Non-profits push for recognition during compact federal election campaign

As Canadians prepare to head to the polls, non-profits, charities, and social purpose organizations are working to have their voices heard in an election largely focused on international relations and an American-led trade war.

Michael Kincade, executive director of Food Banks of Saskatchewan, worries a short election campaign combined with pressing international challenges will make it difficult to get the concerns of Canada’s non-profit sector on the federal agenda before April 28.

“We hope food insecurity is top of mind with whoever becomes our next prime minister,” he said. “And we want to talk to candidates and bring it to their attention as much as possible.”

The cost of living has been a staple talking point in the first days of the five-week campaign, with both the Liberals and Conservatives promising tax cuts. 

However, continuing threats from American President Donald Trump have eclipsed most domestic issues, leaving social service providers concerned about how tariffs will impact Canada’s most vulnerable.

Food bank use in Canada has nearly doubled over the last five years, with more than two million people relying on them monthly.

“Nearly one in four Canadians are food insecure,” Kincade said. “And tariffs are going to make it worse … it’s going to drive up the cost of gas, and it’s going to drive up the cost of food.”

Kincade wants to see federal parties focus on decreasing the cost of living and increasing wages, which will improve food security and reduce demand for social services.

Eighteen per cent of food bank clients are currently employed, he said, adding that even dual-income families are sometimes forced to seek assistance.

“Seventy per cent of our food bank clients also live in rental housing, so that’s another thing we want to see addressed,” Kincade added. 

“All of these things go hand-in-hand.”

Two provinces to the east, Pamela Uppal-Sandhu hopes to see federal candidates acknowledge Canada’s non-profit sector’s role in the escalating Canada-U.S. trade war as Canadians weather economic uncertainty and, potentially, hardship.

“So whether that’s stimulus spending or public policy around trade war issues, how is our sector part of that? And how can we prioritize our sector in those conversations?” said the Ontario Nonprofit Network’s interim co-executive director.

“Whatever the fallout from the trade war might be, people will lose jobs, people will fall into poverty, which means needing more access to our services, housing, food, mental health and addictions,” Uppal-Sandhu said.

The network has provided non-profits with resources to assist in advocacy and outreach work during the federal election campaign.

Hate rising

From Ottawa, the Enchanté Network is looking for continued and expanded commitments to 2SLGBTQI+ communities during this federal election campaign.

Over the past eight years, the federal government has invested more than $250 million in 2SLGBTQI+ communities, funds critical to supporting frontline service providers.

However, the network’s executive director, Tyler Boyce, said that funding is set to expire in 2027, risking the closure of hundreds of organizations. Some organizations, including TransCare+ and The Canadian Centre for Gender and Sexual Diversity, have already closed.

He said securing a renewed commitment to the Rainbow Resilience Fund, which provides emergency support to queer organizations responding to hate, is one of the network’s top priorities.

The Canadian Security Intelligence Service has identified 2SLGBTQI+ people as potential targets of domestic terrorism in recent reports.

“This election is a test of whether Canada will continue to invest in equality or allow hard-won progress to erode,” Boyce said. 

“We are calling on all political parties to commit to long-term, sustained funding for 2SLGBTQI+ organizations.”

“Without these investments, communities will be left without essential services just as hate and violence are escalating across the country.”

Discussion and collaboration

While an election is a great way to communicate with politicians, Karen Ball, president and CEO of the Nonprofit Chamber in Calgary, said it’s also a good time for non-profit organizations to speak to each other, prioritize goals and collaborate.

“An election is always an opportunity to have a conversation about what’s important to Canadians,” she said. “And so, from our perspective, we’ve been having that conversation.”

Better support for the non-profit workforce is one issue that’s come up in those conversations.

The charitable and non-profit sector accounts for nearly nine per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product, more than the fisheries sector or agriculture. Still, unlike those industries, it doesn’t have a home in the federal government. 

“We still are looking for a home in government, a place to go to work most effectively with the federal government,” said Ball. “So we definitely want to make sure that a conversation is being had about the health of our sector and that that conversation is central.”