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…
This is the third piece in a new series about advocacy work in our sector. Four years ago, 20 youth-serving organizations collaborated to create and shape a small piece of public policy: the Prime Minister’s Youth Council. It is not an earth-shattering achievement or priority, to be sure, but our efforts provide useful lessons…
Editor’s note: This is the second piece in a series about advocacy work in our sector. How charities and non-profits engage in policy and political advocacy has been an important topic of conversation topic for some time, and one The Philanthropist has engaged in through past writing, including a short series in 2016. The recent legislative change removing…
Note du rédacteur : Cet article est le deuxième d’une série sur la défense des intérêts dans notre secteur. Depuis quelque temps, il est beaucoup question de l’engagement des organismes de bienfaisance et des OSBL en ce qui a trait aux plaidoyers liés aux politiques publiques — The Philanthropist a déjà abordé le sujet dans le passé,…
Editor’s note: This is the first piece in a series about advocacy work in our sector. How charities and non-profits engage in policy and political advocacy has been an important topic of conversation topic for some time, and one The Philanthropist has engaged in through past writing, including a short series in 2016. The recent legislative change removing limits…
Note du rédacteur : Cet article est le premier d’une série sur la défense des intérêts dans notre secteur. Depuis quelque temps, il est beaucoup question de l’engagement des organismes de bienfaisance et des OSBL en ce qui a trait aux plaidoyers liés aux politiques publiques — The Philanthropist a déjà abordé le sujet dans le…
Introduction Over the last year, many have argued in these pages that the rules restricting Canadian charities from intensive policy engagement should be relaxed or rescinded (Gibbins, 2015; Gibbins, 2016; McRae, 2016; Cave, 2016; Juneau, 2016; Northcott, 2016). Some go so far as to argue that restrictions on advocacy and political activity impose “unreasonable limits…
For two days in mid-May of this year, seventy-three invited participants assembled in Calgary to discuss and debate the appropriate roles for Canadian charities in the development of public policy. The consultation was the capstone event for the term of Dr. Roger Gibbins as Senior Fellow at Max Bell Foundation. In his capacity as Senior…
SUMMARY: This article is the third and final in a series by Dr. Roger Gibbins published in The Philanthropist on the topic of advocacy by charities on public policy issues. This article summarizes the outcomes of a conference held in Calgary in the spring of 2016 to explore and test propositions which had been previously…
This is the second of three articles by Max Bell Foundation and their Senior Fellow, Dr. Roger Gibbins, addressing policy advocacy over the next few months. SUMMARY: This article sees the declaration by the newly elected Government of Canada for a more open relationship with charities as a welcome opportunity and it proposes three strategic…