Could a sector that has been plagued by infighting and polarization come together and build new muscle, make its voice heard in the capital, and move beyond being a budget afterthought by government?
The WES Mariam Assefa Fund’s Marina Nuri reflects on launching a participatory grantmaking pilot project and shares five recommended actions for funders that are seeking to experiment with participatory approaches.
Anyone interested in making a difference in their community should read Breakthrough Community Change, writes Sherri Torjman. It is a treasure trove of wisdom gleaned from decades of experience, thousands of community stories, and evidence-based research.
In this reflection on Cannexus, the national career-development conference, Ashleigh-Rae Thomas wonders how she and another participant could have such contrasting reactions to discussions of diversity in the workplace. Black, Indigenous, and racialized people all know well the importance of DEI efforts. But what about decision-makers and people in positions of power who feel nonchalant toward, or even attacked by, equity initiatives in the workplace?
Policy affects our lives every day. But often, people with vital lived experience aren’t involved in developing, changing, and influencing policy. The Gordon Foundation is working to change that, by creating the space to bring young people and policy experts together so they can create real, long-term change.
While access to abortion is protected in Canada, not everyone who needs an abortion can get one, and public opinion has been affected by ideological shifts in Canada and abroad. Frédérique Chabot, director of domestic health promotion at Action Canada for Sexual Health & Rights, talks about policy goals, framing the case for increasing access, and the need to dispel harmful narratives.
With the largest intergenerational wealth transfer ever underway, philanthropy would be wise to take heed. A recent study by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute offers a snapshot of wealthy young donors, from motivations to challenges to giving behaviours. “We’re at the tipping point,” says one sector leader, of where to go next in engaging young donors to “become partners in systems change” and the “shifting of money and power.”
As we celebrate our mothers and caregivers this Mother’s Day, we need to address the gendered catch-22 of motherhood, writes Paulette Senior. Philanthropy must move beyond the ethos of “motherhood as solution” or “motherhood as problem,” she says, and centre women’s humanity beyond their care work – and get ambitious about lightening their load.
