters of support from the city, provincial, and federal supporters, and organizations, because you need to attach them to your application.
- Now, you get to write your grant and fill out the application. Once completed, you then get to submit it to the review committees and the grant providers.
- Now, you wait and hope you get it.
This process will take you approximately two weeks to complete the process working at it full time. Do not forget to spell check and good luck.
The time for talk is over, now for you to back up your talk with the walk.
Jason Maclennan
Communications Director
North Bay Pride
