The federal government has released its budget for 2022, and the new spending plan shows support for causes like economic recovery, climate action, housing (the biggest-ticket item, at $10 billion), and – likely due to the agreement with the NDP – even dental care.   

But what about other policy changes and funding the social purpose organizations have asked for? Does this budget support the communities those organizations work with?  We asked 15 social impact leaders this question — and to give the budget a score out of 10. Here’s what they told us:

Some responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Andrew Chunilall

Chief executive officer, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC)

Score: 7/10

I’m happy to see…

The increase in the [disbursement quota (DQ)] floor for assets above $1 million, from 3.5 percent to 5.0 percent, combined with changes to funding non-qualified donees has the potential to boost overall spending and direct more resources to underfunded communities. However, many charitable foundations historically grant well above the existing and new DQ floor. The increase will have little or no effect on their spending. The fact is, many charitable foundations have spending policies which are primarily influenced by actual and expected investment returns which over the long-term have well exceeded the existing DQ floor. The graduated level of $1 million (of assets) may be too low and create operational challenges for small charitable foundations based on existing organizational models. The increase in the DQ was always seen as one part of a broader set of changes required to spending and impact policies to really make a difference.

I’m discouraged by…

The current budget fails to address how we can better mobilize philanthropic capital towards social impact, collect relevant data through better T3010 reporting, and address the outdated and narrow interpretations of what constitutes charitable activities.

Anne Borden King

Co-founder, Autistics for Autistics

Score: 3/10

I’m happy to see…

It’s great to see eco targets and investments in green energy. That said, one way to stay green is to retrofit and we’re not sure why there is so much being invested in new building projects. We hope it doesn’t end up being mainly handouts to developers without smart planning, because that would translate into a greenwash initiative (whether it was their intention or not) resulting in further ecological destruction.

I’m discouraged by…

There’s $8.8 billion in housing development, but the generic nature of the investment in housing development is very problematic to us. The Government has a long history of housing development projects “for” autistic and intellectually disabled people that end up just being money-making projects for developers to break ground on new, segregated housing – group homes that violate the human rights of disabled people. In fact, 90 percent of governmental housing dollars in Ontario in our sector is still spent on segregated group homes. And despite governments paying out tens of millions in human rights class action settlements and despite decades of promises to de-institutionalize, there are still several large residential institutions in Canada. Disabled kids and adults are also still too often shunted away in long-term care homes with elderly residents when they could be living in the community.   

What’s not recognized in the Budget is this: Housing solutions for autistic and intellectually disabled people don’t need to be built with bricks and mortar. We need to reform social services so that autistic and intellectually disabled people’s rights to independent living are respected. Autistic and intellectually disabled Canadians want to live in the community, in their own apartments with their choice of a roommate and supports in place – not in prison-like segregated group homes or institutions. As well, autistics with an IQ above 70 are basically ineligible for housing assistance and other disability support, although some are not be able to work full time, so they end up underhoused, in unsafe housing situations or ironically unable to afford to work because to work part time means losing any benefits they may have been able to get. 

For our society to remain stable in any way, shape or form, we are going to need universal basic income models – why wait for the crisis? The new budget should work within the UBI framework to ensure that people who can only work part-time because of disability are no longer penalized for it, so that working part-time is still a job with dignity and enough income to pay rent and live independently.

We are also disappointed that they’re pumping more money into the Mental Well-Being portal, which is wholly inadequate and does not really meet the mental health needs of Canadians. It is a band-aid solution and recommends a single modality for people to engage with. These [kinds] of initiatives feel like throwing money into a pit without solving problems. We recommend a leaner model – which is feasible if the Government will pivot and begin to meaningfully consult with people in need of services, instead of offloading the work to vested interest groups that profit from providing service that is often sub-standard.

Finally, enhancing legal aid for those who need it most is good, but as written, it does not help those filing discrimination claims to human rights tribunals or court. Most autistics and other marginalized people who are discriminated against do not have the financial resources to pursue claims. Yet much important social change happens through the courts and without redress our communities remain trapped in patterns of discrimination and inequity, even when parties have violated clear federal and provincial guidelines. If the Government of Canada wants to protect the Charter rights of its citizens, then it needs to give fair and equal access to legal aid in this area.

If we were giving out letter grades, we’d give this budget an Incomplete. Any investments to protect the human rights of autistic and intellectually disabled people (safe housing, safe schools, health care access, economic equity) is completely left out. Generally, all disabled communities and disability rights and protections are largely invisible. 

We are writing in red pen on this budget: “Do Over.”

Anjum Sultana

Director of youth leadership and policy advocacy, Plan International Canada

Score: 7.5/10

I’m happy to see…

I’m happy to see promising commitments to fight the COVID-19 pandemic globally and strengthen health systems around the world. We know to end the pandemic in Canada, we must end it everywhere. The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted how the health and wellbeing of residents in Canada is inextricably linked with people around the world, especially the most vulnerable and marginalized. 

I also appreciated the commitment towards ensuring greater flexibility for charities to do their work through amendments to the Income Tax Act. If the amendments reflect the spirit of Bill S-216, the Effective and Accountable Charities Act, which is currently being considered by Parliament, this is promising news. This would enable charities to provide its resources to organizations that are not qualified donees – opening the door for stronger partnerships with organizations that are women-led, youth-led, and most in tune with the needs of the community. This will be an important step forward to advance the localization agenda. 

Finally, I was encouraged to see that in a time of multiple intersecting crises such as the COVID-19 pandemic, protracted conflicts, and the accelerating climate crisis. Canada is delivering on its promise to increase its official development assistance (ODA). We will continue to need greater investments in ODA to address our current crises and prevent future ones from happening. 

I’m discouraged by…

There is welcome news for women’s rights and gender equality in the budget – like affordable childcare, menstrual equity, allocation of 25 [percent] of the Rapid Housing initiative to women-focused initiatives and funding to support the implementation of the Federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan.

However, the budget does not go far enough to explicitly acknowledge and address the impacts of COVID-19 on girls’ rights – here at home and beyond. In fact, the 280-page document only mentions girls five times. That is a missed opportunity – girls are most often denied their rights, yet we know they are powerful and can help create a just world. For girls around the world, the knock-on impacts of the pandemic like school closures, gender-based violence, and rising hunger continue to cause the most significant setbacks to their rights. That is why Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy must not only be upheld but strengthened and adequately funded. Sadly, there was also no mention of Canada’s response to the rapidly growing global food insecurity – only worsened by the crisis in Ukraine.  

Doug Kerr

Executive director, Dignity Network Canada 

Score: 7/10

I’m happy to see…

While our network’s focus is international human rights, Canada can’t speak out about these issues globally without doing the work at home, so I am particularly happy to see the attention to fighting homophobia, transphobia, racism, anti-Semitism and Islamophobia here in Canada. The investment in Canada’s anti-racism strategy is great to see and the commitment of $100M over the next five years to help implement the first ever National LGBTQ2 Action Plan is historic. Funding for LGBTIQ2 civil society has been very low in Canada at the federal level and this budget provides a strong foundation for community networks and organizations to grow over the coming years. In terms of international issues, it is very good to see Canada’s overall international assistance levels continue to rise. 

I’m discouraged by…

Our network would really like to see Canada increase its leadership in the world on advancing rights and equality for women and LGBTIQ2 people. While mentioning the Feminist International Assistance Policy, it would have been good to see new concrete initiatives in the budget advancing women’s and LGBTIQ human rights in Canada’s foreign policy and international assistance. 

Heather Barnabe and Alexandria Bohémier

Chief executive officer, Fora: Network for Change

Advocacy manager, Fora: Network for Change

Score: 4/10

I’m happy to see…

We are happy to see… that the budget committed $172 million over the next five years to enhance the governments’ ability to “collect disaggregated data, especially on diverse populations, to bring more equity, fairness, and inclusion into federal government decisions.” It is clear how important this is and how much disaggregated data would have benefited the current budget. This commitment is a step in the right direction to ensuring future budgets better support diverse populations and that no group falls through the cracks due to the use of broad language. 

Additionally, while more information and clarity are needed on what is included in the LGBTQ2 National Action Plan, we are happy to see $100 million over the next five years dedicated towards its implementation. While more sustainable funding is needed, this is a start to address the many barriers experienced by the LGBTQ2 community.

I’m discouraged by…

The Honourable Chrystia Freeland stated a commitment to investing in growing the required skills Canadian workers need in today’s workforce and to “break down barriers” to ensure everyone who wants to work, can work. While the budget acknowledges that barriers exist, it is significant to note that many of these barriers are equity-related and heavily impact young women and gender diverse folks. Addressing these barriers needs to be done urgently and in consultation with the individuals impacted firsthand. Responses to these barriers needs to be non-tokenistic and more than a box-checking activity.  

Employment support promises included the dedication of over $3 billion in the next three years to support approximately 500,000 new job training opportunities, including providing supports to young Canadians to gain valuable work experience. The current government also stated that there is a lack of skilled workers available to meet the current demand. So why not invest more in young women and gender diverse folks? Skills and training targeted to young women and gender diverse folks are needed as well as additional effort to ensure more male-dominated sectors recognize the value and importance of young women and gender diverse folks’ leadership.

Funds put in place for new job training opportunities need to be targeted towards specific demographics if we want to see meaningful progress made. As we turn our focus to economies of the future, young women and gender diverse folks’ unique needs and skills need to be reflected in these spaces.  

While there are some notable efforts made in this budget, it is vague and lacks ambition in terms of social issues. There is a lack of a gendered and intersectional lens across all sections. In the past, the government of Canada has highlighted the importance of using… a Gender Based Analysis+ approach, yet it was missing in this budget. While groups more heavily impacted by the issues covered in this budget were referenced occasionally, the budget mostly targets Canada’s population as a whole. Language is important, and the way this budget has been written will allow many people to fall through the cracks, especially young women and gender diverse folks in all their diversity. The broad terminology also makes it harder for civil society to hold the government accountable for what this budget looks like in its implementation.  

Ian Thomson

Policy manager, Oxfam Canada

Score: 5/10

I’m happy to see…

Gender equality was set back by a generation due to the pandemic. Low-income women and other marginalized people will benefit from the federal investments in affordable housing, with 25 percent of the $1.5 billion funding for the Rapid Housing Initiative targeted to women-focused housing. This year’s budget allocates $539 million for provinces and territories to combat gender-based violence, and provides a groundbreaking $100 million over five years in support to 2SLGBTQ organizations and movements. It’s encouraging to see new revenues being raised from increased corporate income tax rates on big banks and financial institutions that raked in excessive profits during the pandemic. Fairer taxation is long overdue and more reforms are needed to make the economy work for people.

I’m discouraged by…

Racialized, migrant and Indigenous women were hardest hit by the economic impacts of Covid-19. We were hoping the finance minister would re-establish the Task Force on Women and the Economy to guide a feminist economic recovery but there was no mention in her budget speech. While $625 million in child care infrastructure funding is welcome, a broader strategy to invest in the care economy, including a care labour market strategy and minimum standards for long-term care homes, was notably absent. The government hasn’t followed through yet on commitments to reform Employment Insurance for workers in precarious employment or create a new Disability Benefit. The foreign aid budget increased less than expected and falls short of delivering on the full potential of Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy.

Jennifer Hassum

Executive director, Broadbent Institute 

Score: 5/10

I’m happy to see…

Pharmacare, dental care, and some affordable housing measures in the budget can help combat the rising cost of living. We are happy to also see secondary items that are not making the post-budget headlines but are quite important, such as funds to electrify the transportation sector to decrease emissions and increased enforcement on tax evasion.

I’m discouraged by…

There are a few additions and omissions to this year’s budget that hold it back from its full potential.

Allowing for the continued commodification of housing without substantial investments in non-market options is disappointing, and the monetary investments made in housing are small compared to the scale of the affordability crisis. We’re also disappointed to see fossil fuel subsidies in the form of cleantech investments that enable the increased production of oil and gas, nothing new for public transit, and the omission of measures to increase taxes on wealth. 

To put things into perspective the government is looking to dish out only $10.4B in new spending to increase the housing supply over the next four years during a housing crisis. They’re also projected to spend more than $21B on the TMX pipeline during a climate crisis. These priorities don’t properly match the urgency of these crises.

And it isn’t a matter of not having enough financial resources. The government chose not to increase taxes on the 1 percent, leaving upwards of $60 billion on the table that could immediately fund any number of urgent and critical projects. The budget also highlighted Canada’s strong fiscal capacity, but Budget 2022 indicates an unwillingness to use this fiscal capacity to help Canadians.

Jocelyn W. Formsma

Executive director, National Association of Friendship Centres (NAFC)

Score: 3/10

I’m happy to see…

The federal government’s focus on the affordable housing crisis. The government acknowledges the unique barriers of Indigenous people, regardless of residency, in attaining affordable housing – the only such acknowledgement of the challenges of urban Indigenous realities. $300 million will have an impact on the issue. However, this commitment falls well short of the $6.3 billion estimate from the National Housing Council that is needed to tackle the acute crisis of housing in urban, rural, and northern Indigenous communities

I’m discouraged by…

Indigenous peoples vastly live in urban settings. We absolutely welcome and support infrastructure on-reserve and within Metis and Inuit communities, and we feel as though there was a missed opportunity for some real investment in urban Indigenous communities. We feel bypassed almost entirely by this budget, save for one key area of concern for Friendship Centres and the wider urban Indigenous community.

Year after year, urban Indigenous people and the Friendship Centres that serve them are forced to fight for leftover funding primarily directed at distinctions-based programs. We had hoped that the government would acknowledge the role of urban Indigenous people in large and small communities across Canada, and the economic impact of Friendship Centres in protecting rural and urban Indigenous communities.

We have worked incredibly hard to build and sustain a positive working relationship with Indigenous Services Canada to address our needs and provide the government with the help they need to roll out critical programming to a significant portion of the Indigenous population of Canada – a relationship which has yet to gain traction in other areas of the federal government.

We are also alarmed that the government’s language in… addressing racism bridges solely to distinctions-based communities [federally recognized Indigenous groupings of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit], without even referencing the reality of being an Indigenous person in an urban setting.

Kate Higgins

Chief executive officer, Cooperation Canada

Score: 7/10

I’m happy to see…

As conflict, humanitarian emergencies, COVID-19 and climate change wreak havoc around the world, I’m encouraged that the 2022 federal budget includes an increase in Canada’s international assistance and a willingness to address barriers to charitable activities in international cooperation. The budget sees Canada’s international assistance reach over $8 billion, an increase from $7.6 billion in 2020-21, putting our [official development assistance (ODA) to gross national income (GNI)] ratio at about 0.33 [percent] in 2022 and moving us closer in line with our global peers. The government is delivering on its commitment, made in last year’s Speech from the Throne and reiterated in the Minister of International Development’s mandate letter, to increase Canada’s international development assistance budget each year. The budget demonstrates that the government remains committed to international assistance as an effective way of enhancing health, security, prosperity and human rights around the world. 

I am also thrilled to see that the budget responds to the repeated calls by the charitable sector to reduce red tape that inhibits charitable activities in Canada and abroad through the government’s support for Bill S-216, the Effective and Accountable Charities Act. Reforms to outdated and paternalistic Canadian charity legislation are long overdue. As we strive to decolonize and localize international cooperation, these changes will enable Canadian international development and humanitarian organizations to advance more equitable, feminist with partnerships around the world. 

I’m discouraged by….

We were looking for a timetable on future spending on international assistance in this budget, so that Canada’s international assistance can be more strategic and predictable, and better planned. This seems like a reasonable thing to do, but we didn’t get this in this year’s budget.   We also would have liked to see more transparency around the figures. For example, the exact International Assistance Envelope for 2022 is not stated clearly – a graph shows it is just over $8 billion. Clarity on what makes up that just-over-$8 billion would have been useful too.

Megan Conway

President and chief executive officer, Volunteer Canada

Score: 7/10

I’m happy to see…

It’s challenging to provide a numeric score for the budget as there [are] many positive offerings in this budget and areas that need some improvement as we move forward. I would say this is a solid B. Some strengths…and areas for improvement. 

I’m extremely pleased to see the investments being made to Black-led and Black-serving organizations. I’m also optimistic about the ongoing investments being made to support Reconciliation. There is so much more work to be done. Bill S-216 is also a start towards modernizing how charities disperse resources to non-qualified donees. These types of policy changes will hopefully impact how resources are directed to equity seeking groups and to addressing some of the systemic barriers that limit participation and ultimately the power to make change across our communities.

Lastly, I’m optimistic about the investments being made to address hate in our communities. These types of investments represent a step towards addressing some of the unacceptable forms of hate that have been on the rise in the last few years. 

I’m discouraged by….

I’m discouraged about the overall lack of focused investment in the charitable sector.  Canada’s charities and non-profits have been pivotal in continuing to support communities during the pandemic and will be leaders in the pandemic recovery. Enhancing the Community Services Recovery Fund would be a focused way to address the delta between the needs and capacities across charities and nonprofits.

Meseret Haileyesus

Executive director, Canadian Center for Women’s Empowerment (CCFWE) 

Score: 7/10 

Looking back ten years ago the Status of Women Canada (SWC) had a mission to advance equality for women, focusing its efforts in three priority areas: increasing women’s economic security and prosperity; ending violence against women and girls, and encouraging women’s leadership and decision‐making roles. Back then it had an estimated budgetary expenditure of only $29.4 million for 2012-13. Last year the budget was estimated to be $125 million, thankfully, [and] the government made adjustments to assist in coping with the added challenges to vulnerable Canadians presented by Covid-19. As a result, the government increased spending to $236 million for WAGE. The budget estimates $310.3 million will be needed for the Department for Women and Gender Equality and Youth. [However], the expenditure should match the economic cost of the problem in order to eliminate it, [so] therefore, [it] should be $9.3 billion. Until the government makes a serious investment, they will continue to have an economic loss of $9 billion annually with negative impacts on the lives of vulnerable Canadians.

I’m happy to see…

I am encouraged by the priorities to tackle housing, homelessness, and climate change.

It will make life more affordable for Canadians, create jobs, and grow our economy! I particularly appreciate the $172 million over five years to improve the government’s ability to collect disaggregated data. This was something that we are calling for to address social inequalities and economic justice through evidence-based practices. 

I am very happy to see the federal government’s commitment to addressing our call to strengthen the Banking Complaints Handling System. This was something that we advocated to support IPV survivors. We recognize that complaint handling with financial institutions is an area of serious concern, noting the victims of economic abuse have very little knowledge and power to resolve complaints against their financial institutions. We hope that the new measures will address challenges that victims of [economic] and financial abuse are facing in the Canadian banking sector including introducing the Trauma-Informed and Survivor-Centered Complaint Assistance Program. 

I am also so happy that it supports trauma-informed, culturally appropriate, indigenous-led services to improve mental wellness and to support efforts initiated. I am hopeful that this commitment is the first step toward further investment in affordable housing for BIPOCs living in urban and rural areas. 

I’m discouraged by….

This year’s budget wasn’t focused as much on equality as previously. While the word “gender” was mentioned over 750 times in the 2021 budget, the word is only mentioned 18 times this year. Very disappointed to see that only $50M was allocated over 2 years to continue empowering Black-led and Black serving community organizations. It is way too little for Black-led [organizations] in the philanthropy sector. 

For the National Action Plan on Gender-based Violence, the budget allocates $539.3 million over five years to assist provinces and territories to support survivors and prevent further GBV. We have seen incidences of domestic violence and Economic Abuse increase since the COVID-19 pandemic started, so rapid measures would be needed to assist survivors in their current situations. However, only 2 million from the NAP are allocated for 2022-23, while most of the budget is dedicated for 2024+.

After not addressing the housing issue for years, CCFWE is happy to see that the federal government made affordable housing a top priority. [However,] its budget doesn’t include a (strong) GBA+ approach. Survivors of IPV won’t profit from most of the measures that the federal government put in place. Only a fraction of the affordable housing projects is dedicated to women-focused housing projects (25 [percent]) of the funding towards the Rapid Housing Initiative and non-market housing. In addition, there is also no mention of measures to assist tenants with rising rent costs.

Rachael Maxwell

Executive director, Evidence for Democracy (E4D)

Score: 3/10 

I’m happy to see…

While the budget doesn’t score well in the short-term for the Canadian science community, the robust investments in innovation could benefit the entire science and innovation ecosystem in the long-term. 

We were pleased to see wide-ranging investments to boost innovation and build intellectual property, given that Canada lags behind other G7 countries when it comes to research and development (R&D) spending in the private sector. This is an important piece of the science to innovation pipeline, but the challenge ahead will be in finding the right funding balance from discovery to commercialization.

I’m discouraged by….

This budget did not include significant investments in basic research, the three main federal granting agencies, or the students and researchers who make up Canada’s scientific workforce. Instead, there were only smaller, niche investments across some disciplines.This is a glaring gap, especially as our peer nations are forging ahead with bold, forward-thinking investments in science and research. Canada was already behind in funding basic research, so this budget widens that gap even more. Science still desperately needs support in Canada. This long-standing problem is not going away – and neither is climate change, anti-microbial resistance, the potential for future pandemics and a host of other pressing challenges. In the end, the cost of not having the right evidence on hand to address these challenges will be much higher than the immediate costs of making bold, forward-thinking investments in science and research today. E4D’s summary of science and research-related investments in Budget 2022 can be found here.

Tyler Boyce

Executive director, The Enchanté Network

Score: 7/10

I’m happy to see…

Years and years of advocacy and network building brought us to this moment. Budget 2022 makes it clear that 2SLGBTQI+ community concerns are finally resonating, but it’s going to take more than one budget to confront the magnitude of systemic barriers faced by queer and trans folks.

The Enchanté Network applauds the $100M investment into Canada’s forthcoming federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan.

We are also pleased to see $172M over five years to enhance the government’s ability to collect disaggregated data.

I’m discouraged by….

There are indeed a few missing pieces in the budget.

First, the federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan has not been released yet. The Action Plan will truly let us know what the $100M investment will be used for. For example, how much will go into the bureaucracy and how much will go to communities themselves? We’re going to ensure that the forthcoming federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan translates this historic level funding to historic level impact!

Also, Budget 2022 does not include core funding for 2SLGBTQI+ [organizations]. Our needs exist beyond budget cycles and elections, and so we need funding to last beyond budget cycles and elections too. The Enchanté Network submitted a proposal to lay the foundation for a National 2SLGBTQI+ Endowment Fund in our pre-budget submission. Establishing an endowment will be a long-term solution that will self-sustain indefinitely, generating revenue to provide key grants to 2SLGBTQI+ organizations across Canada in perpetuity. We are hoping the forthcoming federal LGBTQ2 Action Plan supports us to work towards closing the chapter on precarious funding for queer and trans frontline services.

Victor Beausoleil

Executive director, Social Economy Through Social Inclusion (SETSI)  

Score: 7/10

I’m happy to see…

I am happy to see emerging initiatives to support Indigenous, Black, and many other broader equity-seeking groups in this budget. It is promising and affirms the importance of economic reconciliation and racial justice in Canada.

I am also pleased to see advances in healthcare, affordable housing, the charitable sector and employee ownership trusts.

I’m discouraged by….

I am disappointed by the actual numbers and funds being deployed to some of the aforementioned pressing issues. Canadians on the margins require a great deal of infrastructural resources, and allocations need to be much higher to make a dent to solve some of these pervasive systemic challenges.

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