Supporting funders to assess and accelerate inclusive access


Jacqueline Johal, Founder of Sarisha Beauty

AFIA DEI Index

AFIA = ACCELERATING FINANCIAL INCLUSION and ACCESS to business capital for women entrepreneurs in all their diversity.

We support funders to create better funding experiences and greater access to business funding for women and gender-diverse entrepreneurs, especially BIPOC women and 2SLGBTQ+ individuals.  

AFIA Pillars for Success


AFIA helps funders to ASSESS, ACCELERATE and AMPLIFY change in business funding through three pillars of action:

Leadership and Governance

Strong DEI and Reconciliation policies at the organizational level, embodied by leaders, establish the foundation for organizational cultures that support inclusive and equitable access to business funding for women in all their diversity.

Funding Practices

Reviewing and revising funding practices with a DEI lens, and developing targeted products internally or through partnerships, accelerates inclusive and equitable access to business funding for women in all their diversity.

Team Awareness

Providing opportunities for team members to develop and apply knowledge about systemic biases and inclusive customer service is key to amplifying access to business funding for women in all their diversity.

How it Works

Here are the steps to engaging with AFIA DEI Index:

  1. Step 1
  2. Step 2
  3. Step 3
  4. Step 4
  5. Step 5
  1. Sign-Up

    Fill out our funder sign-up form on the Get Involved page.

  2. Receive Tools

    Receive our self-assessment tool that helps you see where you are already strong and where you can accelerate and amplify your DEI and Reconciliation efforts as a funder, along with our Guidance resource document.

  3. Use the Self-Assessment Tool

    Answer questions about your policies, processes, and practices in the Self-Assessment Tool and score your answers.

  4. Use the Guidance

    Review the Guidance document for reccommendations based on leading practices that you can apply to strengthen your policies, strategies, processes, products and services based on your Assessment score.

  5. Apply Knowledge

    Use the learnings from using these tools to continue your efforts to accelerate financial inclusion and access for women entrepreneurs in all their diversity.

AFIA DEI Index FAQs

  • Who is eligible to join AFIA DEI Index?

    AFIA DEI Index is for any company or organization that provides business funding to entrepreneurs - banks, credit unions, development corporations, non-profit organizations, angel investor groups, venture capital firms and more. 

  • Can we join anytime?

    Yes. You can start using the AFIA online assessment tool or sending your team members for training at any time.

  • How much does it cost?

    The AFIA DEI online assessment tool and guidance is provided at NO COST thanks to the generous support of Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE). 

  • How do we participate?

    Fill out this form to let our team know that you are interested in using our package of tools and services. 

Nikki Ridler, Founder of Citrus + Sage Co

Indigenous women entrepreneurs are growing at twice the rate of their non-Indigenous counterparts.

Women Entrepreneurship Knowledge Hub, The State of Women’s Entrepreneurship in Canada, 2021 

Want to Participate?

Are you a funder who is interested in the AFIA DEI Index?

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