All Articles - The Philanthropist Journal

Shifting the conversation: How the sector is using narrative change to advance social change

October 31, 2022 Christina Palassio

Changing the way people think about an issue is a precondition to mobilizing action on it. But which organizations have institutionalized narrative change practices as a strategic priority, and how is that playing out day-to-day? How many non-profits are doing the deep listening necessary to understand how audiences perceive their issues, and developing strategic messaging that can shift the conversation?

Analysis

The laws governing gifts by will – and the pressures they put on executors

October 24, 2022 Maria Elena Hoffstein and Stephen Hsia

When a person dies, their executor has a maximum of 60 months to make any testamentary gifts to charities. For estates that are complex, that might not be sufficient time. Maria Elena Hoffstein and Stephen Hsia argue that extending the window could unlock more giving to the charitable sector.

Analysis

Navigating the murky waters of responsible investing

October 19, 2022 Tim Harper

Canadian foundations know that responsible investing can reap both positive impacts and benchmark-beating financial returns, but it isn’t easy – knowing where to invest, measuring social outcomes, even agreeing what to call it. It’s “tough, ongoing work,” says one foundation leader.

Case Studies & Guides

Clearing the path to ‘right relations’

October 18, 2022 Amy Romer

The Right Relations Collaborative brings together community-rooted Indigenous change-makers and aligned philanthropic partners to break down the institutional barriers that define conventional philanthropy and, at the same time, find new ways of being in relationship with one another.

Opinions

More than 2%: A vision for feminist philanthropy

October 11, 2022 Paulette Senior

With no shortage of gendered inequities to tackle in Canada and abundant research that demonstrates how equality benefits everyone, the CEO of the Canadian Women’s Foundation calls for increased investment in gender equality on Give to Women and Girls Day.

Opinions

Assessing the state of the relationship between philanthropy and youth

October 3, 2022 Kat Cadungog

Youth have long fought at the front lines of social innovation and change, argues the ED of The Youth Harbour and the Foundation for Environmental Stewardship, but when they do receive funding for their grassroots movements, their work is often underestimated and undervalued. She offers some recommendations for how funders can better support youth.

Case Studies & Guides

It can be done: Catalyzing positive societal impacts through foundations’ invested assets

September 26, 2022 Chad Park and Greg Elliott

Canada’s charitable sector has a unique opportunity to help shape the leadership practices and related discourse about sustainable and responsible investment, argue contributors Chad Park and Greg Elliott. In doing so, it can leverage the sector’s significant invested assets to help meaningfully address some of today’s most pressing challenges, they write.

Analysis

Hybrid organizations: The Canadian landscape

September 26, 2022 Sarah G. Fitzpatrick

Should an organization be able to have social impact and generate profit? Sarah G. Fitzpatrick looks at the development of hybrid organizations in Canada – and how any further development would benefit from a comprehensive analysis of whether there is a need or space for hybrid organizations.