Red Coalition: Advocacy, Marketing, and the Reality of Grant Writing
Anyone who has worked within the civil rights or anti-racism sector knows that securing funding is a long game. You write proposals, design initiatives, and map out budgets, but some funding cycles simply do not come through. But the work itself does not stop because an application is declined; you keep building with the resources you have.
Over the past year, I have been working closely with The Red Coalition Inc., a Montreal-based lobbying organisation advocating to eliminate racial profiling and systemic racism across Canada. As the only federally registered lobby group in the country fighting specifically for the rights of Canadians against racial profiling (and one of only three tackling systemic racism) their work is incredibly urgent. Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour (BIPOC) communities historically experience deep-rooted discrimination, and the legacy of racism remains embedded within Canadian institutions.
To support their mission, I volunteered my time to write multiple grant proposals to help scale their operations and helping organise several community events. Here is a look at the "Justice for All" initiative we developed, the practical work that went into it, and how the campaign continues to move forward.
The Blueprint for "Justice for All"
The framework we sought to expand is called the "Justice for All" Advocacy and Representation Program. The organisation was originally founded after its director, Joel DeBellefeuille, a Black Canadian, was unlawfully pulled over by police four times in a single month without cause. To address this pervasive issue, we built a system that supports citizens across five core pillars: Assessment, Consultation, Legal Counsel, Media Coverage, and Public Relations.
Our goal for the grant project was to expand this model into an 11-month public education and mobilisation drive.
Merging Digital Media with Local Events
As a volunteer managing the marketing and event logistics, my focus was on visibility. We mapped out an 11-month timeline centred around a 20-episode podcast series. The structure was straightforward: a moderator would host honest, direct conversations with community leaders and advocates from Black, Indigenous, Jewish, Asian, Muslim, and LGBTQ+ communities. The goal was to give listeners immediate access to resources and connect them with grassroots support networks.
Alongside the digital assets, we planned physical town halls and monthly membership drives. We wanted to set up physical Red Coalition tables directly in local neighbourhoods, giving citizens an easy way to speak with a representative, learn about their rights, and navigate the formal complaint process if they had experienced discrimination.
To tie everything together, we planned a refresh of the Red Coalition website to turn it into a centralised database for legal support, case highlights, and community networking.
The Work Continues
Although this specific application to the Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) National Anti-Racism Fund was not awarded, the effort put into designing the campaign has not gone to waste. The strategic planning, marketing workflows, and intersectional community connections built during the proposal phase are currently being integrated into the Coalition’s active projects.
The Red Coalition continues to run its regular press conferences, act as an institutional watchdog, and offer its LARP (Legal Advocacy and Representation) programme to those facing discrimination. This experience reinforced a basic truth about anti-racism work: structural change requires steady administrative effort, and whether through a formal grant or volunteer marketing execution, the focus remains on keeping these platforms accessible.
Support the Red Coalition and follow their ongoing work here:
Website: redcoalition.ca
Instagram: @redcoalitioninc
LinkedIn: Red Coalition Inc.
Facebook: Red Coalition
X (Twitter): @redcoalitionInc