The inaugural Graham Mitchell Leadership Fund will provide financial support and mentoring to emerging community leaders in Canada working on municipal racial justice projects and campaigns. The fund is named in honour of Graham Mitchell (1974-2021), who dedicated his life to racial and gender justice as the foundation for building progressive change across Canada. The Graham Mitchell Leadership Fund will support emerging leaders who have knowledge of the problems and the solutions in their communities, prioritizing candidates who have been historically excluded from systems of power, particularly those with lived experience of racism and sexism.

The fund is being established by a steering committee of Graham’s former colleagues, family, and friends. The committee is working in partnership with the Urban Alliance on Race Relations (UARR)  to build multi-racial leadership that is facilitative, works within and outside institutions, and builds community power.  UARR will receive donations for the Graham Mitchell Leadership fund, issue tax receipts, and sit on the steering committee to develop fund criteria, and recruitment and award processes. 

We are currently fundraising throughout 2022, to begin awarding funds in 2023. Your donation will help us reach our goal of $50,000 to establish this fund. Donations to the Graham Mitchell Leadership Fund are eligible for a tax receipt (UARR charitable number Number BN: 119280022RR0001). Donations up to $1,000 can be made here through CanadaHelps, and a tax receipt automatically issued by CanadaHelps. For any donations above $1,000, and for those preferring to donate by cheque, please email donations@gmleadershipfund.ca for instructions.