2024 Elevating Voices Media Grant campaigns
MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, May 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — For the third consecutive year, PATTISON Outdoor Advertising is continuing to honor its commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with their Elevating Voices Media Grant, awarding up to $1MILLION in Out-of-Home media space to non-profit and charitable organizations throughout Canada. This year saw a record number of applicants, fueled by grassroots outreach and social media postings, and attracted a wide spectrum of causes and underserved groups. These applications were thoughtfully reviewed by the dedicated subcommittee of PATTISON’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee and selected based on the given criteria.
PATTISON is pleased to announce that nine organizations from across Canada were chosen to receive a portion of the $1Million media grant value.
The Elevating Voices program launched in 2022 with the intention to provide a platform to organizations dedicated to servicing and supporting ethno-cultural groups, the 2SLGBTQI+ community, women’s equality, those with disabilities, and any other group focused on and for projects that promote Diversity, Equity and Inclusion.
Three national partners and six regional partners encompass PATTISON’s largest group of recipients to date.
NATIONAL PARTNERS:
1. Black North Initiative (BNI)
The BlackNorth Initiative (BNI) is on a mission to close the gaps created by systemic anti-Black racism for Black Canadians—a Canada where systemic anti-Black racism does not exist. Since their founding in 2020, they have made significant strides in transforming corporate Canada, empowering Black entrepreneurs, supporting youth education, and creating pathways to home ownership for Black families. BNI’s initiatives directly impact Black professionals, entrepreneurs, students, and families by providing the tools, resources, and connections necessary for long-term success. Their work also engages corporate Canada, ensuring that organizations take tangible steps to create diverse, inclusive, and equitable workplaces.
https://blacknorth.ca/
2. Blk Women In Excellence Society (BWIE)
Canadian Blk Women in Excellence Society, an award winning non-for-profit where empowerment knows no bounds. Their mission is to empower and support both Black women and Black Female Youth through a dynamic, multifaceted approach. By fostering economic growth, creating equitable opportunities, and amplifying voices, they have built a comprehensive ecosystem of resources, mentorship, and community engagement to bridge gaps, drive positive change, and construct a more inclusive entrepreneurial landscape.
https://www.bwiecanada.com/
3. Canadians for Leading Edge Alzheimer Research (CLEAR)
Canadians for Leading Edge Alzheimer Research (CLEAR Foundation) is a national non-profit organization dedicated to funding world-class dementia research in Canada. Their mission is singular yet powerful: to accelerate scientific discoveries that will lead to better prevention, treatment, and ultimately, a cure for Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Their target audience includes anyone impacted by dementia in Canada, from individuals living with the disease to caregivers, families, and healthcare professionals seeking better treatments and solutions. Their campaigns not only amplify our commitment to funding world-class research but also highlight the critical issue of dementia in an aging population—a demographic often underrepresented in mainstream media.
https://clearalzheimers.ca/
REGIONAL PARTNERS:
1. SafeLink Alberta Society
SafeLink Alberta is a non-profit organization that has been serving and advocating for priority populations in Calgary and southern Alberta since 1983. Their mission at SafeLink Alberta is to reduce the harm associated with sexual activity and substance use by offering low-barrier, non-judgmental, and informed programs and services. They focus on supporting communities that often face systemic barriers to healthcare, including people living with HIV, African, Caribbean, and Black (ACB) communities, Indigenous populations, 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals, people who use substances, sex workers, and pregnant individuals experiencing challenges related to substance use, mental health, housing, and interpersonal violence. By prioritizing these underserved populations, they strive to promote equity and reduce stigma.
https://safelinkalberta.ca
2. UNITI Semiahmoo House Society
UNITI’s mission has always been clear: to ensure people with disabilities live meaningful and inclusive lives in their communities. Founded in 1958 by a group of determined mothers who sought to keep their children with disabilities out of segregated institutions UNITI has continuously consulted and partnered with the community and understands that inclusive housing is the cornerstone of all people being valued and belonging.
https://uniti4all.com/
3. Foodpreneur Lab
Foodpreneur Lab is Canada’s only nonprofit organization, founded and led by a Black woman, and is dedicated exclusively to supporting underserved food entrepreneurs. Their mission is to transform Canada’s food ecosystem by dismantling systemic barriers that prevent Black, racialized, women and other underserved entrepreneurs from starting and scaling their food businesses.
https://www.foodpreneurlab.com
4. Centre Francophone du Grand Toronto (CFGT)
The CFGT is the largest non-profit organization in the Greater Toronto Area dedicated to meeting the needs of Francophones in their own language and promoting their inclusion in a predominantly English-speaking environment. They have a deep understanding of the challenges this population faces and proven expertise in implementing impactful programs. The Centre francophone du Grand Toronto (CFGT) is a designated agency under Ontario’s French Language Services Act and offers a wide range of community health and social services in French, enhancing the well-being of all Francophones in the Greater Toronto Area through its 12 service locations in the Toronto, Peel, and York regions.
https://www.centrefranco.org
5. Accessible Housing Society
Accessible Housing is a non-profit organization and registered charity with a mandate to open doors for people with limited mobility to enhance dignity through accessible homes that are appropriate and affordable. Through outreach and residential programs, Accessible Housing provides housing and personal support so that everyone can have a home, belong and participate in community.
https://www.accessiblehousing.ca
6. Unity Charity
Unity Charity was founded in 2007 with a bold vision: to use Hip Hop as a vehicle for promoting mental health and well-being among youth. Starting as a grassroots movement in Toronto, they offered small-scale workshops and events in community centers, schools, and parks. Seventeen years later, they’ve grown into a national BIPOC-led organization, serving over half a million Canadian youth aged 13-29 from underserved and equity-deserving communities across Ontario, Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Alberta.
https://unitycharity.com
The grant program will leverage the reach, inventory and power of OOH advertising, giving recipients an opportunity to expand their outreach and impact in their respective communities.
“As a leader in the Out-of-Home Advertising industry, PATTISON recognizes the responsibility we have to the communities in which we live and work. With National coverage and hyper localized advertising options in key environments like Transit, Airports, Outdoor and Urban Pathways, we can be sure that we are providing these organizations with a platform from which to raise awareness of their causes to create lasting and impactful change coast-to-coast. Now, more than ever, voices need to be heard.” – Bridget Campbell, DEI Co-Chair.
About PATTISON Outdoor
PATTISON Outdoor Advertising, a division of The Jim Pattison Group is Canada’s largest Out-of-Home advertising company. PATTISON Outdoor helps brands and businesses harness the power of Out-of-Home advertising by providing the most comprehensive range of products, markets, insights and customer support services. With its roots reaching back to 1908, PATTISON has been providing innovative solutions for Out-of-Home advertising opportunities with products ranging from traditional billboards to transit, digital, airport, residential, office, and street level formats. PATTISON is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario with over 25 sales offices across the country, providing advertisers unmatched reach and coverage with products available in over 200 markets coast to coast.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/074cef55-798a-4572-997c-3afe31c6fd49
