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July 2023 Newsletter
Since our last edition...
- We welcomed two new PFC teammates:
- André Pawan Vashist as our new Director of Learning and Collaboration
- Bruce Lawson as our Special Advisor to the President & CEO - Our colleagues Laetitia Gill and Michele Fugiel Gartner facilitated two panels and presented their research papers at the 11th International Research Conference of the European Research Network On Philanthropy in Zagreb, Croatia (see blog below).
- We were thrilled to host the first meeting of our new Arts Funders Affinity Group, bringing together dozens of members and partners thanks to the leadership of Azrieli Foundation (Jason van Eyk), Metcalf Foundation (Michael Trent) and Rozsa Foundation (Simon Mallett). To join the group's distribution list for news on future meetings, get in touch with us.
PFC News & Insights
- Laetitia Gill and Michele Fugiel Gartner observe that in times of poly-crises or perma-crises, it has never been more important to bridge knowledge and relationship gaps between academics and practitioners in their blog post Philanthropy and crises: Reflections from ERNOP 2023
- Sonor Foundation and New Power Labs’ Narinder Dhami writes how shifting to a serving mindset can help us become more effective funders in our guest blog post How can we help you?
- Sara Krynitzki catches us up on regulations in our sector in a new memo Refresher and updates on latest regulatory changes.
- If you haven't yet had a chance, don't miss our new interactive Annual Report and learn how we reconnected, collaborated, and mobilized our membership in 2022
New PFC Resources
Check out our JEDI Resources recently updated for the JEDI Accelerator’s second cohort participants and made available to all our members.
Upcoming Partnership Programming
Ukraine’s “Green Economy” Future
July 27, at 2:00 PM ET
Join this Philanthropy Supporting Ukraine Funder Roundtable Series event with partners Mott Foundation and Community Foundations Canada, and explore how environmental funders can help Ukraine rebuild and support a green energy transformation, with speakers Yevheniya Kravchuk, a Ukraine Member of Parliament; Roman Zinchenko, co-Founder of Greencubator; and Dario Liguti from the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.
Controlling Toxics for Our Health and Planet
September 18, 2:00 – 3:00 pm ET
Join us and partners Environment Funders Canada and Community Foundations Canada for a webinar discussing how after years of campaigning by the Coalition for Action on Toxics, Canada’s cornerstone environmental legislation, the Canadian Environmental Protection Act, has recently been reformed, and hard fought meaningful change to toxic policy is now in the process of implementation. Join our panelists Wendy Cooper of Dragonfly Ventures, Jennifer Beeman & Ama Maria Anney of Breast Cancer Action Quebec, a representative of the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment and Devika Shah of Environment Funders Canada (Moderator) to learn about how this funder-initiated collaboration has forged critical change and the road ahead to safeguarding our health and planet.
Upcoming PFC Programming
Heads Up!
New Healthy Aging Affinity Group
Kick-off Meeting
October 4 from 1:00 - 3:00 PM ET
Join fellow funders to explore how the philanthropic sector can help raise awareness about healthy aging and why it should become even more involved.
Objectives:
- Understand healthy aging and identify what is at stake
- Information exchange with key players and get inspired by great initiatives
- Promote philanthropic engagement and strengthen national coordination of healthy aging funding
- Discuss how other funding areas overlap and align with healthy aging
Affinity Groups & Peer Learning Initiatives
Next Meetings
- Sept 6, Oct 17, Dec 5: Canadian Philanthropic Commitment on Climate Change Roundtables and Workshop @ 1 PM ET – Register here
- Sept 21, Oct 19, Nov 16: Communications Affinity Group Monthly Meeting @ 1 PM ET - Register here
- Sept 22, Oct 27, Dec 1: Programs & Grantmaking Staff Affinity Group Rendez-Vous @ 1 PM ET - Register here
- Nov 28: Investment Roundtable @ 11 AM - 12:30 PM ET (In person in Toronto and online; note time change) - stay tuned for registration link coming soon
Stay tuned for our full fall programming schedule coming soon!
Member Job Board
- Communications Specialist, Weston Family Foundation
- Program Manager, Microbiome, Weston Family Foundation
- Program Manager, Northern, Weston Family Foundation
- Coordinator, Grants and Programs (Hybrid), The Law Foundation of Ontario
- Governance Coordinator and Executive Assistant (Hybrid), The Law Foundation of Ontario
- Operations and Administration Coordinator (Hybrid), The Law Foundation of Ontario
Upcoming Member & Sector Activities
Accounting Standards Board Consultation
Reply by September 30, 2023
Share your views on a proposed new accounting standard, "Contributions Received by Not-for-Profit Organizations" and proposed amendments to Section 4400, "Financial Statement Presentation by Not-for-Profit Organizations". The exposure draft proposals, once finalized, will affect all organizations that apply Accounting Standards for NFPOs (Part III of the Canadian GAAP Accounting Handbook). This project has been in the works for many years and is expected to result in significant change to many NFPO financial statements.
Compliance with Ontario's
Not-for-profit Corporations Act
October 4 and 11, 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM ET
Join this Ontario Nonprofit Network’s free two-part webinar series. Nonprofits have until October 18, 2024 to update their bylaws and letters patent to comply with ONCA. In this half-day working session, 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.
Members in the News
- McConnell Foundation makes a commitment to transferring $30 million over five years in capital transfers to community-focused Indigenous-led foundations, starting with a $10 million transfer to the Indigenous People’s Resilience Fund. Future of Good’s article on McConnell's capital transfer describes it as the largest known capital transfer by a foundation in Canada within the past five years to an equity-seeking organization. Read McConnell Foundation's statement here.
- Mastercard Foundation grant helps launch a new podcast which gives voice to Indigenous youth.
- Solcz Family Foundation grant allows more Windsor area families caring for a child or youth with disabilities to cope with some out-of-pocket and unexpected expenses.
- Weston Family Foundation grant enhances mental health unit spaces to offer improved care for the children, youth and families the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) serves.
- Arthur J.E. Child Foundation grant — the largest philanthropic gift in Alberta Health Services' history — helps build the new Calgary Cancer Centre.
- RBC Foundation invests in a vital pilot project with the Surrey Hospitals Foundation to create a special health care team committed to supporting youth and young adults when they transition from hospital care to community care.
- Pathy Family Foundation grant offers a major boost for the The Kahnawake Cultural Arts Center, slated to house the Turtle Island Theatre, Kahnawake Tourism, and Kanien’kehá:ka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center.
- Calgary Foundation, McConnell Foundation and Suncor Energy Foundation help fund a new energy consumption reduction program that will provide education and home upgrades to around 100 households in Calgary.
- Mastercard Foundation grant supports Queen’s University and the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority in training health professionals on the James Bay coast.
Azrieli Foundation’s gift supports the creation of a Hamilton-based Learning Health System for children with neurodevelopmental disorders
Member & Sector Insights
- Imagine Canada’s new study on Equity, Diversity and inclusion, based on research conducted by the Equity Benchmarking Project, part of PFC's partnership in the Equitable Recovery Collective, is said to be a wakeup call for white-led nonprofits.
- Philanthropist Journal’s Building the charitable sector’s policy muscle looks at the pragmatic skills of building support, refining a policy “ask,” and having bureaucratic and political doors open.
- Philanthropist Journal’s Youth perspectives on philanthropy, 10 years later describes how some progress has been made and changes are occurring – but there are still opportunities for funders to critically re-examine the way they relate to youth.
- J. Armand Bombardier Foundation’s Place des Savoirs Resource Bank guides you on Governance and Legal Structure and many more topics.
- WINGS’ storytelling initiative gathers inspiring Case Studies that highlight leading practices, ideas, reflections, and research to encourage capacity-building, collaboration, and support.
- MakeWay’s Uncolonizing the workplace using Indigenous Kinship building practices. describes how dedicated it is to uncolonizing its internal frameworks and dismantling oppressive systems, creating a safe and empowering work environment for its Indigenous, Inuk, and Métis team members.
- McConnell Foundation’s Financial literacy for Indigenous economic prosperity with FNQLEDC marks 20 years of the McConnell Foundation partnering to forward reconciliation work.
- Centraide du Grand Montréal's Engagés pour le logement (Engaged in Housing) advocates for urgent change in the affordable housing sector.
- Philab’s special edition on Philanthropy & AI explores the place and role of grant making, and wealthy patronage, in the development of cybernetics and artificial intelligence
- Muttart Foundation’s Guidebook on how to start a nonprofit in Canada outlines how to start a nonprofit organization in Canada, with specifications for each province and territory and at the federal level.
- Chartered Professional Accountants Canada's State of Play: Study of social disclosures by Canadian public companies provides insight into the nature and extent of social factors being considered, measured and disclosed in the Canadian market.
In memoriam
It is with great sadness that we heard of Joseph Donner, Jr.'s passing (Jan 23, 1927 – July 13, 2023). He was the grandson of William Henry Donner, founder of Donner Canadian Foundation. Our sincere condolences to family members and friends.
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