August 2023 Newsletter

Since our last edition...

• We welcomed Krista Bissiallon as our new Programs Coordinator, Learning & Collaboration, based in Sault Ste-Marie.
• We are thrilled that our new team is now complete, and we all look forward to meeting, continue collaborating, and strengthening our ties with all of our members and partners!

PFC News & Insights

• We have been closely monitoring developments coming out of Bill C-32, one of the government’s budget bills from 2022, regarding a concern which has developed over the summer in our sector that these rules may apply to trusts held within charities. Read our blog post to learn more: Trust reporting to the CRA – a developing potential concern for our sector. 

• Have a look at our Submission for the Pre-2024 Budget Consultations, which outlines how it recommends that the government fully implement its policies and commitments from over the last few years to modernize the regulatory framework for the non-profit and charitable sector.

PFC Fall Programming Calendar

Our Regional Gatherings, Affinity Groups, Partnership Projects and
Peer Learning Initiatives are returning in early fall on theses dates: 

Regional Member Gatherings (in person) 

• Oct 3 in Ottawa @ 10 AM ET: Register here
• Oct 25 in Montreal @ 5 PM ET: Register here
• Nov 6 in Toronto @ 4 PM ET: Register here
• Nov 20 in Calgary @ 11:30 AM MT: Register here
• Nov 22 in Vancouver @ 11:30 AM PT: Register here

Canadian Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change Roundtable 
@ 1 PM ET (online) 

• Sept 6: Register here. 
• Oct 17: Register here. 
• Dec 5: Register here. 

Communications Affinity Group monthly meeting @ 1 PM ET (online) 

• Sept 21: Register here. 
• Oct 19: Special Workshop Series: Government Relations Training – Register here. 
• Nov 16: Special Workshop Series: Media Relations Training – Register here.    

PGSAG Rendez-Vous @ 1 PM ET (online) 

• Sept 22: Register here. 
• Oct 27: Register here. 
• Dec 1: Register here. 

Healthy Aging Affinity Group Kick-Off Meeting (hybrid)
@ 12:30 PM ET in person; @ 1 PM ET online 

• Oct 4: Register here.  

Investment Roundtable (hybrid)
@ 10:30 AM in person; @ 11:00 AM ET online 

• Nov 28: Save the date, and sign up here to be added to our distribution list for more information

Visit our website regularly for full updated details of our programs. 

Spotlight on September Programming

• CPCCC Roundtable (Sept 6 @ 1 PM ET; online): Focus on the advocacy pillar, with presentations from several signatories on their inspiring work. This will be followed by an exercise to help signatories get started or further strengthen their own advocacy work - either directly in the climate space, or in other focus areas with climate co-benefits. For climate commitment signatories and those interested in signing. Register here. 

• Joint EFC/CFC/PFC Webinar: Controlling Toxics for Our Health and Planet (Sept 18 @ 2 PM ET; online): After years of campaigning by the Coalition for Action on Toxics, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act has recently been reformed. Hard fought meaningful change to toxic policy is now in the process of implementation. Join us and partners Environment Funders Canada and Community Foundations of Canada to learn about how this has forged critical change and the road ahead to safeguarding our health and planet. Register here. 

• Communications Affinity Group Meeting (Sept 21 @ 1 PM ET; online): Focus on social media best practices, for communications & public affairs practitioners among members and partners. Register here. 

• PGSAG Rendez-Vous (Sept 22 @ 1 PM ET; online): Focus on an overview of the capacity-building ecosystems in Canada and philanthropy's role within it, featuring a presentation from Innoweave, for foundation program and grantmaking staff. Register here.

• Philanthropy Supporting Ukraine (Sept 28 @ 2:00 PM ET, online): Join us and partners the Council on Foundations, Mott Foundation, and Community Foundations of Canada for a roundtable discussion on how philanthropy can apply lessons from the war in Ukraine and support education systems during and after a crisis and in conflict zones across the globe. Register here.

New PFC Member

Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security

A warm welcome to the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security as the newest PFC member! Maple Leaf Centre is committed to working collaboratively across sectors to reduce food insecurity in Canada by 50% by 2030, and partners with organizations and innovative programs across Canada. Learn more and check out our newest member's accomplishments here.

Members in the News

• Grants from The Gordon Foundation, Mastercard Foundation, and The Counselling Foundation of Canada, helped launch Nunavut’s first community foundation in Annauma Community Foundation launched in Nunavut. 

• Azrieli Foundation’s Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence praised as a promising development by Dr. Margaret Clark in From Patients to Patience: When a Doctor Becomes a Caregiver 

• Weston Family Foundation’s support helps revitalize biodiversity and create a rich ecological habitat in Toronto conservation authority expands trail connecting downtown with urban park. 

• The Law Foundation of Ontario’s funding of a Thunder Bay Newcomer Clinic helped serve  temporary foreign workers lacking straightforward pathways to permanent residency in Young entrepreneur nearly deported. 

• RBC Foundation's grant helped bring together historians, storytellers, artists and musicians for day-long activities that creatively explored Ontario’s Black heritage in Emancipation Day celebrated at the Josiah Henson Museum of African-Canadian History in Dresden 

• Trico Charitable Foundation's Executive Director Dan Overall makes his case for fully harnessing the power of business models to serve social needs in Aspirations for social enterprise set the bar too low.

• Asper Foundation's philanthropic support of University of Manitoba's Entrance Bursary Program continues to build on their longstanding relationship and commitment to the province's cultural vitality in Asper Foundation opens doors, creates opportunities for students.

• Queen's University and The Rossy Foundation are partnering to launch a student mental-health research centre that will help improve student well-being, U-Flourish Centre for Student Mental Health Research.

• The Cole Foundation’s Intercultural Conversations-Conversations Interculturelles program celebrates its 15th year and announces the latest round of grant winners in Montreal theatres continue the dialogue.

Upcoming Member & Sector Activities

• Roundtable Discussions & Consultations around Accounting Standards Board's Exposure Draft (Sept. 7 and 22, @ 1 PM ET, online | Sept. 14 @ 10 AM AT, Halifax | Sept. 18 @ 3 PM ET, Toronto): All those who oversee accounting, produce financial statements, or use these in their granting decisions may wish to share their views on a proposed new Canadian accounting standard regarding "Contributions Received by Not-for-Profit Organizations", and proposed amendments to Section 4400, "Financial Statement Presentation by Not-for-Profit Organizations". Participate online, in-person or send comments by Sept. 30. Register here for online sessions; register here for in-person sessions; complete the survey here. Please share with the CPAs on your staff and board. 

• Rising to the Challenge: Integrating Climate Justice and Equity (Sept. 12 @ 8:30 AM ET, in person in Montreal): Join the Collectif des fondations québécoises contre les inégalités and Environment Funders Canada to reflect on what it would look like to (further) integrate a climate justice lens into our respective practices. Register here.

• Black Leadership Summit (Sept. 27-28, online): Future of Good and the Foundation for Black Communities are hosting a digital-first conference to celebrate Black leadership in social change, and guide senior leaders and teams interested in equity and inclusion to become more impactful in their anti-racism work. Register here.

• Peace Days 2023: Take Action for Equality, Build Peace (Sept 21-Oct 2, in-person in Montreal and online): Discover and take part in the program of over 50 activities presented by over 40 partners for the Peace Network for Social Harmony's upcoming Peace Days, with this year's edition encouraging participants to take concrete action for equity. View the program and register here.

• Webinars on Compliance with Ontario's Not-for-profit Corporations Act (Oct. 4 and 11 @ 1 PM ET, online): Join this free Ontario Nonprofit Network’s two-part webinar series. Nonprofits have until October 18, 2024 to update their bylaws and letters patent to comply with ONCA. Participants will work through their bylaws and letters patent and a workbook to identify what they might want or need to change in order to comply. Register here.

• Quick Connects for Change (Oct 4 @ 5:30 PM ET, in person in Toronto): PFC members are invited to join Toronto Foundation for a re-imagined speed-dating event, connecting fundholders and local community organizations in a musical chairs-like format with opportunities to connect and learn together. Register here. 

• Funder’s Table on Ending Homelessness at CAEH23 National Conference (Nov 9 @ 3:30 PM AT, in person in Halifax): Join the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness for an inspiring conversation and strategy session for foundations and philanthropists, to discuss the role of philanthropy in ending homelessness and explore what else needs to happen for the tide to turn. Join peers from Home Depot Canada Foundation, United Way Halifax, and Pathy Family Foundation for a collaborative discussion and interactive session to chart a national course for success and share best funding practices. Register for the funders' table and reception here, and the full CAEH23 conference here. 

• AquaHacking Challenge / GREAT LAKES 2023-2024: De Gaspé Beaubien Foundation and their supporter RBC Foundation, both PFC members, are back in the Great Lakes Watershed with their first bi-national Challenge, where young entrepreneurs will be developing innovative solutions to Canada’s most critical freshwater issues. Learn more here.

• Women In Power Fall 2023 Cohort: Applications are now open for the Women In Power program, a self-authoring leadership fellowship designed for women, by women in the social impact sector. Through 90-minute facilitated sessions for 9-weeks in a brave, judgement-free zone, white and racialized women come together to share their lived experiences and talk about how race, gender and patriarchy affects them similarly yet quite differently. Learn more and apply here.

Member & Sector Insights

• We are heartbroken by the wildfires affecting the Northwest Territories and British Columbia. Thank you to the Calgary Foundation for compiling this Emergency Aid Resources list to help others direct emergency funding. 

• Northpine Foundation is supporting an initiative aiming to address the refugee housing crisis in the GTA: Refugee Housing Canada, powered by Happipad, is piloting a program working to connect compassionate homeowners with newly arrived refugees through a home-sharing program. 

• Community Food Centres Canada has released the first in-depth study of poverty and food insecurity among single, working-age adults in Canada. The findings are detailed in their new report Building the Case: Poverty and Food Insecurity Among Working-Age, Single Adults in Canada. 

• Future of Good article describes how some experts say foundations should take a close look at their investment portfolios, after a recent report revealed a lack of information at Canada’s six largest residential real estate investment trusts in Housing Hot Button: Should Your Foundation Divest From Residential REITS?

• WINGS offers a comprehensive framework outlining 10 core principles for driving transformative change in our sector bringing together existing wisdom, practices and examples to inspire action and fuel healthy debate in The Philanthropy Transformation Initiative Report.

• RBC Foundation’s Untapped Potential: Working Together to Open Doors of Opportunity Through Scholarships report aims to help guide funders who support youth through scholarships.  

• Philanthropist Journal’s How to convince people that change is possible describes in Inspirit Foundation’s Sadia Zaman's words how her team is working with Muslim creators to seed new popular narratives about being Muslim in Canada that dispel harmful stereotypes, and in Maytree Foundation’s Bonnie Mah's words how she considers the challenges and opportunities of advancing a rights-based narrative on housing. 

• A new partnership between Law Foundation of Ontario and Black Opportunity Fund supports justice-related services for Black communities.

• The Chronicle of Philanthropy looks at what philanthropy can do to influence the trajectory of A.I. in: “Foundations Seek to Advance A.I. for Good — and Also Protect the World From Its Threats.” 

• MakeWay explains its view of how the new T3010 highlights some of the possible issues with the government's broader deregulation approach in Gifting to non-qualified donees: 5 issues revealed by the new T3010 form.

• Read about how mentors enrich the arts scene in Rozsa Foundation’s Guiding lights: The Vital Importance of Mentorship in Pursuit of a Career in the Arts.

• Learn about Sonor Foundation and partners' Transcend Impact Challenge, and the funding awarded to nine incredible organizations making a significant impact in supporting trans and gender diverse communities across Canada. The conversation contunes in PhiLab's most recent podcast episode, with an interview with Narinder Dhami, President of Sonor Foundation.

• The Federal Nonprofit Data Coalition has submitted recommendations to the federal pre-budget consultation process, focused on collaboration between the sector and Statistics Canada, collecting more and better data about the sector, and ensuring the data collected is presented in easily accessible and understood formats. Check out the submission to learn more about the group and its priorities. 

Get in touch!

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