Frequent Philanthropist Journal book reviewer Hilary Pearson’s new book profiles a selection of Canadian foundations that have evolved from static grantors to active participants in building capacity, strengthening community, influencing public policy, addressing climate change, and engaging in reconciliation through relationship.
There is an urgent need to improve access to critical internet resources in underserved communities across Canada, but the digital equity gap can not be bridged by the private sector and governments alone. There is a clear role for philanthropy, too, in addressing these challenges, and a new how-to guide offers a blueprint.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation was formed in 1982 to provide grants to social service organizations in Ontario communities. Funded by the Ontario government, it began with a $15-million budget that has since grown to more than $100 million in funding across the non-profit sector. The Philanthropist Journal digs into the changes and challenges experienced by OTF on its 40th anniversary.
La Fondation Trillium de l’Ontario a été créée en 1982 afin d’octroyer des subventions à des organismes de services sociaux dans les communautés de l’Ontario. Financée par le gouvernement de l’Ontario, elle a commencé avec un budget de 15 millions $ qui est passé depuis à plus de 100 millions $ de financement dans le secteur sans but lucratif. À l’occasion du 40e anniversaire de la FTO, The Philanthropist Journal se penche sur les changements et les défis qu’a connus la FTO.
“Broadly, collectively, holistically”: with increasing awareness that it’s time to unlock the potential of women as a key demographic in fundraising strategies, and with women’s and girls’ organizations receiving just 2% of funding, research like that being done by the Women’s Philanthropy Institute aims to jump-start a more woman-friendly version of philanthropy.
A recent convening led the Stephen Lewis Foundation to issue a call to action for funders – outlining five anti-colonial funding principles to remove roadblocks for funding community-led organizations.
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.
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.
