10 unpopular Future of Good stories from this year — and why you should read them
In 2021, our small and mighty talented team of journalists crafted and published 280 stories. As much as I’d love for every single story to be viral successes — especially considering the hard work and care writers pour into each story — it just doesn’t shake out that way.
Plus, I do love sitting down and reflecting on why a particular story has been unpopular with our readers. And in some cases, I think stories don’t take off because they make readers uncomfortable. These types of stories offer insights that challenge readers’ existing ways of thinking, doing and being.
Many publications take time at the end of the year to share their most popular stories — we’ve done the same. But storytelling should not be a popularity contest. And the stories that get the least attention are often the ones I think are the most important. In that spirit, here are 10 stories that did not make our viral success list — and why I think you should read them anyway.
Canada’s social safety nets produce “humiliation and shame” — here’s why
This is an uncomfortable story, for sure. Even just the headline asks you to consider power dynamics and paternalistic tendencies in your definition of what social purpose work is, at a fundamental level. But these kinds of conversations, from where I sit in this social purpose ecosystem, are entirely necessary. In 2022, let’s continue to question our assumptions about who gives and who receives charity, about processes in this sector that put power in the hands of some and not others, and why too often the outcomes of social services work are, as Gord Tulloch says in this Q&A, “rather than empowerment and growth and learning… humiliation and shame.”
I have an inkling about why this story didn’t make our top-read list — and it’s the same reason Future of Good hasn’t historically covered arts and culture in a dedicated way: we at Future of Good didn’t see this sector as social impact work until we nearly lost it to the pandemic. The sector, too, didn’t fully appreciate the community-building and activist spaces artists create. Artists and performers have been extraordinarily innovative, sure — moving their work online in ways and at a scale that’s never been done before. But post-pandemic, I know I won’t take in-person, up-close artistic and cultural experiences for granted anymore, and I understand on a deeper level now what they mean to communities across this country.
Canada’s social impact sector needs a professional childcare system
Here’s an elephant in the room I’ve observed: the majority of Canada’s social sector workers are women. The majority of child-rearing responsibilities in Canada still, as we round out the year 2021, fall on women. And though I don’t have stats yet to back this up, it’s probably safe to say that most social purpose organizations in this country operate with conventional organizational structures that don’t necessarily allow for the flexibility that raising kids demands. And lastly, many social sector workers don’t earn enough to pay for childcare comfortably. Is the sector ready to confront these truths in 2022?
White saviourism is still prevalent in fundraising practices. Here are four simple ways to avoid it.
Here’s a story that, again, asks us (as white folks specifically, in this case) to question our complicity in white supremacy — and to grapple with the reality that a seemingly well-meaning endeavour — communicating the urgency of inequity — is not immune to it. The way the social sector fundraises is a product of white supremacy. And the experts we spoke to in this story say it’s now a pillar of white supremacy, too. Anti-racism requires us to face these truths.
The conservatives mention civil society more in their platform than any other party. Why?
Wading into political waters by unpacking this one, so bear with me. But I really did think our readers would be all over this story — the social purpose sector’s relationship with the federal government was a hot topic this year. It’s not controversial to say that most folks in this sector lean left or centre-left. Regardless, this story asks one controversial and important ideological question: whose responsibility is it to build and operate social safety nets? Your answer — and any political party’s answer — determines the sector’s relationship with governments.
Our social safety nets are letting more than a million COVID survivors fall through the cracks
The social impact world is swamped with the economic and social fallout of the pandemic, let alone the way the virus itself has ravaged communities. But there are more than 1.7 million COVID survivors in this country, and they and their families need support. Not to mention families and friends grieving those we’ve lost to COVID. There are networks and ecosystems of supports for people living with other illnesses (and their families) — how can the sector step up to support COVID survivors and grieving families?
Here’s a fact that may surprise you: stories about climate change and climate action tend not to get a lot of clicks among Future of Good readers. Why? I’m not entirely sure, except that perhaps social service and social purpose organizations don’t see climate action as within their purview. Here’s the thing, though: as uncomfortable as this may be, every organization is a climate organization. If this story tells us anything, it’s that responding to the climate crisis becomes the job of community organizations anyway. Watch for more coverage from us on how social purpose organizations can prepare for this future — and stop it from happening at the same time.
We published a few stories this year asking whether the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are still relevant — that’s a huge and uncomfortable question, given that so many domestic and globally-focused social purpose organizations have shaped their work around this globally-agreed-upon framework. But, as Danika Littlechild tells us in this story, the SDGs shouldn’t be exempt from criticism, and it’s productive and inspiring to imagine alternatives.
Three ways COVID response could have been better with (more) disaggregated data
Here’s the thing about this story: we know social purpose organizations have been stretched to the limit through COVID. We know you’ve done the best you could with what resources you had available to you. It’s uncomfortable to think about the lives that could have been saved or improved had more resources been available to community organizations, but I do think it’s essential. And access to disaggregated data is a huge gap in this space.
A short history of philanthropic perpetuity: tax havens, Catholic corruption and corporate control
The headline really says it all, doesn’t it?
Whether you read these stories or not, thank you for joining us for this year’s coverage of the rapidly changing social impact world. Thank you for being willing to ask yourselves the tough questions, for asking us tough questions that expand our perspectives, and for joining us in building this community of curious, engaged changemakers who are showing up every day for the uncomfortable stuff.
We appreciate you. Now get some rest.
Kylie Adair
Editor, Future of Good
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