The millions of dollars distributed by Quebec and Ottawa to LGBTQ+ advocacy groups harm more than they help, finds a study by the Institute for Socioeconomic Research and Information (IRIS). “It might sound a little crazy. They have more money, and that puts them in trouble. In fact, that’s exactly it, ”explains the co-author of the study, Wissam Mansour.
For example, one of the community organizations questioned by IRIS saw its budget explode from $8,000 to $350,000 in one year. Without accounting staff or administrative support, management found itself with more problems than solutions. “They want to do well, fulfill their mission, but they don’t have the means to spend that money over a short period of time,” says Wissam Mansour.
Last summer, his team dissected the financing of some twenty LGBTQ+ community organizations, representative of the hundred in Quebec. They almost all juggle with an overflow of money offered too quickly, until bullets drop.
In another group – whose name is not disclosed – the payment of thousands of dollars has been “extremely difficult” for officials. “They had to hire dozens of people all of a sudden to meet the criteria that were associated with the grant,” says Ms.me Mansur. Nearly half of the people who were hired had to quit because they found the workload too heavy. »
Quebec distributes its subsidies by “projects”, which often last only a short period of time. Or, very specific criteria govern the use of these funds. These aids ad hoc do not make it possible to ensure the sustainability of the works of these organizations, observes Wissam Mansour.
“Many organizations don’t have employees, so implementing a project… With a little more time and a little more freedom, they could do a little more efficient work, and for less money too! »
The federal approach does not offer better avenues, details the ten-page study published on Wednesday. “The federal government demands that we improve the processes, while the processes have not been built,” said Ms.me Mansur. We offer an amount for the equivalent of painting while for many LGBTQ + community groups, there is not even a floor yet. »
The amounts are substantial: up to $400,000 for pan-Canadian organizations, up to $300,000 for provincial organizations, and up to $100,000 for local organizations.
A problem rooted in history
This dazzling growth in budgets contrasts with the “dearth” that hit LGBTQ+ groups from the mid-1990s until the mid-2010s. These associations were confined to the prevention of AIDS and other socio-sanitary problems. “That’s just what we offered them. It was the only opening they had”, contextualizes the IRIS researcher.
We have to wait until 2016 before we see the creation of funding dedicated to the rights and freedoms of LGBTQ+ people. Today, these groups deal with popular education, awareness and support.
“They haven’t had time to develop yet, and we demand that they behave like groups that have existed for decades,” summarizes Wissam Mansour.
The few older LGBTQ+ organizations—those that began in the late 1970s—remain the only ones today that are managing to deal with this bumpy funding, after several years of stabilizing their structure.