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March 2025 Newsletter
Since our last edition...
Jean-Marc Mangin, PFC’s President & CEO, shared some initial thoughts on the impact of the new US Administration’s policies in “Philanthropy’s Role in Supporting Canada Through an Existential Crisis: Some Reflections”.
Michele Fugiel Gartner, PFC’s Lead Researcher, attended the recent Beacon Collaborative Forum and summarized her main take-aways in “Transatlantic Reflections on Philanthropy: Major Themes from the UK Beacon Collaborative Forum”.
Amanda Mayer, PFC Board Treasurer, attended the launch of the Outaouais Philanthropy Foundation to celebrate this major step forward for the region.
Sara Krynitzki, PFC’S Associate CEO, was quoted stating that “[foundations have the power to] respond in ways that others can’t or won’t,” in The Philanthropist Journal’s “How the ‘localness’ of local news strengthens communities”.
PFC Updates & Insights
PFC Compensation Survey –
Release planned for April 2025
PFC is grateful to everyone who took part in the 2025 Compensation Survey. With nearly double the number of responses from our last edition, this marks an incredible increase in participation, reflecting the sector’s commitment to strengthening knowledge and sharing practices.
The report, which is planned to be released is in April will be available for purchase for $295 CAD on our website. Survey participants – including PFC Members and non-Members – will receive the report free of charge. Please reach out to Michele Fugiel Gartner, Lead Researcher, with any questions.
Upcoming PFC Spring Programming
NEW-Great Governance for Family Philanthropy
Six-week course, offered in weekly sessions
Wednesdays starting April 2nd through to May 7th, 2025
Healthy Aging Affinity Group Meeting
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 (online)
2-3:30 PM AT / 1-2:30 PM ET / 12-1:30 PM CT/ 11 AM-12:30 PM MT /
10-11:30 AM PT
Click here to register for the March 12 meeting.
Planned meetings in 2025: Wednesdays, June 11, September 10, December 10
Family Foundations Affinity Group Meeting
Friday, March 28, 2025, (online)
3-4 PM AT / 2-3 PM ET / 1-2 PM CT/ 12-1 PM MT / 11 AM-12 PM PT
CEO Peer Support Group Calls
Thursdays (online)
4-5 PM AT / 3-4 PM ET / 2-3 PM CT/ 1-2 PM MT / 12-1 PM PT
Cohort 1: Thursday, April 10, 2025
Cohort 2: Thursday, April 24, 2025
Cohort 3: Thursday, May 8, 2025
Cohort 4: Thursday, June 12, 2025
Cohort 5: Thursday, June 26, 2025
Program and Grantmaking Staff Affinity Group Rendez-Vous
Fridays (online)
3-4:30 PM AT / 2-3:30 PM ET / 1-2:30 PM CT/ 12-1:30 PM MT /
11 AM-12:30 PM PT
Friday, April 11, 2025:
Empowering Change: Trust-Based Philanthropy
Friday, May 9, 2025:
Deepening the Practice of Trust-Based Philanthropy
Communications Affinity Group Meeting
Thursdays (online)
3-4 PM AT / 2-3 PM ET / 1-2 PM CT/ 12-1 PM MT / 11 AM-12 PM PT
Thursday, April 17, 2025:
Meeting the Moment: Communications Strategies in a Turbulent Political Landscape
Thursday, May 15, 2025:
Effective Communications Strategies for Small Teams
Investment Roundtable Meeting
Public and Private Markets and Operational Challenges
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 (online)
3-4:30 PM AT / 2-3:30 PM ET / 1-2:30 PM CT/ 12-1:30 PM MT /
11 AM-12:30 PM PT
Leaders of Colour Affinity Group Meeting
Solidarity and Open Conversation
Wednesday, April 30, 2025
(online)
2-3 PM AT / 1-2 PM ET / 12-2 PM CT/ 11 AM-12 PM MT / 10-11 AM PT
Member & Sector Job Board
- Communications Director – Urban Climate Leadership/MakeWay
- Program Officer, (One-Year Parental Leave Contract), Max Bell Foundation
- Senior Manager, People, Engagement, and Learning, MakeWay
- President & Chief Executive Officer, MakeWay
- Director, Communications and Systems, Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund
- Manager, Executive Office and Governance, Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund
- Board Audit, Finance and IT Committee Member, McConnell Foundation
- Board Investment Committee Member, McConnell Foundation
Announcements, Appointments
and Awards
- Future Generations Foundation’s Executive Director, Naomi Racette, was made recipient of a Top 25 Women of Influence+ Award.
- Pierre Elliott Trudeau Foundation’s Board of Directors recently announced the official appointment of Bettina B. Cenerelli as President and CEO.
Have any exciting news you’d like to share with our network? Let us know!
Member & Sector Insights
Atkinson Foundation, Catherine Donnelly Foundation, Definity Insurance Foundation, Houssian Foundation, Inspirit Foundation, Johansen Larsen Foundation, Laidlaw Foundation, McConnell Foundation, inspired by the Trottier Family Foundation, stand alongside 28 other Canadian asset owners, collectively representing $53 billion in assets, in urging financial institutions to uphold their net-zero commitments in this statement which has also gained some media attention.
Canadian Race Relations Foundation’s CEO and Executive Director Mohammed Hashim, presents his ideas on how to defuse the space and invite meaningful and fruitful connections in Maytree’s “Five Good Ideas on positive change in uncertain times”.
Lawson Foundation’s report entitled “Using Foresight to Contemplate the Future of Early Childhood in Canada”, which was developed to inform the Foundation’s strategic planning, can serve as a thought-provoking resource for those engaged in early childhood development.
Journal of Philanthropy article “All Good Things Come to an End: Emerging Strategic Patterns of Sunset Foundations” states that foundations that exist for a limited time are gaining increased attention, reflecting the idea that having a limited organizational life span can allow for greater impact.
The Law Foundation of Ontario’s support has made possible Innocence Canada’s first-ever Impact Report which highlights the progress made in 2024 to remedy and prevent wrongful convictions in Canada.
PhiLab in partnership with McConnell Foundation published fact sheets summarizing results of exploratory research on innovative practices in participatory or unrestricted funding and capital transfers: 1. Overview of Capital Transfers; 2. Case Studies on Capital Transfers; 3. McConnell Foundation Summary of Research
Rideau Hall Foundation published “The Lost Estate: How to put the local back in local news” report in partnership with and Michener Awards Foundation It revealed that rebuilding a flourishing ecosystem of local news will require a strengthened web of connections linking news organizations to the communities they cover.
Laidlaw Foundation and The Law Foundation of Ontario have teamed up to expand support for Black and Indigenous youth-led access to justice initiatives in “Law Foundation grant expands Laidlaw Foundation’s Youth Action Fund granting.”
Equality Fund believes that, as we face an alarming moment of severe cuts to Official Development Assistance broadly and to gender equality specifically, it is crucial to uplift the results of development assistance efforts that continue to demonstrate community-centred solutions for climate action.
Chronicle of Philanthropy’s “Silent, Defiant, Private: Big Philanthropies React to Trump’s DEI Order” looks at how foundations in the US are reacting to the U.S. District Court decision last month that stopped the Trump administration’s plan to halt federal contracts to groups promoting DEI, but left in place a provision that directs the attorney general and federal agency heads to investigate possible “illegal” DEI practices of some groups, which include large foundations.
Future of Good took a deeper look into participatory grantmaking as a whole and how some of those approaches are a model to help implement trust-based philanthropy.
New Power Labs’ recent Equity Shot entitled “Three Women”, which argues that representation is not enough, highlights that reaching critical mass is crucial to unlocking the full economic benefits of diversity and that research indicates that to capture the full economic benefits of diversity, boards need at least three women (Torchia et al., 2011).
Imagine Canada’s President & CEO, Bruce MacDonald, discusses the changing face of philanthropy with Canadian Family Offices’ Ashley Redmond about the trends he’s seeing in the space, including the charitable sector’s increasing reliance on wealthy donors and how newcomers to Canada are changing the face of giving. He also published a statement on the anticipated ripple effects of US’ trade war with Canada and the tariffs on the nonprofit sector.
Black Feminist Fund, a global fund working with Black feminist movements around the world published research on Black Feminist Movements and Crises.
Upcoming Member & Sector Activities
By March 9, 2025: Imagine Canada invites you to take part in a short survey to help them understand the opportunities and challenges facing Canadian nonprofits and develop their advocacy plans and programs in alignment with the sector's priorities. Click here to respond to the survey.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 1 PM PT: Real Estate Foundation of BC-sponsored webinar on Recreation and Indigenous Tourism. Click here to learn more and to register.
Tuesday, March 11, 2025, at 3 PM MT, at Contemporary Calgary (701 11 St SW, Calgary, AB): Rozsa Foundation and Calgary Foundation supported public gathering to explore the 4th Wave of Arts Audience Research Findings. Click here to learn more and to register.
Wednesday, March 26, 2025, 1-2 PM ET Online – Session marking the 10th anniversary of the release of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Calls to Action which aims to deepen the understanding of the 94 Calls to Action and to discover how community foundations play a pivotal role in fostering reconciliation and supporting Indigenous communities. Learn more and register here.
Wednesday, April 9 from 10:00 to 11:30 AM ET – Equality Fund and Criterion Institute-hosted webinar on “Reimagining resourcing for social transformation” which will explore how endowments can shift power in gender lens investing and drive systemic change. It will also include information on the current state of the feminist funding ecosystem and end in a discussion on overcoming the existing power dynamics in endowment funding. Click here to register.
Wednesday, April 23, 2025, from 11:30 AM-1:45 PM ET - Luncheon with Karel Mayrand of the Foundation of Greater Montreal - “Investing in Impactful Philanthropy”. At a time when philanthropic resources are struggling to keep pace with growing needs, the event is meant to help Montreal philanthropy consider how it must evolve to maximize the impact of every dollar invested. Click here to register.
Philab (Canadian Philanthropic Partnership Research Network) research project aims to engage with foundations and organizations active in the Canadian philanthropic ecosystem to discuss the role of DEI in their orientations and funding practices. It is funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council and is conducted in collaboration with the Mirella and Lino Saputo Foundation as well as Humanity & Inclusion Canada. Click here to access the survey. For more information, contact PhiLab here.
Tuesday, May 6, 2025 - Montreal Climate Summit - the city's annual climate change conference - supported by the Trottier Family Foundation - returns for the 4th year to the Grand Quay of the Port of Montreal! Early bird rate available until February 17, 2025. Register here.
Members in the News
RBC Foundation's funding of In Good Company, a collaborative project of Canadian Women’s Foundation, Catalyst Canada, Plan International Canada, and YWCA Canada striving to improve employment opportunities related to gender diversity, is highlighted in "RBC has a comprehensive approach to inclusion".
Mastercard Foundation-funded University of Toronto Africa Health Collaborative incubator is mentioned in "U of T’s African Impact Challenge is empowering startups to help solve health crises".
Maytree report data on homelessness across Ontario, which reveals that, while the problem is getting worse, spending to address it has "stagnated," is highlighted in “Ontario spending on homelessness 'stagnate' while problem worsens, new report says”.
Azrieli Foundation, which has funded The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence to give caregiving a national platform and to give caregivers a voice, is highlighted in “Non-profit group releases roadmap for federal government to create national caregiving strategy”.
Law Foundation of Ontario grant, which will help children and youth in Kingston who are welfare involved due to issues suspected to be related to mental health, substance misuse, or disability is mentioned in "Intersections program returns to Youth Diversion thanks to a $200,000 grant".
Temerty Foundation, who supported Team Ukraine’s training camp in advance of the Invictus Games in Whistler, BC, are mentioned in “Canada-Ukraine Foundation joins Temerty Foundation and Ukrainian Canadian Congress to Support Team Ukraine at Invictus Games 2025.”
KPMG Foundation and the RBC Foundation are among the donors thanked by the Greater Victoria Police Foundation in "Greater Victoria Police Foundation celebrates the success of Police Camp and announces new Junior Police Camp for summer 2025".
Trottier Family Foundation gift, which has allowed the Trottier Observatory at Simon Fraser University to bring science education and astronomy to students, families, and the general public for the past decade, is mentioned in "Join us for the Trottier Observatory and Science Courtyard's 10th Anniversary!"
Equality Fund, who will now deliver grants supporting the Women's Voice and Leadership Caribbean initiative throughout the Caribbean region towards ensuring global stability, is highlighted in the Federal Government News Release “Minister Hussen announces support for development projects in the Caribbean Region”
Sitka Foundation’s Carolynn Beaty highlighted as one of the philanthropic donors supporting the SINAA agreement signed by the Government of Canada in partnership with Qikiqtani Inuit Association and Pew Charitable Trusts for conservation in the Qikiqtani region of Nunavut: “Ottawa announces $270M agreement for Inuit-led conservation efforts in Arctic”.
Get in touch!
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