Walmart Canada and the Walmart Foundation have announced grants totaling $3.5 million in support of seven Canadian organizations working to improve conditions for Black and Indigenous communities in Canada.

The first round of funding from the Walmart Foundation’s five-year, $20 million commitment to advance equity for Black and Indigenous communities is focused on initiatives in the areas of education, career advancement, food security, and health. Recipients include the Information and Communications Technology Council, which was awarded $500,000 in support of research to understand gaps that Black and Indigenous communities face in job mobility and career advancement, and the Women’s College Hospital Foundation, which will receive $150,000 to establish the Walmart Canada Equitable Futures in Healthcare Award for a leading researcher supporting Black communities through the Emily Stowe Society at Women’s College Hospital.

“As part of our strategy to become a regenerative company we are advocating and driving systemic change to build more inclusive communities across Canada,” said Nabeela Ixtabalan, Walmart Canada executive vice president people and corporate affairs. “We will use our size and scale to make an impact toward a more just and equitable society across Canada”

For a complete list of grantees, see the Walmart Canada website.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images/krblokhin)