Supporting more transparent grant guidelines

What happened

Jordan contacted us after their organization wasn’t awarded funding under the Black-Mandated Funding Framework (BMFF) grant program.

The program aims to address funding gaps and historical underinvestment in organizations serving Toronto’s Black communities.

Jordan raised concerns about the decision-making process and believed staff in the City’s Social Development division may have relied on public sources rather than on application materials only. Jordan had already escalated their concerns and received the division’s final response before contacting us.

What we did

We spoke with Jordan multiple times to understand their concerns and experience. We also met with Social Development staff to gather information about the grant process. We reviewed documents provided by Jordan, as well as the City’s grant policy and the BMFF program guidelines.

Our review identified gaps in the BMFF program guidelines provided to applicants. We found that the guidelines didn’t clearly state:

• the purpose and impact of pre-application and eligibility sessions
• the use of publicly available information when verifying applications
• how funding decisions are made

We suggested updates to program guidelines to improve transparency, which the division accepted.

The result

Although the funding outcome didn’t change, Jordan expressed appreciation for the clarity we provided. Social Development staff committed to updating the BMFF grant guidelines to reflect our suggestions. Staff also shared the information with the City’s Grants Coordinating Committee which led other divisions to review their grant guidelines as a result of our involvement.

Why this matters

Clear and transparent guidelines strengthen fairness in competitive funding processes. When people understand how public funds are allocated, it reduces confusion and builds trust in City services. Our involvement increased transparency to make sure decision-making is clear, and led to meaningful improvements without a formal investigation. The division also shared these changes with the City’s Grants Coordinating committee, prompting broader updates to grant guidelines beyond just this one program.