In this week’s News Digest: more data on COVID-related revenue erosion, a focus on equitable stimulus, and pro-bono consulting for arts groups. Plunging revenue, plunging morale According to a new Imagine Canada report that compares the COVID-19 crisis to the 2008/09 recession, revenue losses are significantly higher for charities and non-profits this time. In 2008/09,…
This is the fourth piece in a new series about advocacy work in our sector. Civic discourse and participation are two of the most important indicators of a healthy, vibrant democratic society. In an increasingly polarized political environment, social sector organizations have a critical role to play in fostering social cohesion, facilitating meaningful political dialogue, and…
Guiding foundations through market calamities is nothing new for Michael Quigley. He began managing his first endowment portfolio in August 1997 — two months before that year’s market crash. Later came the protracted financial crisis and the “flash crash” of 2010. Market meltdowns are never alike, he says, but this one feels unique. “When it’s…
Guider les fondations aux prises avec les catastrophes que subissent les marchés, il n’y a là rien de nouveau pour Michael Quigley. Il a commencé à gérer son premier portefeuille de fonds de dotation en août 1997 — deux mois avant le crash des marchés boursiers de cette année-là. Puis ce fut la longue crise financière…
The fundraising story during the COVID-19 pandemic has been something of a tale of two sectors. For organizations that depend heavily on events, the enforced social distancing has created a disaster. At what should be the height of its fundraising season, for example, the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS) projected a $20 million loss in April….
In this week’s Special News Digest: more data on the pandemic’s impact, foundations step up, and the roller-coaster policy response. New national, regional, and rural survey data Imagine Canada’s Charities & the COVID-19 Pandemic Sector Monitor report contains much-anticipated data on how the pandemic has affected the charitable sector. According to the survey, 35% of…
In the fall of 2018, during a plenary session she hosted at a philanthropy conference, Sharon Avery asked about 300 leaders of private Canadian foundations to raise their hands if their organizations considered gender equity in their granting or investing. Only three or four hands went up. It was one of several “aha” moments Avery…
At the end of 2019, the San Francisco-based tech giant Salesforce invited more than 5,500 non-profit professionals to attend more than 300 sessions focused specifically on the sector at its annual mega-conference: Dreamforce. It might be Salesforce’s ideal market. For one thing, it’s enormous, making up 8.5% of Canada’s GDP and employing more than two…
With COVID-19 prompting dramatic change across Canada’s charitable sector, stories of layoffs, cancelled fundraisers, and virtual meetings have become commonplace. Individual organizations are handling the crisis differently and, especially in recent weeks, many are finding new ways to circumvent pandemic-related obstacles and continue to provide needed services. From non-profits serving vulnerable communities in some of…
In this week’s Special News Digest: Celebrating Giving Tuesday Now; more organizations make generous donations; federal relief for non-profits; online learning opportunities; and the impact of COVID-19 on arts organizations. Giving Tuesday and other COVID-19-related fundraising activity Today is Global Giving Tuesday, and the semi-annual appeal drive has particular resonance given the COVID-19 disruption. The…