The Philanthropist Journal

Advancing a vision for stronger volunteer supports in Canada

Adam Janes — Mon, 11 May 2026 21:19:45 +0000

The president of the Volunteer Management Professionals of Canada issues a call to advocate for investment in Canada's chronically underfunded volunteering ecosystem, starting with a 10-question survey for leaders of volunteers across Canada.

The post Advancing a vision for stronger volunteer supports in Canada appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Reclaiming the public square in a time of rupture

Abdul Nakua — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 19:15:42 +0000

Rather than seeking incremental changes, the social sector is being called upon to reclaim a larger role in Canadian society, Abdul Nakua suggests. He offers three areas of development and three key investments for consideration.

The post Reclaiming the public square in a time of rupture appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

How philanthropy supported the biggest GHG reduction in North American history

Eric Campbell, Chris Turner — Mon, 20 Apr 2026 18:09:49 +0000

Philanthropy’s role in closing the last coal-fired power plant in Ontario 12 years ago, one of Canada’s great clean-economy achievements, offers some urgent lessons for how the sector can be most effective today.

The post How philanthropy supported the biggest GHG reduction in North American history appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Addressing the caregiving crisis in Canada

Christina Palassio — Tue, 07 Apr 2026 18:02:06 +0000

Coming to grips with the “existential” crisis in care amidst an increasingly austere economic environment requires not just financial support for caregivers, but broader system investments and reforms.

The post Addressing the caregiving crisis in Canada appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Inuit face food insecurity, cultural loss 13 years into Labrador caribou hunting ban

Frey Blake-Pijogge — Fri, 27 Feb 2026 19:24:39 +0000

This is the first piece from Frey Blake-Pijogge, a writing fellow working with The Philanthropist Journal and The Independent in Newfoundland and Labrador.

The post Inuit face food insecurity, cultural loss 13 years into Labrador caribou hunting ban appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

The most important infrastructure isn’t in the budget

Mira Oreck, Frederique Chabot, Vani Jain — Mon, 02 Feb 2026 18:42:16 +0000

Philanthropy has a crucial role to play in supporting the chronically underfunded work of gender justice organizations – which are holding communities together in an age of precarity – and the moment is now.

The post The most important infrastructure isn’t in the budget appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Federal budget spends more on capital investment and less on non-profit sector – so far

Sherlyn Assam — Mon, 01 Dec 2025 17:11:41 +0000

While Budget 2025 does not include a strategy to systemically support programs and services that non-profits and charities provide – or the Canadians working at these organizations – “it could have been worse,” says economist Armine Yalnizyan, the Atkinson Fellow on the Future of Workers.

The post Federal budget spends more on capital investment and less on non-profit sector – so far appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Stopping the funding rollercoaster for feminist and 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations

Christina Palassio, Maïa Faddoul — Mon, 24 Nov 2025 18:57:50 +0000

A projected 80% decrease in Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) funding ahead of the federal budget highlighted a level of precariousness that feminist and 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations and activists have been calling attention to for decades.

The post Stopping the funding rollercoaster for feminist and 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Canada’s global influence in a turbulent and uncertain world

Mostafa Al-A’sar — Mon, 27 Oct 2025 18:35:05 +0000

While civil society and international cooperation face existential challenges, organizers of the Cooperation Canada Leaders’ Forum see an opportunity to revive hope through unity, solidarity, and collective action in resisting authoritarianism and advancing human rights.

The post Canada’s global influence in a turbulent and uncertain world appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Tackling food insecurity through collaboration, innovation, and advocacy

Lori Nikkel — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 18:21:51 +0000

The charitable hunger-relief sector is in the unique position of knowing how to not only respond to rising food insecurity, but to champion long-term change in this space, writes Second Harvest CEO Lori Nikkel.

The post Tackling food insecurity through collaboration, innovation, and advocacy appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Ratna Omidvar has left the Senate, but she’s not going away

Tim Harper, Aiden Cyr — Wed, 02 Jul 2025 13:42:42 +0000

In conversation with Philanthropist Journal writers Tim Harper and Aiden Cyr, Omidvar discusses her legacy in the upper chamber, a lifetime of advocating for the underdog, and passing the baton to new champions of the non-profit sector.

The post Ratna Omidvar has left the Senate, but she’s not going away appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Ellen Gabriel: 35 years after the so-called Oka Crisis

Toula Drimonis, Martin Akwiranoron Loft — Tue, 17 Jun 2025 17:30:29 +0000

More than three decades after the Mohawk Resistance at Kanesatake, the activist, artist, and filmmaker who was on the front lines doesn’t see much progress in Canada’s treatment of Indigenous Peoples. She hopes her new book will help educate Canadians.

The post Ellen Gabriel: 35 years after the so-called Oka Crisis appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

For Anglican priest and writer Maggie Helwig, her church’s encampment was a ‘site of grace’

Christina Palassio — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 20:11:28 +0000

In her new book, Encampment: Resistance, Grace, and an Unhoused Community, Helwig tells the story of the encampment that formed on the grounds of her Toronto church during the pandemic, and how the church and the surrounding Kensington Market community fought to protect it and its residents.

The post For Anglican priest and writer Maggie Helwig, her church’s encampment was a ‘site of grace’ appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

The cost of abandoning the helpers

Christina Philips — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 18:13:10 +0000

Recent international aid cuts follow the deadliest year on record to be an aid worker. We must share the stats, the stories, and the situations we see, Canadian Foodgrains Bank’s Christina Philips writes, to compel more people to join this movement of compassion and care.

The post The cost of abandoning the helpers appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

How DEI rollbacks threaten non-profits that serve women and racialized and Indigenous communities

Yusra Qadir — Mon, 26 May 2025 17:08:52 +0000

With a global retreat on DEI measures underway, Mothers Matter Canada’s Yusra Qadir examines the effect on organizations serving marginalized communities and issues a call to action to government and funders.

The post How DEI rollbacks threaten non-profits that serve women and racialized and Indigenous communities appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Canada’s non-profit sector must rally in support of global education ahead of G7 summit

Fred Witteveen, Laura Frigenti, Shelly Whitman — Tue, 20 May 2025 17:39:52 +0000

Now more than ever, Canada’s non-profit sector is in a unique position to call for urgent action, champion global education efforts, and prioritize discussions that support peace and prosperity for future generations.

The post Canada’s non-profit sector must rally in support of global education ahead of G7 summit appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Filling the gap? The pressure on philanthropy in the fragile eldercare system

Diane Alalouf-Hall, Saouré Kouamé, Katherine Macdonald, Adam Saifer — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 19:05:02 +0000

Should philanthropy serve as a complement to or a substitute for the state’s obligations to the elderly? Researchers share what they learned from the role of philanthropy in Quebec’s eldercare system during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The post Filling the gap? The pressure on philanthropy in the fragile eldercare system appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

‘Buy Canadian’ signals that an alternative economy is possible – but we need to nourish it

Candice Zhang — Mon, 28 Apr 2025 18:15:50 +0000

The seed for a more self-sufficient and resilient economy, one not focused on extraction and exploitation, lies in community wealth building – and non-profits are on the front lines leading the way.

The post ‘Buy Canadian’ signals that an alternative economy is possible – but we need to nourish it appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Les organismes de bienfaisance du Canada sont essentiels à la communauté, à la démocratie, et à la prospérité économique

Bruce MacDonald, Jean-Marc Mangin — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:25:23 +0000

Les élections fédérales qui se déroulent actuellement arrivent à un moment critique de l’histoire du Canada : notre prospérité, notre souveraineté, nos droits et libertés démocratiques

The post Les organismes de bienfaisance du Canada sont essentiels à la communauté, à la démocratie, et à la prospérité économique appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.

Canada’s charities: Essential to community, democracy, and economic prosperity

Bruce MacDonald, Jean-Marc Mangin — Tue, 22 Apr 2025 18:24:58 +0000

In the waning days of the election campaign, ask candidates how they will protect non-profits’ ability to meet the needs of Canadians with impactful services and to speak out on important issues.

The post Canada’s charities: Essential to community, democracy, and economic prosperity appeared first on The Philanthropist Journal.