Number of charity donors drop for 12th straight year in Canada

The number of donors claiming a charitable tax credit has declined for more than a decade. But despite the gloom, experts say there are strategies charities can use to bring donors back.

Artscape tenants receive letter with first details of potential future for developments

Since receiving a 30-day extension on its receivership until October, Artscape has been quiet about the future. Rintoul’s letter suggests mortgage owners will experience minimal changes, but residential and commercial leases may change hands.

This small foundation “turbocharged” its assets — but at what cost?

The growth strategies used by the Community Foundation of Orillia and Area have increased granting and improved some local charity’s investment returns. Experts are celebrating these wins, but caution there could also be downsides.

Ontario government abruptly ends youth funding program, leaving non-profits in lurch

Many funders have adopted trust-based philanthropy principles in recent years, working to respect grantees as equal partners, while providing clear and transparent communication. But a group of non-profits say the Ontario government and a private foundation failed to uphold this standard earlier this year — and that youth are the ones who will suffer.

Canada’s lone ‘mega-foundation’ gets court approval for early sale of billions in Mastercard stock. Could it boost Indigenous-focused impact investing?

The Mastercard Foundation’s staggering size means even a modest change to its investment strategy could have a big impact both domestically and abroad.

Housing hot button: Should your foundation divest from residential REITs?

For endowed foundations, where they invest has the potential to boost their impact beyond their granting — or work at cross-purposes with it. More information would help foundations make informed decisions.

Cash crunch forces Toronto’s Artscape to list newly-built Launchpad for $22.5 million as workers seek to unionize

The COVID pandemic has been tough on many organizations that own real estate, including non-profit organizations and arts venues. Experts say Artscape’s sale may result in yet another loss of space for Toronto’s arts community.

Grassroots advocacy, charities help secure $212M in federal funding to house asylum seekers

Some charities don’t engage in advocacy believing it’s not relevant to their mission. But one expert says a recent advocacy campaign to house asylum seekers shows the big impact this work can have.

McConnell commits $30M in capital transfer to Indigenous-led foundations. What's a capital transfer? And will others follow?

Black and Indigenous-led foundations have called on private foundations to transfer assets to them — to put them in charge of distributing resources to their own communities. But have funders been heeding these calls?

UK’s Lankelly Chase foundation to wind down, redistribute $236M within 5 years

In Canada and abroad, philanthropic activists have called on foundations to redistribute their assets to equity-seeking groups through asset transfers and spend downs. Lankelly Chase foundation’s announcement is one of the boldest responses yet.

Exclusive: Dozens of grassroots groups cut off from funding after Ontario Trillium Foundation repealed ‘shared platform’ policy

Recent changes in federal law have made it easier for foundations to grant to grassroots organizations. But some Ontario charities say policy changes made by the Ontario Trillium Foundation in 2020 move the province in the opposite direction, making it tougher for grassroots groups to access funds.

Non-qualified donees reap rewards after hard fought battle for regulatory change

Last June, the federal government changed the law allowing foundations across Canada to grant directly to non-charities. But are they doing it?

Come for the heat pump, stay for the (climate justice) revolution? A bold bet on a new kind of advocacy-focused business model

In Canada, many advocacy organizations struggle to raise the funds and grow their base to the scale where they can affect lasting policy change. Could it be because of a flaw in the traditional advocacy business model?

Record 14.3 million volunteer hours recorded by Benevity clients in 2022

Non-profits, charities and social purpose organizations across Canada are grappling with volunteer shortages. Engaging new volunteers in the workplace could help reinforce a sector grappling with a shortage of human resources.

1 in 5 charities received a grant from a donor advised fund in 2021, and 7 other major findings from a new landscape report

Gifts from affluent donors comprise a growing share of the total donations flowing to Canadian charities; and an increasing share of these wealthy donors are choosing to give through donor advised funds. This sea change has implications for fundraisers.

How Greta Thunberg helped one Quebec foundation get hooked on funding social movements

Foundations have finite resources and big social policy objectives. A new report from the Broadbent Institute argues funders can make bigger strides on their social policy goals by funding social movements than they can through lobbying or research alone.

Federal government taps Foundation for Black Communities to manage $200M Black-led philanthropic endowment fund

The Foundation for Black Communities will be responsible for managing a $200 million philanthropic endowment in support of Black communities in Canada over the next decade and beyond. How they choose to invest, steward, and distribute the fund will have significant impacts for Black-led philanthropy and Black communities in Canada.

Does an ‘extraordinary’ half-billion dollar donation offer new potential for affordable housing in Winnipeg?

The Winnipeg Foundation, Canada’s largest community foundation, just announced they have been gifted one of Winnipeg’s largest apartment rental companies. How they choose to steward this asset could impact Winnipeg’s housing market in the coming years.

The shadow side of the rise of big hospital foundation gifts: donation disparities, roller-coaster giving and donor influence

If COVID taught us anything it’s this: we need our healthcare system. And yet, Ontario’s current funding policy for capital projects — rebuilding old ambulance bays, purchasing MRI machines, and building new wings — relies, in part, on philanthropy. Some experts say that this leaves the system vulnerable to health disparities.

Tentative ‘celebration’ after key amendments passed on non-qualified donees

For three weeks, charity and non-profit advocates have pushed MPs to pass amendments to legislation they say would make it harder for charities to fund non-qualified donees. Monday’s finance committee meeting was the moment to see whether their advocacy had paid off.

Inside the rapidly organized ‘Hill Day’ for a legislative amendment on non-qualified donees

As soon as this week, the government could pass legislation that, sector advocates say, would make it harder for charities and foundations to fund non-profits, grassroots groups and international charities — directly contravening a promise made in the federal budget.

Government of Canada proposes a ‘shocking and incomprehensible’ change on funding non-qualified donees

For years, charities, non-profits, foundations and grassroots groups have called for an easier way for charities to work with “non-qualified donees” — organizations without charitable status. That seemed on the horizon with the steady progress on a senate bill, until now.

A flipped power dynamic: Philanthropists must apply to a council of aunties to fund these Indigenous groups

Funders and grantmakers often wield considerable power over their fundees, determining what gets funded, when and how. The Right Relations Collaborative flips this power dynamic by putting Indigenous aunties in the driver’s seat. The model is firmly rooted in a local territory, but offers a new approach to grantmaking that could inspire a shift in funding relationships across the country.

$800,000 student-led impact investing fund adds new chapters in Ottawa and Victoria

Business degrees are the most sought-after post-secondary education in Canada. But if students graduate without learning about how business can be a force for good, Canada risks having a corporate class that only orients toward profit.

Canada is cracking down on the Freedom Convoy’s finances. Here’s why that may hurt social justice movements, too.

Indigenous land defenders and other social justice movements have been labeled "extremist" in the past for their work. Subjecting their fundraising methods to additional anti-terror restrictions could make it harder for them to raise funds publicly.

Federal advisory committee on the charitable sector lacks transparency and diversity, say some, leading to more “conservative” finding on DQ debate

The federal Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) has the ear of Diane Lebouthillier, the federal minister responsible for Canada’s charitable policy. Their findings on key policy decisions, like the disbursement quota, have the potential to shape federal policy for years to come.

A DQ hike isn’t enough — here are 7 other things that need to change for more money to flow to Black and Indigenous groups

Funding to groups led by and serving Black, Indigenous and people of colour receive miniscule amounts of Canadian philanthropic dollars. A disbursement quota hike would not automatically mean more funding for these organizations — who are serving some of the most pressing needs.

An under-the-hood look at Inspirit Foundation’s portfolio makeover: fired two investment managers, prioritized DEI

For most foundations, arguably their biggest lever for impact is their invested capital. Yet, few have moved beyond tinkering at the edges with ESG screens.

Pushed by students, universities lead on fossil fuel divestment. Who will push foundations?

Climate change is an existential threat and it’s powered by the burning of fossil fuels. Experts say that a wave of fossil fuel divestment proclamations amongst Canadian foundations could send a powerful signal to other investors, government and media, that fossil fuels are on the way out — and could also better align foundation’s investment dollars with their social missions.

Tired of “siloed” conversations, Justice Fund protest brings disbursement quota advocacy to the street

Grassroots groups and community-led organizations receive miniscule percentages of Canadian philanthropic dollars. Many in the philanthropic and charitable sectors want to change that — but the question of how remains.

Could there be a wave of charity mergers post-COVID?

Many charities are facing a COVID-19 drop in donations and an increase in service needs from their communities. While many feel able to survive the next six months, their long-term future is more uncertain, posing a risk for communities who rely on their services.

Thinking about using AI to fundraise? Here’s what you need to know — including the ethical questions.

40 percent of charities are still seeing decreased revenue since the start of the pandemic. In this context, fundraisers need all the help they can get. Artificial intelligence tools can help fundraisers to work smarter.

They won’t take your money: Why these charities are newly restricting donations from controversial corporations

Charities need money. But they also have strong values and a reputation to protect. In light of domestic and international charity scandals; and increasingly powerful movements for racial and social justice; some charities are turning away from donations from controversial corporations — whose money, the charities see, as not worth the moral sacrifice or the public relations risk.

Who stewards 10 of Canada’s biggest community foundations’ investments? Mostly white men in finance

Canadian foundations invest far more money each year than they grant out to charities. This means that their volunteer ‘investment committees’ — the group that oversees the foundation’s investment decisions — play a considerable role in the overall impact the foundation has. Some social impact leaders say that the “monocultural” nature of these committees is limiting their capacity to create systemic impact.

A short history of philanthropic perpetuity: tax havens, Catholic corruption and corporate control

The Canadian philanthropic sector is embroiled in a debate about the disbursement quota — the rate at which foundations have to give to charity. Some argue it’s fine where it is — at 3.5 percent. Others argue that this rate is “starving” non-profits across the country. To understand the context for this debate, you need to understand the history.

Are Canadian foundations afraid of death?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to exacerbate inequality, several non-profit and grassroots leaders are calling on Canadian donors to spend down — distributing all of their foundation assets within a defined term — in order to free up capital for community impact. Some are responding, but analysis shows that systemic orientation toward perpetuity in the philanthropic sector in Canada may be preventing other philanthropists from following suit.