Federal Budgets
About This Collection
Every year, the social purpose world asks the federal government for change, and every year, there are those who succeed - and many more who don't. From a home in government for volunteers and non-profits, to systemic funding for preventing the root causes of crime, here's what past and current budgets have meant for changemakers.
Federal Budget 2025: Changemakers split over focus on infrastructure vs. social programs
The federal budget sets the tone for Canada’s priorities over the next year, with lasting implications for equity, care, and global responsibility. Changemakers’ reactions reveal a growing divide between celebrated domestic investments and overlooked systemic challenges, like the rising cost of essentials and international aid.
Budget 2025: How Canada’s national school food program can catalyze systemic change
On October 10, the Carney government announced the National School Food program will be permanent with $216 million in annual funding starting in 2029. Making this program permanent could be the first step into a systemic change by creating a national ecosystem of social caterers and food security non-profit.
Budget 2025: Five asks to supercharge Canada’s social finance sector
The current Liberal government has pledged to accelerate the delivery of nation-building initiatives and build Canada’s resilience. However, the affordability crisis has been slowing the economy and affecting communities, while a large portion of retail investors’ money is invested abroad. The social finance sector wants to persuade the federal government that it is part of the solution and that its model aligns with Canada’s challenges.
Tax exemptions or direct funding? Grassroots data analysis finds differences in non-profit and industry budget submissions
More than 900 submissions have been made to the federal government’s pre-budget consultations. This year, the non-profit sector has continued its advocacy for affordable housing, social assistance, and a robust arts sector. However, there are competing forces at bay, with companies and other organizations often advocating for policy change, reform and funding that is directly in opposition to the sector's work.
More grants, less admin: New non-profit coalition to advocate for government funding reform
Charities and non-profits are often at the whim of economic cycles. When there is a downturn, donations and corporate giving shrink too. In these times, consistent government funding could support and sustain non-profits, but some are concerned the sector could fall by the wayside again.
Affordable housing, robust benefits, transparency and more: 7 things the social sector wants from Budget 2025
Amid Prime Minister Mark Carney’s promised reduction in the public service, non-profits and social purpose groups will likely have a tough time advocating for increased funding. However, many also recommend that the government review some of its social policy commitments and update them with the present economic situation in mind.
By the numbers: 25 things in Budget 2024 the social purpose world should know about
The non-profit sector makes up nearly 10 per cent of the Canadian economy and employs 2.5 million people, yet is often the last consideration in the federal budget.
Pressure from charities prompts feds to ease proposed tax on wealthy Canadians in Budget 2024
Canada's wealthiest make up a large share of the total donations to the charitable sector. Last year, the government proposed reducing donation tax incentives for wealthy Canadians. Many charities petitioned the government to reverse the course, fearing a drop in donations.
Scorecard: Social impact leaders give the budget a five out of 10
The federal government’s annual budget sets the tone for the government’s relationship with the social purpose sector. Leaders’ reactions give us a sense of how that relationship will go this year.
Cheatsheet: 23 important and under-the-radar highlights from Budget 2023
Budget 2023 sets the Canadian government’s funding priorities for years to come. Organizational leaders must understand the budget’s impact on their work to devise effective programming, outreach, and fundraising campaigns.
Budget 2023 spends big — just not on the non-profit and charitable sector
Canadian non-profits employ roughly 2.6 million Canadians and provide vital services in every province and territory. This year’s federal budget will impact those organizations — and the communities they serve — for years to come.
Will Budget 2022 give us a feminist economic recovery?
According to the federal government’s gender-based analysis report on the budget, 44 percent of Budget 2022 will benefit women and men in equal proportions. Meanwhile, 42 percent of measures will directly or indirectly benefit men more than women, and 14 percent will directly or indirectly benefit women more than men.
Scorecard: Does budget 2022 offer communities the support they want and need? Social impact leaders weigh in
With a slew of issues facing Canadians, ranging from the economic impacts of the pandemic to systemic racism, the social impact world waits for the release of the budget with bated breath to see how it purports to address these issues.
22 urgent – and under-the-radar – highlights from Canada’s 2022 federal budget
With 2022’s more reserved federal budget, social impact organizations will need to look carefully for program and funding opportunities.
Here are seven of the social impact sector’s most urgent requests during the federal election
Non-profits, charities, and mutual aid organizations work on issues independently of the election cycle — and may have insight into some of Canada’s most pressing concerns that political parties do not.
Hate is the 2021 election’s elephant in the room. Here’s what social impact organizations want federal leaders to do about it.
Hate is a life-or-death issue for many Canadians, be they Black, Indigenous, Muslim, Asian, Sikh, queer, trans, or a woman. All of the major political parties have made promises to end hate, but that won’t happen without sustained pressure from leaders themselves.
20 tough questions social sector leaders would ask federal candidates in an election debate
Issues directly related to social impact work rarely get much airtime during the campaign trail, let alone during formal debates — which are a chance for Canadians to parse out the nuances between the parties’ platforms, and ultimately choose which way to vote.
Budget 2021: Four pressing questions for Canada’s role in the new state of the world
Canada is not safe from the COVID-19 pandemic if countries around the world are still suffering from its effects, as well as the many humanitarian crises in its wake. Defeating the virus will require a strategic and broad international aid plan.
20 under-the-radar highlights from the latest federal budget
You may have heard about childcare, climate, and other big themes that made the Budget 2021 headlines, but plenty of other proposals within its pages will create conditions for emerging opportunities and challenges.
Canada’s latest budget makes big commitments to the social impact world. Here’s what you need to know.
Social impact organizations have watched with alarm as the pandemic saps the livelihoods, food access, educational opportunities, jobs, and medical needs of Canadians — as well as their own capacity. Canada’s federal budget promises massive investments to correct that.
Canada’s next budget will shape the COVID-19 recovery. Here’s what the social impact sector wants.
Canada’s social impact sector could play a significant role in the COVID-19 pandemic recovery. Many of its priorities are similar to the federal government’s own plans for a pandemic recovery, but Ottawa has barely mentioned the sector.