1. FAACA Initial Application and Eligibility of The Immigrant Voice, 2014-2019
The Immigrant Voice (TIV), a collective advocacy organization for the rights of workers educated abroad, is submitting an initial application for funding to SACAIS in 2015.
2. The François Legault government announces new money - 2019
Minister Jean Boulet announces nearly $11 million to better support community organizations and reduce funding inequities.
Rather than bringing much-needed hope to The Immigrant Voice (TIV), Minister Jean Boulet's announcement sounded the death knell for his expectations by a letter of refusal of funding from SACAIS.
Please note: The Immigrant Voice, an eligible organization listed on the Permanent Register awaiting new money, became ineligible overnight.
4. 2020 exam request
The Immigrant Voice submits a revised application to SACAIS dated February 17, 2020.
The SACAIS acknowledges receipt dated February 20, 2020..
6. Final refusal
Despite the documents submitted to SACAIS, the clarifying telephone exchanges with the management and technicians of SACAIS, LaThe Immigrant Voice will receive correspondence from SACAIS, dated 15 June 2020, in these terms :
"To follow up on the request for a decision review that your organisation sent to the Secretariat for Autonomous Community Action and Social Initiatives (SACAIS), a committee was mandated by the Directorate General for Social Solidarity and Community Action to carry out this review.
The new documents submitted as part of the Decision Review Mechanism did not establish that your organization demonstrates sound financial management and good governance. Indeed, there are inconsistencies and irregularities. Both of these conditions are necessary to obtain government funding.
2020
2014
TO BE CONTINUED...
The SACAIS answers, on 18 March 2015, in these terms:
"We have analyzed the request for financial support that your organization sent to the Secrétariat à l'action communautaire autonome et aux initiatives sociales (SACAIS) under the Programme de soutien financier aux orientations gouvernementales en action communautaire et en action bénévole, volet : Promotion des droits, for the 2014-2015 fiscal year.
The analysis carried out leads to the conclusion that your organization is eligible for the program. Thus, you have the option of asking SACAIS to register your organization in the Permanent Register for Eligible Organizations. This permanent register allows you to keep an active application for financial support in the event that the financial capacity of the Independent Community Action Fund (IFAACF) allows you to welcome organizations to the program. To this end, we are enclosing the information you need to submit your organization's application. »
Having received the application for the registration of the organisation in the Register, SACAIS replied on 22 April 2015: "(...) we confirm the registration of your organisation in the Permanent Register. This registration on the Register will allow us to keep your request for financial support active in the event that the financial capacity of the Fonds d'aide à l'action communautaire autonome (FAACA) allows us to welcome organizations to the program... (...). »
The Immigrant Voice remained eligible and on the Permanent Register from 2015 to 2019, until the eventuality of the FAACA's financial capacity allowed new organizations to enter the program.
3. Refusal of 2019-2020 funding
The Immigrant Voice receives a letter of refusal from the SACAIS on January 14, 2020
5. Review - SACAIS requests additional documents
On April 24, 2020, SACAIS asked The Immigrant Voice for additional documents.
The Immigrant Voice submitted all of the additional documents requested by May 15, 2020.
7. The story continues
As a partial conclusion, it should be noted that not only did SACAIS declare La Voix de l'Immigrant (LVI) ineligible for the FAACA, but above all the organization was excluded from the Permanent Register of Organizations Waiting for Funding.
Since then, the organization has :
Exchanged (by telephone) with SACAIS (on 13 July 2020) on the underlying reasons for its decisions vis-à-vis the organisation. The latter will have to resubmit a new application in the fall of 2020.
Exchanged (in close-up), on the difficulties La Voix de l'Immigrant is encountering in obtaining recurrent funding, with the caucus of the Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) in the Outaouais, led by the Minister of Family and Minister Responsible for the Outaouais Region, Mr. Mathieu LACOMBE. The organization is still waiting for the follow-up from the said caucus.