MONTREAL: Monthly Exchange and Gathering of Non-Profits with Groupe 3737

Montreal, QC – Second edition of the Community of Practice organized by Groupe 3737 brought together several community leaders and representatives of non-profit organizations from Black communities. This monthly event aims to foster dialogue, synergy, and the co-creation of solutions around common issues these organizations face.

Claude Chupenga, founder of the Centre international de l’espoir, expressed his satisfaction with participating in this space for dialogue. He emphasized the importance of the workshops held during the gathering, which helped shed light on the specific challenges faced by each organization.

"We raised crucial issues such as the funding of Black-led organizations. One of the solutions identified was self-financing, fundraising, and all income-generating activities," he explained.

For Alus Pierretienne, President and CEO of the Comité d’exposition sur les arts et la culture caribéenne based in the Eastern Townships, the meeting was also an opportunity to identify shared challenges, particularly the lack of volunteers in Afro-descendant communities.

"It’s not ingrained in our culture, and it’s a problem that hinders many initiatives. We need to raise awareness and create a culture of volunteering in our communities," he advocated, also denouncing the chronic underfunding of the Afro-descendant arts and culture sector.

Mirou Nika, coordinator of services at the Institut Doxar, appreciated the collaborative approach of the discussion table dedicated to arts and culture.

"We discussed concrete solutions: expanding our volunteer pool, reaching out to sector-specific volunteer centers, and initiating collective actions where we support each other’s activities. This is the kind of cooperation we want to deepen."

The Institut Doxar works to foster the personal and professional growth of youth through Afro-descendant arts and culture, especially through music.

Meanwhile, A. Sidibé, President of Vivre sans Fibrome, highlighted issues related to the visibility of organizations:

"Without effective communication and marketing, even the best funding isn’t enough. Networking, human contact, and collaboration are essential to have a presence in the public space."

Ange Brevet, President of the Association des Ruches et des Femmes, shared her unique experience: installing beehives in rural African areas to produce honey for sale in Quebec.

"The revenue is shared with rural women to support their local projects. We also promote natural products like shea butter or cocoa butter. However, to fully bring our vision to life, we need motivated volunteers."

Jason Zumerville, social innovation coordinator at Groupe 3737, reminded attendees of the fundamental goal of these monthly meetings:

"These communities of practice allow organizations to share their realities, create synergies, and co-design concrete solutions to problems experienced on the ground."

He invited all interested organizations to join the next session, which will take place on the third Wednesday of next month, and encouraged them to follow Groupe 3737 on social media to stay informed.

Groupe 3737 is a Montreal-based incubator and accelerator dedicated to creating sustainable economic impact within Black communities through business support, training, funding, and social innovation.