January is a useful month for setting challenges, both for people and for organizations. Your new challenge may be one; it may be several. It may be an extension of a previous strategy or it may be a new stretch. Regardless, the exercise of reflecting on a challenge for the year ahead is useful because it inevitably raises questions of what matters, and where to have impact.

I suggest that there are three challenges where Canadian foundations could have significant impact in 2020. A foundation can choose to be active in one or more. All three, in my opinion, raise issues that matter, and all are ripe for more foundation funding. All matter greatly to our future.

The first challenge is digital media and democracy. What role can philanthropy play in promoting a more informed citizenry or providing a platform for unheard voices through digital media? Back in 2013,