Researcher - ACB Community Finance and Investment
About Us: CanAfro Research Institute is dedicated to advancing research, advocacy, and policy initiatives that support African, Caribbean, and Black-identifying (ACB) communities and other underrepresented groups in Canada. Our work focuses on equity, economic empowerment, and systems change through community-led frameworks, transparent data, and evidence-based advocacy.
Role Overview: We are seeking one motivated Volunteer Research Assistant to support an 8-12 week community finance and investment research initiative. This role centers on applied, mixed-methods research: reviewing public financial records, synthesizing existing sector literature, and supporting anonymized stakeholder interviews and report writing. You will help build an evidence base that maps how capital, representation, and community investment intersect in Canada's financial sector, translating dense public records and existing research into clear, justice-oriented findings.
Key Responsibilities:
- Assist with collecting and organizing publicly available financial records (e.g., registered charity filings) relevant to the research scope.
- Support classification and coding of financial data according to a defined research framework, with attention to consistency and accuracy.
- Review existing community reports, academic literature, and sector publications to ground the project's findings in prior work and avoid duplication.
- Help schedule, coordinate, and take notes for anonymized interviews with community and industry stakeholders, following strict confidentiality protocols.
- Assist in reviewing publicly available institutional documents (e.g., lit review, grant and procurement criteria) to identify structural patterns.
- Translate research findings into clear, evidence-based summaries, tables, and report sections.
- Collaborate with the research lead to align findings with the organization's broader equity and advocacy goals.
Qualifications:
- Strong attention to detail and comfort working with data in spreadsheets (Excel/Google Sheets).
- Background in social sciences, economics, public policy, business, or a related field.
- Proven ability to synthesize information from multiple sources — data, documents, and interviews — into clear written summaries.
- Excellent writing skills; a writing sample may be requested.
- Deep familiarity with issues affecting ACB communities in Canada, including the historical and structural context of economic exclusion.
- Comfortable handling confidential and anonymized information with discretion.
- (Preferred) Coursework or experience in finance, economics, investment, management, or research methods.
Benefits:
- Gain hands-on experience in applied, mixed-methods research within the financial and non-profit sectors.
- Contribute to meaningful work that builds a public evidence base to support ACB communities and organizations.
- Receive mentorship and networking opportunities within the research, finance, and non-profit sectors.
- Flexible, remote volunteer opportunity (approx. 8–10 hours/week over 8-12 weeks).
- A letter of reference and/or volunteer hours confirmation available upon successful completion.
To Apply: Please email your cover letter and resume to admin@canafroinstitute.com . In your cover letter, please highlight any experience with data analysis, literature review, or interview-based research, and share why this project interests you.
Required career level
- Volunteer