The Vinequity Scholarship Fund has been supporting BIPOC professionals since 2020. We believe that access to high quality education empowers professionals to higher levels of success and visibility within the Canadian Beverage Alcohol Industry. Your donation directly supports these skilled and talented individuals remove barriers to their educational goals.
Vinequity is a non-profit organization founded by seven BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Colour) women with 63 collective years in the Canadian Beverage Alcohol Industry.
Since our inception in 2020, Vinequity’s goal has been to ensure that people who identify as BIPOC (including those who identify as LGBTQ+ or are living with a disability) are given equitable treatment and opportunities to access, grow and thrive as visible leaders in the industry.
The Vinequity scholarship program aims to bring attention to the systemic lack of diversity across the industry by supporting talent and passion for wine, beer and spirits in our communities. Over the past three years, our founding group has successfully delivered the program on an entirely grassroots, volunteer basis. In 2021/2022, only 11% of our funding went to administrative costs. To date, Vinequity has awarded $50,000 to our scholarship recipients.
Behind every bottle on the shelf, or curated pairing at your favourite restaurant is a network of skilled professionals from beverage makers, to marketers to sommeliers. Much of this experience and knowledge requires access to specialized education. These programs are rigorous and costly. 95% of scholarship applicants cite cost as a barrier to pursuing further education. Less diversity at all levels of the industry means less diversity on the shelf and in restaurants.
Wine enthusiasts are naturally adventurous. They know that the only way to learn about wine is to try as much as you can. To love wine is to love regions of the world for the mere fact that they are different from one another. Different grapes, soil and temperature all tell a new story. The same applies to the people. Varied life experience and expertise brings new ideas to the table. The more space we create for innovation and growth, the more benefits we reap in every glass.
All donations receive a charitable tax receipt – thank you for your support!
