National SOGIESC Refugee Fund

The End of the Rainbow Foundation’s National SOGIESC Sponsorship Fund was founded to assist sponsorship groups pay for expenses related to helping LGBTQ+ refugees become established anywhere in Canada, and away from countries of persecution.

Any donor can designate donations to the fund. As it grows and accumulates, sponsorship groups can apply to obtain funds for their sponsored refugees.

Donate to the fund:

Thank you to our founders:

We would like to thank Righteous Gelato as the funds’ founder and for giving the initial donation to create the fund. Thank you also to the Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Company and TD Bank for its ongoing generous support to help build this fund happen.

Righteous Gelato is offering a new limited release product that will be sold and proceeds from sale of the product will be put into the reserve.

Grant Applications:

Grant Applications are being accepted through this link.

Sponsorship groups anywhere in Canada will be able to apply for a grant if:

1) they can demonstrate readiness of a volunteer group to sponsor a refugee,

2) have applied for a refugee through the Rainbow RAP program, through a partnership from Rainbow Railroad, or through a private sponsorship.

No application is guaranteed to be accepted. Priority will be given to the most urgent refugee cases. Funds will be allocated initially as a pledge to specific refugee sponsorships. Pledges will be moved to a confirmed grant once confirmation occurs from IRCC that their sponsorship was accepted. If sponsorships are rejected or refugees cannot arrive in Canada, then pledges will be moved to alternate refugee sponsorships or retuned to the fund. Grants will be released after the sponsored refugee arrives in Canada. Groups receiving grants and paying for sponsorship expenses must be qualified donees.