Who We Are
A Calgary-based, community-driven nonprofit advancing social inclusion, civic participation, leadership capacity, and long-term well-being of newcomers and diverse communities.
Community-Driven. Community-Led.
Empowering Futures, Building Communities Society (EFBCS) is a Calgary-based, community-driven nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing the social inclusion, civic participation, leadership capacity, and long-term well-being of newcomers and diverse communities.
EFBCS was established in recognition of the complex and interconnected barriers that individuals and families may encounter as they navigate settlement, integration, and participation in Canadian society — including limited access to information and services, social isolation, language and cultural differences, unequal opportunities, and reduced access to community networks and decision-making processes.
Guided by principles of equity, inclusion, collaboration, and community-led development, EFBCS works to strengthen individual and collective capacity through education, community engagement, advocacy, leadership development, social support, and strategic partnerships.
Our approach recognizes community members not merely as recipients of services, but as active contributors, knowledge holders, leaders, and partners in the development of sustainable solutions.
Inclusive, equitable, and resilient communities in which all individuals have meaningful opportunities to belong, participate, lead, and contribute to shared social, cultural, and economic well-being.
برای نسلی توانمند و فردایی روشن
To advance the inclusion, empowerment, and meaningful participation of newcomers and diverse communities through education, community engagement, advocacy, capacity building, social support, and collaborative initiatives that address barriers, strengthen community assets, and promote sustainable social and economic well-being.
EFBCS collaborates with nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, public agencies, community leaders, volunteers, and other stakeholders to identify emerging needs, exchange knowledge, and develop practical, inclusive, and sustainable responses. Lasting impact is achieved through shared leadership and the meaningful participation of those most directly affected by social and systemic barriers.
Our Core Values
Eight principles that guide every decision, programme, and partnership at EFBCS.
Inclusion
We are committed to fostering accessible, welcoming, and culturally responsive environments in which individuals and communities are respected, represented, and able to participate meaningfully.
Equity
We recognize that individuals and communities experience unequal access to opportunities, resources, and systems. We work to identify and reduce barriers while promoting fair and equitable access to support, participation, and opportunity.
Empowerment
We support individuals and communities in strengthening their knowledge, confidence, skills, agency, and capacity to participate actively in decisions that affect their lives and futures.
Respect and Dignity
We uphold the inherent dignity of every individual and value cultural diversity, lived experience, community knowledge, and the unique contributions of all people.
Collaboration
We believe that sustainable and meaningful impact requires reciprocal partnerships, shared responsibility, interdisciplinary cooperation, and collective action.
Community Leadership
We recognize community members as essential leaders, knowledge holders, and agents of change. We support opportunities for leadership development, civic engagement, and meaningful participation in community decision-making.
Accountability
We are committed to responsible stewardship, ethical practice, transparency, continuous learning, and responsiveness to the communities and partners with whom we work.
Resilience and Sustainability
We promote approaches that strengthen individual and collective capacity, foster adaptive communities, and support long-term social, cultural, and economic well-being.
How We Create Lasting Change
Most charitable programs address symptoms. EFBCS is designed to address causes. Our Theory of Change is the framework that guides everything we do — from programme design to community partnerships to long-term advocacy. It is the reason our work produces not just short-term relief, but generational transformation.
This model is grounded in 18+ years of on-the-ground experience across Canada and internationally, informed by established global frameworks for community development and social change.
Each year, thousands of newcomers arrive in Calgary and Alberta carrying ambition, skills, and resilience — and are met by a system that was not built with them in mind. Women, youth, and marginalized communities face compounded barriers: language gaps, unfamiliar institutions, cultural disconnection, limited access to networks and economic opportunity — and too often — trauma that goes unacknowledged.
Without structured, culturally safe support, many remain on the margins of community life. Not because of a lack of potential, but because of a lack of pathways.
“When individuals are given culturally safe support, real opportunities for leadership, and a community that sees them — they don't just integrate. They transform the communities around them.”
— Latifa Majidi, Founder
REACH
We meet newcomers, women, youth, and marginalized families where they are — in community spaces, through trusted partners, and in their own languages. We remove the first barrier: awareness that support exists.
RESOURCE
We connect individuals to culturally responsive programming: settlement navigation, skills development, language support, leadership training, and social connection. We meet people at their actual starting point — not an assumed one.
BUILD CONFIDENCE
Through mentorship, community events, peer networks, and advocacy, individuals develop voice, identity, and the confidence to participate fully in civic and economic life. This is where potential becomes direction.
CREATE LEADERS
Programme participants become community leaders, peer mentors, and advocates. They bring others in, mentor the next arrival, and multiply EFBCS's impact organically — without additional cost or infrastructure.
TRANSFORM COMMUNITIES
Stronger individuals build stronger families. Stronger families build stronger communities. Stronger communities build a more inclusive, more equitable Calgary. This is systemic change — built from the ground up.
Why This Model Works
Trauma-Informed
We acknowledge the lived reality of displacement and systemic barriers.
Multilingual
Programmes delivered in English, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, and Urdu.
Community Co-Design
Programmes shaped by the people who use them.
Partnership Model
Collaboration extends reach without duplicating what already exists.
For Organisations and Funders
If your mission is to build an inclusive Calgary — our Theory of Change is yours too. We welcome partnerships, co-design collaborations, and joint grant applications with organisations who share this vision.
START A CONVERSATION
2024 Women Newcomers Impact Award — Government of AlbertaLatifa Majidi
Founder & Director, Empowering Futures, Building Communities Society
2024 Women Newcomers Impact Award — Government of AlbertaDriven by a lifelong commitment to equity, justice, and community well-being, Latifa Majidi is a seasoned programme leader and feminist humanitarian with over 18 years of experience designing, implementing, and leading inclusive, gender-responsive programmes across Canada and internationally.
In Calgary, she provides trauma-informed case management, cultural mediation, and direct support to newcomer women and youth in crisis. She also leads settlement-focused initiatives, community outreach, and awareness sessions that promote the social and economic integration of immigrants and refugees.
Internationally, Latifa has led and managed multi-million-dollar women's empowerment, education, and public health programmes in Afghanistan. In Canada, she has contributed to employment services, literacy initiatives, and integration programmes supporting immigrant and refugee communities across Alberta.
Latifa is multilingual — fluent in English, Dari, Farsi, Pashto, and Urdu — and brings deep strengths in cross-cultural communication, stakeholder engagement, and inclusive practice. Her work is grounded in anti-racism, anti-oppression frameworks, and a commitment to shifting power to communities most affected by systemic inequities.
“I didn't start EFBCS because I read about the problem. I started it because I lived it — and I knew what was possible with the right support.”