A deeper look at the news, innovations, and shifts in philanthropy, funding, and giving, from the Future of Good editorial team.
The number of cases of COVID-19 in Indigenous communities is rising, and the impacts — exacerbating already crisis-level rates of mental illness among Indigenous youth, for instance — have been devastating since the beginning. If the philanthropic sector wants to help, it needs to use this moment to completely transform how it operates.
Donor-advised funds (DAFs) represent an important tool in Canadian philanthropy. DAFs have been a more flexible model for faster responses to the COVID-19 pandemic, but almost no data exists on their efficacy — and severe transparency problems undermine their credibility.
Fundraisers are among the most important sources of revenue for Canadian non-profits — 40 percent of them rely on events for revenue. The COVID-19 pandemic has put many of these events to an end, cutting off a vital source of revenue to non-profits as demand for their services grows.
Grantmakers across Canada are launching emergency relief funds in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic’s unprecedented challenges, but few are aimed at funding long-term community recovery. Desjardins’ GoodSpark Fund is intended to do just that.
Ontario’s non-profits are needed more than ever as the COVID-19 pandemic’s health implications give way to a looming economic depression and acute mental health issues. Yet many are in dire financial straits. The provincial and federal governments have offered business relief, but a new report says it isn’t enough to sustain the sector.
The Give5 movement and others in the philanthropic sector are calling on foundations to majorly up their disbursement — which could unlock hundreds of millions of dollars for charities. But years ago, what Give5 is calling for was the legally mandated minimum. Why did it change? There’s a long history behind the disbursement rules, and big questions about whether they’re still relevant today.