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March 2024 Newsletter
Since our last edition...
Granting to Non-qualified Donees: thank you to everyone who attended our Together 25 webinar last month. The interest and enthusiasm for this topic was incredible, as was the turn out! Due to high demand, we have posted the webinar recording here. And, we're offering another webinar on the subject this Thursday March 14 - see details below.
PFC’s 2025-2028 Strategic Planning: the member consultation component of our Strategic Planning has come to an end. Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate over these last several months; over 70 of you completed our member Feedback Survey, dozens came together for our 12 focus groups, and we held 17 one-on-one conversations with the CEO. We are grateful for your participation – the community insights we collected are of immense value, and key to our process. As a next step, the Board’s Strategic Plan Task Force will be reviewing the content generated from the consultation and will soon be bringing their recommendations to the full Board.
PFC Updates & Insights
Landscape Report (New): PFC will soon be publishing our first-ever Landscape Report, which looks at the history of foundations in Canada, the current state of regulation, assets, and grantmaking in the country, and seeks to better understand the current trends and tensions impacting the philanthropic sector. While the full report will be released later this Spring, PFC’s Lead Researcher and Landscape Report author Michel Fugiel Gartner will present a sneak peek of this work at the Toronto Regional Member Gathering the morning of Tuesday, April 9 at Foundation House. The event details are below.
PFC Board Nominations: Patty Faith, Chair of the PFC Nominations Committee distributed the Call for Nominations to fill the three (3) vacancies on the PFC Board of Directors. Nominations and self-nominations are welcome. For more details about the eligibility criteria and the nomination process, visit our website here. The nomination deadline is Tuesday, April 2, 2024.
2024 Annual CEO Retreat: many have signed up to attend the upcoming CEO Retreat, taking place May 13-15, in Alton, Ontario. We are nearly at capacity, but if you are interested in participating, please contact Erin Matheson by this Friday, March 15.
Together 25 Conference: planning and programming is well underway. From the 100+ nominated sessions and speakers submitted for consideration, we have selected and invited a first group of thirty who will make up a portion of our Conference Program. Stay tuned for more updates!
Upcoming PFC Programming
Supporting Non-Qualified Donees
Thursday, March 14, 2024
2 PM AT | 1 PM ET | 12 PM CT | 11 AM MT | 10 AM PT (Online)
This session for PFC and Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) members, led by Miller Thomson LLP, will provide insights and practical administrative guidance for foundations on recent changes to the Income Tax Act on qualifying disbursements and updates to the CRA’s administrative guidelines on making qualifying disbursements to non-qualified donees. Visit our event page here.
The Canadian Philanthropy Commitment on Climate Change (CPCCC) Roundtable
Wednesday, March 20, 2024
2 PM AT | 1 PM ET | 12 PM CT | 11 AM MT | 10 AM PT (Online)
Topic: Introduction to climate storytelling
Guest Speaker: Emel Tabaku, Transformation Storytelling Fellow
Join our special guest, Emel Tabaku, a Transformation Storytelling Fellow at Community Foundations of Canada who has been named as one of Canada’s top 25 environmentalists under 25, for this interactive session which will be an opportunity for foundations to reflect on how they can use storytelling as a tool to activate their climate work. Register for the session here!
Together 25 Webinar Series –
Lobbying for Change
Thursday, March 21, 2024
2 PM AT | 1 PM ET | 12 PM CT| 11 AM MT | 10 PM PT (Online)
This third webinar in our Together 25 webinar series, presented in partnership with Trottier Family Foundation, will increase charities’ confidence and clarity about the rules vis-à-vis lobbying and political activities overall and build understanding about legal requirements. Visit our event page here.
Investment Roundtable Meeting
Tuesday, March 26, 2024
2 PM AT | 1 PM ET | 12 PM CT| 11 AM MT | 10 PM PT (Online)
Topic: Exploring how investing fits into your DQ with guests from CRA
Join us for the next hybrid meeting of our Investment Roundtable, where we will welcome speakers from the Canadian Revenue Agency to help us explore how investing fits into a foundation's disbursement quota. To sign-up to join this Peer Learning Initiative click here.
Montreal Regional Member Gathering
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
11 AM - 1 PM ET (In person luncheon-gathering)
Topic: The Future of Grantmaking Practices
This luncheon-gathering of members will be another opportunity to connect with peers based in Greater Montreal, to discuss grantmaking practices and how as funders we are exploring new approaches that value trust and participation. We will hear from local colleagues about how this requires shifts around culture, governance and operations, and how they have experienced these changes. Visit our event page here.
Healthy Aging Affinity Group Meeting
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
2 PM AT | 1 PM ET | 12 PM CT| 11 AM MT | 10 PM PT (Online)
Join the first meeting of the year of our newest affinity group, for funders already prioritizing healthy aging and those planning to invest in that area, along with others who recognize that supporting older adults is a crucial yet under-funded area. At this meeting, participants will share what they are currently or interested in funding and share ways they support the healthy aging sector including projects, regions, and their foundation's approach. Visit our event page here.
Toronto Regional Member Gathering
Sneak peek of
An Evolving Landscape:
Reflecting Canada’s Philanthropic Foundations
Author and Presenter: Michele Fugiel Gartner
Lead Researcher, Philanthropic Foundations Canada
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 - 8:30-10:00 AM ET
Location: Foundation House, 2 Clair Ave E - Suite 300, Toronto, ON
Coffee and a light breakfast will be served upon arrival
The presentation will begin at 9:00 AM
For this get-together, Michele will offer a special sneak peek of PFC's upcoming Landscape Report - which looks at the history of foundations in Canada, the current state of regulation, assets, and grantmaking in the country, and seeks to better understand the current trends and tensions impacting the philanthropic sector.
This event is open to Toronto and Ontario-based PFC member boards and staff, to PFC members from other parts of the country who wish to join us in Toronto, as well as other foundations and grantmakers strongly considering membership in our network. To join us on Tuesday, April 9, please be quick to register, as space is limited.
Recent Leader Appointments & Departures
Welcome: Since the beginning of the year, there have been several CEO and President appointments in the philanthropic sector. We welcome into their new roles; Adrienne Kelly at Lucie and André Chagnon Foundation, Amy Buskirk at The Hilary and Galen Weston Foundation. Dr. Bettina B. Cenerelli at The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation, Carolyn DuBois at The Gordon Foundation, Cathy Taylor at Lawson Foundation, Jamison Steeve at Metcalf Foundation, as well as Sacha Haque at The R. Howard Webster Foundation.
Farewell: At the same time, Andrea Clarke, Howard Davidson, Marcel Lauzière, Sandy Houston, and Sherry Campbell have left or will be leaving their positions. As we welcome this new generation of foundation leaders, let’s celebrate and build their legacy. For example, please revisit this article featuring interviews with four long-standing leaders in The Philanthropist, The decision to step down: Reflections from four foundation leaders.
- It was announced this week by CEO Benoît Fontaine that as of April 1, 2024 KBF Canada will be known as Myriad Canada.
Member & Sector Job Board
Associate Vice President of Policy, Equality Fund (March 18)
Board of Directors, Imagine Canada ( March 21)
Equality Fund Board of Directors (rolling basis)
Program Officer, Max Bell Foundation ( April 1)
PRESIDENT & CEO, Canadian Women’s Foundation (April 5)
Executive Assistant, Samuel Family Foundation
Member & Sector Insights
Canadian Race Relations Foundation and Canadian Commission for UNESCO reflect on Black Canadian civil society’s role in the first United Nations International Decade for People of African Descent (2015-2024) in report entitled Reflections on the first decade: Black Canadian leadership at the UN Forum for People of African Descent.
The Gordon Foundation describes how Upcoming Treaty Simulations in 2024 will provide exciting hands-on learning about negotiating and implementing Modern Treaties with First Nations peoples and why for Kristen Tanche, Arctic Futures Symposium and Arctic Policy Hackathon participant, attending global events matters in What I learned at international Arctic Conferences.
Laidlaw Foundation leader, Jehad Aliweiwi, talks about racism and systemic discrimination, bridging the generational divide and so much more regarding social inequalities in this PhiLab Podcast titled Embracing Diverse Voices
Mirella and Lino Saputo Foundation's Director of Programs, Lise Roche, discusses foundation giving versus state subsidiarity in relation to seniors' causes in this PhiLab podcast (in French) entitled “Subventionner ou subsidiarité?” (Subsidy or Subsidiarity?)
Weston Family Foundation’s Homegrown Challenge grantee stories demonstrate how big ideas it supports are effectively extending the growing season of berries in Canada.
WINGS’ Philanthropy Transformation Initiative (PTI) is a collaborative effort to bring together principles, resources, and stories from across the globe and build a movement. This Report is one of the initiative’s milestones.
PhiLab Podcast entitled "Are We Failing Seniors?" delves into the pressing issues of ageism, social isolation, and the housing crisis affecting seniors, an often-overlooked population.
Catalyst: Community Finance Initiative, in partnership with Future of Good, are offering knowledge-sharing Explainers produced with The Green Line, a media outlet that help young and other underserved Torontonians survive and thrive.
The Strategic Value of Trust-Based Philanthropy article by Stacey Faella & Ryan Roberson describes how such an approach and practices can lead to increased resource efficiency and outsized impact.
The Rise of Trust-Based Philanthropy by Shaady Salehi (Stanford Social Innovation Review) tells how funders (in the USA) are embracing a more equitable way of working with nonprofits by prioritizing collaboration and trust.
Why Philanthropy Matters hosts new report by Fozia Irfan entitled Transformative Philanthropy: A Manual for Social Change which emphasizes that, with any funding institutional philanthropy places into the public sphere, it has a responsibility to ensure it does no harm and that it is effective.
Rebecca Darwent tells the story of collective giving practices from around the world, advising donors to let communities lead decision-making, in TED Talk entitled How to Fund Real Change in Your Community.
Upcoming Member & Sector Activities
Federal Nonprofit Data Coalition offers insight into data landscape at What does the nonprofit sector data ecosystem look like? Register for this webinar here. (March 18, 3:00 PM ET)
Future of Good is hosting the first-ever Changemaker Wellbeing Summit, presented by the Cooperators, which will explore topics such as mental health, sleep, financial precarity, maternal health, intergenerational trauma, inclusion and belonging, climate anxiety, and more (March 20-21). Tickets available here.
Changemakers Conversations - The Nonprofit Resilience Lab: A community journey through complexity and co-design. Join Lena Soots-Haley and Ken Lima-Coelho as they share the unique partnership between Trico Changemakers Studio and Calgary Foundation, the lab journey, process and impact. Register here. (March 21, 12:15 – 1:30 PM MT)
The Law Foundation of Ontario’s 2024 Guthrie Award, which recognizes outstanding individuals for their contributions to access to justice for the people of Ontario, is open for nominations. Nominate individuals here. (Until April 5)
Greater Montreal Foundation Rendez-Vous. Juniper Glass will discuss the principles of trust-based philanthropy with Marie-Andrée Farmer (Foundation of Greater Montreal), Michelle LeDonne (Pathy Family Foundation) and Ousseynou Ndiaye (Un itinéraire pour tous).Register here. (April 10, 12:00 – 1:30 PM ET)
The Foundation, Endowment & Not for Profit Investment Summit, Canada’s longest-running event for the investment community, will be taking place in Toronto on May 1-2. Learn more and register here.
Future of Good's Social Finance Summit will be taking place June 12-13. To learn more and register click here.
Members in the News
The Paul Barber Foundation’s story, from its establishment to its steadfast mission and focus is told by its President, Thea Barber, in Entrepreneur’s family’s race against time to create foundation.
The Law Foundation of Ontario's new partnership, established to respond to urgent community needs while fostering long-term resilience among Indigenous populations featured in Law Foundation of Ontario forms strategic partnership with Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund (law Times)
RBC Foundation-supported Future of Good’s Young Impact Leaders 2024 features game-changing intrapreneurs from PFC member McConnell Foundation (Wren Laing, Investment Director) and PFC partner Imagine Canada (Sebastian Muermann, Government Relations & Membership Manager).
Trottier Family Foundation’s CEO, Eric St-Pierre, is on the shortlist for this year's Jack Layton Progress Prize. The winners will be announced at the Broadbent Institute’s 2024 Progress Summit, taking place April 10 - 12 in Ottawa.
The Canadian Race Relations Foundation said federal government’s long-awaited online harms bill C-63 is a positive step to protect people from online acts of hate, threats and violence, while protecting freedom of speech in Online harms bill puts onus on tech platforms to remove child pornography (Globe & Mail) - Who is supporting, opposing new online harms bill? (CTV) - New bill pushes for accountability from platforms that won’t police themselves (Hill Times) -
Bhayana Family Foundation's CEO and Co-Founder, Raksha Bhayana, explains how workers and volunteers in nonprofit sector transform communities lives and how the foundation strives to make these ‘Invisible Champions’ visible in "Bhayana family foundation aims for national non-profit day."
Vancity Community Foundation donation plays early role in supporting affordable housing in Eighty-six affordable homes for seniors, families coming to North Vancouver.
Rideau Hall Foundation’s new venture, made possible through collaboration with the Mastercard Foundation, sets ambitious goal to support the education and development of 10,000 Indigenous teachers across Canada in Rideau Hall Foundation Embarks on Mission to Support 10,000 Indigenous Teachers with $13.2 Million in Funding. This includes a grant to the Office of First Nations and Inuit Education at McGill University to help increase capacity to hire and train First Nations, Inuit and Métis teachers as highlighted in OFNIE Receives Major Gift from Rideau Hall Foundation.
Trottier Family Foundation’s Board Director, Claire Trottier, states “it is time for Canada to take action and show leadership in tackling inequality on the world stage, including support for a wealth tax” in this opinion piece entitled Take it from me, a millionaire, Canada must lead on wealth taxes.
Inspirit Foundation and PFC and our Funding Journalism Resource are highlighted in Reinventing and rebuilding community journalism (The Philanthropist Journal)
Hamilton Community Foundation faces cyber fraud scheme, looses $900,000, and emerges resilient to safeguard community initiatives against digital threats in Ontario Charity Outsmarts Cyber Thieves and Strengthens Community Trust.
RBC Foundation donation to YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka helps newcomers health and well-being in RBC Foundation donates $100K to YMCA to support local newcomers
Trottier Family Foundation’s CEO, Eric St-Pierre, together with Catherine McKenna, co-authored this opinion piece inviting Montreal leaders to take on ambitious decarbonization initiatives in Tout se joue dans la mise en œuvre pour le Sommet Climat Montréal
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