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.
The Canadian Revenue Agency’s Review and Analysis Division is “responsible for delivering the Agency’s mandate under the Anti-Terrorism Act to prevent the abuse of registered charities for the financing of terrorism.” However, in the past few years, Muslim charities have raised concerns about the Division’s audits and revocations by the CRA.
According to Charitable Impact, donors often seek to give to maximize their impact, but the charity-centred approach can make that challenging. Instead, their needs are centred by allowing patients and people with lived experience to decide where those funds go.
The commitment by Global Affairs Canada signals strong international recognition of the crisis in Gaza and a commitment to long-term support. However, blockades are still preventing help from flowing freely into the area, and organizers say the program will shut down in a few months if blockades aren’t lifted.
Despite dwindling supplies and a total blockade on anything new entering the Gaza Strip, aid organizations staffed by Palestinians themselves continue to serve the local population. However, with Israeli authorities imposing new registration requirements on INGOs, many may have to leave the Gaza Strip after working in the region for decades.
With 2025 being the ten-year anniversary of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s recommendations, there is likely to be a renewed focus on the lasting impacts of colonization in Canada. Research suggests that the Government has still not met many of its commitments to Indigenous communities, leaving Indigenous-serving charities and non-profits to fill the gap.
