‘You have to prepare to be bold’: How three charities harnessed visual campaigns
For each of these organizations, creating a “successful” visual campaign was about authenticity, bold storytelling, and navigating ethical complexities.
Neoliberalism and the assault on community
Co-authors Ted Richmond and John Shields focus on the impact of neoliberalism on health, social, and community services in their new book. It is both a welcome resource for non-profit course work and a stand-alone primer for anyone working in, around, or for the sector, reviewer Peter R. Elson writes.
Strategies to better support newcomers to Canada
With Canada welcoming more newcomers than ever, the non-profit sector faces pressure to not only scale up its operations but also innovate in its approaches to support and integration. The experiences of four visionary leaders highlight some key lessons.
Pressing forward
In today’s “survival-of-the-nimblest” journalism industry, an October summit organized by media advocacy group Press Forward aims to get people excited about journalism and the future of community-centred media in Canada.
Featured
Analysis
An ‘agitator’ seeks a solution to the charitable funding gap
The founder of a charity that promotes greater giving in Canada has proposed a mandatory “Social Sector Grant” to build capacity and impact. Is it the type of shake-up a moribund sector needs or the scheming of someone who does not understand how the sector operates?
What are the fundamentals of philanthropy today?
Funders and conference speakers say they’ll be highlighting non-qualified donees, participatory grantmaking, and youth-led organizing as fundamental to working in philanthropy today at Philanthropic Foundations Canada’s 25th-anniversary gathering.
Philanthropy and Funding
Philanthropy in the Global South: A new model?
Two new books explore post-pandemic developments in organized philanthropy across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. They argue the merits of a new approach to philanthropy in these regions, more strongly focused on partnerships, networks, and innovation to create more impact.
Funding narrative change
What can we do to capture attention and meaningfully shift the mindsets on our issues? And how can we do that in a way that prioritizes shifting narrative power to the groups affected by the issues we’re talking about? With a rising number of organizations engaging with narrative change and sharing learnings, more ways of thinking about and approaching the work are emerging.
Case Studies & Guides
Fostering equity: Five key initiatives for empowering Black and Indigenous youth in Ontario
Systemic inequities represent real barriers that prevent young people from reaching their full potential. Five initiatives inspired by the work of Laidlaw Foundation grantees and advisory committees show a path forward.
How one foundation is using Black community members’ expertise to improve charitable programs
The Foundation for Black Communities is encouraging philanthropy leaders to give more control to the communities they are trying to serve. Board co-chair Marlene Jennings says the sector needs to recognize the role it has played in underfunding Black communities, grant communities the money they need, and trust them to handle it.
Decolonization and Reconciliation
How to listen: An interview with Mastercard Foundation’s Reeta Roy
The Canadian-registered Mastercard Foundation is one of the largest charities in the world and has a global/local mandate, with its Young Africa Works 2030 strategy and a commitment to reaching 100,000 Indigenous youth in Canada.
Learning with the I4DM, a tool to increase accountability to uphold Indigenous self-determination
How has the I4 Definitional Matrix (I4DM) – created in large part to see more funding go toward Indigenous-led work – been used? How has it affected Indigenous-led groups, organizations, communities, and nations? The Circle on Philanthropy shares lessons learned.
Series on Work in Progress
The future of non-profit work and workers post-pandemic
In the face of unprecedented demand for services, financial vulnerabilities, and a human resources crisis, the sector is at a crossroads. In this introduction to our Work in Progress series, which will examine the key issues relevant to the future of non-profit work and workers, contributor Yvonne Rodney outlines some of the fixes that are needed now.
The decision to step down: Reflections from four foundation leaders
When long-serving leaders leave their roles, what can we learn from them that will help our sector traverse the challenging times ahead?
Building a sense of belonging and connection at work in the hybrid era
With remote and hybrid work the new norm post-pandemic, non-profits are tailoring strategies to ensure that employees feel heard, seen, and valued – and have discovered that there’s no one-size-fits-all approach.
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Most Popular
Analysis
Building a coalition of the willing means power in numbers for the philanthropic sector
Collaborations, or the lack of them, will feature prominently at the Philanthropic Foundations Canada 25th-anniversary conference in Ottawa, when leaders will be challenged to stop talking and start doing.
Gender-affirming care for trans teens in Canada is under attack – here’s how non-profits are responding
In January, Alberta became the third province to announce restrictions on gender-affirming care for teens. But this hasn’t stopped 2SLGBTQIA-serving organizations from advocating on behalf of youth and their families, combating misinformation, and providing protection against hate crimes.
Why being a woman in power is not enough to change your organization
Research shows that women’s leadership can lead to more inclusive workplaces, but according to DEI experts, researchers, and women leading organizations, that is not enough for a feminist transformation.
Philanthropic leaders reflect on major trends – and tensions
Much ink has been spilled about the tensions in society writ large lately, and this spills over into philanthropy. Ahead of the Philanthropic Foundations Canada conference in September, The Philanthropist Journal spoke to leaders about what trends are top of mind for them this year – and which tensions they’ve noticed of late.
More articles From the Archives
A short history of voluntary sector–government relations in Canada (revisited)
The original version of this story, published in 2007, is one of The Philanthropist Journal’s most popular pieces of all time. In this updated version, Peter Elson and Peyton Carmichael expand on that detailed (and not so short) history.
Charities and the rule against perpetuities
Charitable status is a legally privileged status. The law in numerous ways, ranging from the trivial to the noteworthy, confers legal advantages upon charities. These legal advantages are often misunderstood.
‘We don’t have a word for philanthropy’
What do Indigenous Peoples mean when they talk about Indigenous philanthropy? Miles Morrisseau put this question and others to Indigenous people who are leaders in the philanthropic sector.
Strategies for a caring society
This article was developed from a paper presented at Investigating in the Whole Community: Strategies for a Caring Society, a conference organized by the Trillium
Featured Contributors
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Yvonne Rodney
Yvonne Rodney is a Toronto author, career consultant, speaker, and non-profit worker with extensive experience in career development. She is the author of Moving On: A Quick Guide for Non-Profit Workers and Military to Civilian Employment: A Career Practitioner’s Guide.
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Christina Palassio
Christina Palassio is a non-profit communications professional and freelance writer. When she tweets, she does so at @mcpalassio.
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Angela Long
Angela Long is a freelance writer currently working on a book about rural journalism in Canada.
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Miles Morrisseau
Miles Morrisseau is a Métis writer, journalist, and multimedia producer from the Métis homeland in Manitoba.
- All Featured Contributors