Led by members of the communities it serves and supports, CCBI was founded in January 2024 in Tiohtià:ke/Montreal, Quebec, as a non-profit social enterprise to create a community resource equipped to support 2SLGBTQ+ individuals faced with economic disparities and systemic discrimination as well as the groups that support them with the financial knowledge and skills needed to build long-term economic stability. We bring over 25 years of experience in professional services and program development - particularly within community contexts to the table, aiming to implement a comunity stewardship model of solidarity economy as a resource for our network. 

We prioritize working with community-led initiatives and are dedicated to tailoring our programming to address the diverse needs within 2SLGBTQ+ communities. We collaborate across diverse sectors to highlight the work done by and for our communities and create opportunities for skill and knowledge exchanges.

CCBI strives to enhance financial literacy, economic resilience, and access to essential financial management resources within 2SLGBTQ+ communities facing economic disparities and social exclusion, offering unique economic empowerment programs using collaboration, skill-sharing and professional development as tools for social change. 

With your contribution, we aim to create a solidarity clinic in Montreal's Village that offers an accessible, relevant and safer space for 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

How you can help!

Participate in our Foundations for 2SLGBTQ+ Futures fundraising campaign:

50% off tailored group financial fiscal and literacy trainings! Volunteer your team for CCBI's training sessions, be part of the process in this creative interactive model! We'll be rolling out trainings such as Bookkeeping 101, Budgeting basics, Closing your financial year, Fiscal and Financial Data security, Organizing for Tax Season and Trans competency in the workplace. You'll be the first notified and offered a healthy discount for helping us tweak things before launching to the community.

Support local 2SLGBTQ+ cooperatives!!

Take a friend out for coffee or treat yourself or someone else to an enjoyable literary treat and support local 2SLGBTQ+ cooperatives at the same time! 

Invest in your own economic resiliency - by supporting our business https://ccbi.ca/professional-services

Get involved! - From volunteering, mentorship to collaborating with us on our programming or yours https://ccbi.ca/get-involved

We plan to use funds over 3 years while we implement, coordinate and then operate a community solidarity clinic in collaboration with AGIR Montreal, Jeunesse Lambda, Juri Trans and ASTTeQ with the goal of serving low income 2SLGBTQ+ individuals facing systemic discrimination and economic dispartities.

Team and volunteer intersectional training  $6,000

HR development $10,000
Governance development $10,000

Evaluation : Capacity & Impact  $12,000

Tax Clinic start-up (Y1), coordination (Y2), transfer to volunteer partners, supervision (Y3) $45,000

Project Administration  $5,000

Office material & registered postage  $4000

Total expenses  $92,000

We prioritize working within the communities we serve, the majority of the funds will be redistributed within these circles.

The Impact

Over the past year, CCBI has launched initiatives serving 225 individuals and groups! We've implemented programming such as career development and mentorship, quarterly tax support sessions for artists and freelancers and a 3-module 72 hour financial literacy program prioritizing QTBIPOC individuals and groups: Fiscal literacy, especially for new residents to Canada and Non profit compliance: Connecting over 120 2SLGBTQ+ individuals, groups and organizations with essential fiscal and financial literacy, management resources, and community networking. 

We collaborate within the communities we serve and we've heard the demand for ongoing learning, resource-sharing and community building. Implementing programming tailored to their needs while collaborating with specialized professionals and funders in hopes of creating a better understanding and more collaboration surrounding the lived realities and needs of 2SLGBTQ+ communities, especially trans, non binary, gender diverse and QTBIPOC. 

We believe that economic well-being is integral to maintaining quality of life and recognize that economic disparity can have far-reaching impacts on individuals and communities. These impacts can affect everything from access to healthcare and food to stress levels and mental health. 

We thank you for your contributions towards uplifting our communities in self-determination and economic empowerment

More about CCBI

Who is CCBI:

CCBI is led entirely by professionals from the communities we serve, with expertise in community programming, non profit finance and accounting management, and collaborative entrepreneurship. We provide community tax and accounting services to individuals, freelancers, artists, small businesses, coops, nonprofits, and charities while advancing economic well-being for underrepresented 2SLGBTQ+ communities through strategic programming and community-led initiatives.

Our team includes two full-time and three part-time members, supported by a volunteer-driven governance and direction structure that ensures our mission remains community-led and accountable.

What is CCBI’s mission:

Our mission is to provide professional tax and accounting services through our social finance clinic while developing collaborative programming that prioritizes economic well-being for underrepresented 2SLGBTQ+ communities through a solidarity clinic. Through financial and fiscal education, we strive to foster long-term financial stability, economic and employment equity, capacity building, and resilience within our communities.

What are CCBI’s values? :

Integrity and Accountability

We value earning the trust of those we serve by holding ourselves accountable to high professional and ethical standards. Transparency, honesty, and accountability are at the core of our work, ensuring that we consistently earn and maintain that trust.

Empowerment and Capacity Building

We are committed to capacity building by empowering individuals and communities with the tools, resources, and opportunities needed for long-term success. Our focus on capacity building ensures sustainable growth and development.

Collaboration and Partnership

We believe in the power of collective action and actively seek partnerships with organizations, professionals, and community members, bringing much needed voices to the table. Through collaboration, we strengthen our impact and ensure our services remain relevant and effective.

Equity and advocacy

We embrace and celebrate the diverse skills and identities within our communities while advocating for self-determination and systemic change. We strive to develop solutions that address the barriers disproportionately affecting underrepresented communities.

What are CCBI’s goals:

Service: Expand access to professional tax, accounting, and financial services for individuals, businesses, and nonprofits. Go beyond traditional financial service models by integrating education, mentorship, and professional development to equip individuals and organizations with the knowledge and skills they need to strengthen financial management skills, improve risk assessment and build towards longer term economic stability. And our initiatives, fueled by our social mandate and our financial partnerships will prioritize low income 2SLGBTQ+ communities facing economic disparities.

Network: Create and connect the 2SLGBTQ+ community with a network of skilled professionals committed to addressing complex fiscal, financial and economic challenges. Prioritize collaborative programming, mentorship, sponsorships, and strategic community initiatives to expand outreach and enhance financial resilience. Strengthen relationships between funders and community groups to ensure sustainable support and alignment with the needs of underrepresented 2SLGBTQ+ communities.

Solidarity: Develop community-focused programming while securing diverse funding streams to prevent financial strain on the communities we serve. Increase the sustainability of our work through cross sector visibility, amplify workers' voices, break isolation and standardize professional intersectional development for our team, members and collaborators. 

What is CCBI’s vision?

Our long-term vision is to build sustainable, intersectional economic ecosystems that foster community mutual aid, empower entrepreneurs, and create equitable job markets. However, sustainability extends beyond capital and surplus - it is not just about financial longevity or environmental impact. True sustainability isn’t possible without considering the constellations of people and communities involved and the complex power and structural dynamics that shape economic access.

We believe that true sustainability requires reconciliation, reparative justice, and the redistribution of resources to address systemic harm. We recognize the ongoing impacts of colonization, economic exclusion, and the erasure of communities, including genocide and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit people (MMIWG2S).

Our work is rooted in the belief that none are free unless all are free. We affirm the right to self-determination for every being on this planet—everyone should have access to the resources, knowledge, and support needed to shape their own futures free from systemic barriers.