The Philanthropist Journal

Funding legal support for survivors is an upstream intervention - The Philanthropist Journal Legal representation can have a significant impact on women and children’s socio-economic outcomes. And yet, access to a family lawyer is still considered a luxury for many women.

Although rarely discussed, separation and divorce in Canada is a major contributor to the feminization of poverty and a significant contributor to child poverty.

Kate Webster at @risewomenslegal.bsky.social shares how philanthropy can help.

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How a new funding relationship is transforming children’s mental health in Canada - The Philanthropist Journal A partnership between a family foundation and a grassroots charity demonstrates what happens when two organizations trust each other enough to shift power, follow community wisdom, and explore an idea...

Curious about what “shifting power” looks like? Playful Mindset and Happy Roots Foundation spent the last few years building a trust-based funding relationship and doubled their children’s outdoor play support group.

thephilanthropist.ca/2026/02/how-...

"Ending gender-based violence requires a whole-of-society approach. Collaboration between these two large societal institutions creates stronger, more adaptive supports for women, children, and gender-diverse people fleeing violence."

@thephilanthropist.ca

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How AI is quietly rewiring Canada’s non-profit sector - The Philanthropist Journal Ten practical use cases illustrate how AI is becoming part of the non-profit sector’s core infrastructure – and the strategic implications for boards, executives, and funders.

Just out: thephilanthropist.ca/2026/02/how-...

How AI is quietly rewiring Canada’s non-profit sector - The Philanthropist Journal Ten practical use cases illustrate how AI is becoming part of the non-profit sector’s core infrastructure – and the strategic implications for boards, executives, and funders.

For most non-profit leaders, the question is no longer whether AI will enter their organizations but where, how, and under what governance conditions.
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On the front lines of eviction prevention - The Philanthropist Journal “A little goes a long way” in keeping people housed, advocates say, and the social costs of not addressing the housing crisis are immeasurable.

“A recent Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation study concluded that every $1 invested in eviction prevention and housing stability saves $2 to $6 in emergency system costs. In other words, it’s far cheaper to ensure people remain housed.” @thephilanthropist.ca
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On the front lines of eviction prevention - The Philanthropist Journal “A little goes a long way” in keeping people housed, advocates say, and the social costs of not addressing the housing crisis are immeasurable.

“If you’re having issues paying rent, chances are you’re having a hard time feeding yourself. Housing is connected to food security, health, and economic security. It’s a health emergency that’s 100% driven by inequality.” thephilanthropist.ca/2026/02/on-t...
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The most important infrastructure isn’t in the budget - The Philanthropist Journal 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 ...

We keep being told that to fix the economy we need to tighten our belts. Cut “non-essentials.” Make do. But whose essentials are we talking about – and who gets to decide?

thephilanthropist.ca/2026/02/the-...

They Work Full-Time. They Have Degrees. They’re Still Going Hungry | The Walrus Record food bank visits reveal demand is spreading beyond the poorest households

“There’s no light at the end of the tunnel whatsoever,” says Matias Duque, director of philanthropy for Canada’s largest food bank, Moisson Montréal. “Demand is not going down.” thewalrus.ca/more-student...

Welcome Gabrielle McMann! Learn more about why Gabrielle decided to become a journalist and what she is looking forward to most in this fellowship.

Stay tuned for community journalism from Gabrielle and four other fellows this year, supported by the @rhf-frh-canada.bsky.social

What does a ‘trilemma’ mean for the sector in 2026? We turned the tables and asked journalists to weigh in - The Philanthropist Journal We asked journalists who cover the sector to share what they’ve been hearing and thinking about the challenges facing the charitable and philanthropic sector in 2026.

Happy to contribute to this important conversation in @thephilanthropist.ca
bhttps://thephilanthropist.ca/2026/01/what-does-a-trilemma-mean-for-the-sector-in-2026-we-turned-the-tables-and-asked-journalists-to-weigh-in/

What does a ‘trilemma’ mean for the sector in 2026? We turned the tables and asked journalists to weigh in - The Philanthropist Journal We asked journalists who cover the sector to share what they’ve been hearing and thinking about the challenges facing the charitable and philanthropic sector in 2026.

This year, for The Philanthropist Journal’s annual look ahead at the coming year, we flipped the script.

thephilanthropist.ca/2026/01/what...

Creative outlets: Why some non-profit leaders are picking up the mic - The Philanthropist Journal Creative pursuits outside of work like stand-up comedy or playing in a band might just be what your colleagues in the philanthropic sector need right now – to counter burnout, strengthen skills, or ex...

“I don’t know if I would have been able to get through some of the difficult parts [of my job] without having a creative outlet,” says raine liliefeldt, director of member services and development at YWCA Canada.

Coverage: @gordonbowness.bsky.social

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When the expert is your cousin: Indigenous alternatives to ‘distrust by default’ conflict-of-interest rules - The Philanthropist Journal COI policies have contributed to a working culture that’s antithetical to Indigenous ways of working, Aiden Cyr writes. He talks to four Indigenous social impact leaders whose insights suggest that th...

Our most-read story from 2025 was about...conflict-of-interest rules.

Aiden Cyr talked to four Indigenous social impact leaders whose insights suggest that the path forward may instead lie in “mutuality of interest.”

thephilanthropist.ca/2025/01/when...

To grieve, to learn, to unite: A eulogy for an ever-shifting sector - The Philanthropist Journal The loss, or realignment, of a funder affects the entire charitable sector, and how it chooses to say its goodbyes has far-reaching implications, both practical and emotional, contributor Angela Long ...

“What are we missing by not taking time to be in the space of grieving and acknowledging loss?”

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Philanthropy can be a catalyst for local media but not the long-term answer to ongoing challenges - The Philanthropist Journal At a three-day symposium in Charlottetown, the overarching takeaway was the urgency and scale of the challenges for independent journalism, and the indisputable through line was the resilience and det...

Governments change, priorities and policies evolve, and austerity bites.

The through line at a recent symposium on local media was the resilience and determination of those fighting to keep their publications afloat.

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

@armineyalnizyan.bsky.social shares what Budget 2025 could mean for the non-profit sector.

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Stopping the funding rollercoaster for feminist and 2SLGBTQIA+ organizations - The Philanthropist Journal 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 h...

“We’re told to be thinking in terms of scarcity, but everyone pays when we choose to divest from communities,” @aline-n-m.bsky.social YWCA Canada says.

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Aging and re-engaging: Volunteer participation post-pandemic - The Philanthropist Journal Contributor Yvonne Rodney looks at how organizations are responding to the aging factor in volunteerism and what they’re doing to encourage volunteers to engage and re-engage.

Given the “aging out” of volunteers and the low re-engagement numbers to date, what are these organizations doing to woo volunteers back?

Yvonne Rodney reports.

@volunteertoronto.bsky.social

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We need to increase the collective data literacy and capacity of people that are already data collectors but don’t know it. Harar Hall, Volunteer Canada

We use data, yes, certainly to advocate. And we also use it to inform. Anne Millar, Ottawa Food Bank

@sherlynassam.bsky.social spoke to Anne Millar, @ottawafoodbank.bsky.social's officer of data and research, and Harar Hall, @volunteercanada.bsky.social ’s policy and research manager, about how data can be harnessed for solutions across the sector.

thephilanthropist.ca/2025/11/how-...

How data is helping experts navigate the non-profit sector’s capacity and funding issues - The Philanthropist Journal Charities and non-profits are struggling with a “trilemma”: rising demand for their services, financial instability, and workforce precarity. Here are the problems and solutions, according to the data...

The non-profit sector’s “trilemma” is increasing each year: more demand for charitable services, more financial instability across organizations, and more workforce challenges.

Here are the problems and solutions, according to the data.

thephilanthropist.ca/2025/11/how-...

When storytelling isn’t neutral: Lessons from Vietnam and the future of philanthropy - The Philanthropist Journal By integrating ethical storytelling into their fundraising and communications practices, organizations can build trust, celebrate complexity, and restore dignity, Tanya Rumble says.

Tanya Rumble shares the moment she realized that stories can heal or harm, depending on how we choose to tell them.

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Canada’s global influence in a turbulent and uncertain world - The Philanthropist Journal 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 coll...

À LIRE 🗞 | « Comment décoloniser l'aide internationale et nous assurer de faire partie de la solution plutôt que d'être les gardiens d'un système qui s'effondre ? »

Notre DG @beavaugrante.bsky.social en entrevue avec The Philanthropist Journal (en anglais).

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Overworked, overlooked, and underpaid: How women are addressing sexism in the philanthropic sector - The Philanthropist Journal Women working in the charitable and non-profit sector are making sacrifices and building strategies to secure leadership positions despite barriers – or leaving altogether.

“I was by far one of the most experienced fundraisers across the foundation, but that was not reflected in title, and it certainly was not reflected in pay.”

Coverage: @sherlynassam.bsky.social
Illustration: Stacy Bellanger Bien-Aimé

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Thank you @thewalrus.ca for giving @thephilanthropist.ca readers a 50% discount!

DM us for the promo code.

Early-Career Journalism Fellowship The fellowship provides one Black and/or Indigenous journalist an opportunity to write about issues that matter to their community and civil society.

Applications for our Early-Career Journalism Fellowship are now open! The fellowship, a joint undertaking with @thephilanthropist.ca, provides one Black and/or Indigenous journalist an opportunity to write about issues that matter to their community and civil society. thelocal.to/early-career...

Vu Le: How to reimagine non-profits and philanthropy in an era of rising autocracy - The Philanthropist Journal After more than a decade of writing scathing (and often hilarious) critiques on his Nonprofit AF blog, Vu Le shares what’s holding us back, what progressives can learn from conservative philanthropy i...

Vu Le @nonprofitaf.bsky.social has just released his first book: Reimagining Nonprofits and Philanthropy: Unlocking the Full Potential of a Vital and Complex Sector.

Interview by Holly Jonas
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Independent journalism and philanthropy are coming to a realization: they need each other - The Philanthropist Journal While the relationship between philanthropy and community journalism is still nascent in Canada compared to some other countries, the value of local news – and the need to support it – is being increa...

“Whether your focus is poverty, homelessness, or climate, without journalism those missions are very hard to accomplish,” says Niamh Leonard, executive director of the @euphrosinefdn.bsky.social

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La philanthropie à la rescousse de la pénurie de logements au Canada - The Philanthropist Journal Le Canada est en pleine crise du logement – plus précisément, une crise du logement abordable. Selon Derek Ballantyne, ancien président du

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How philanthropy can help Canada build its way out of a housing shortage - The Philanthropist Journal Through funding and advocating for policy changes, foundations and philanthropic organizations have a significant role to play in tackling Canada’s housing crisis, contributor Toula Drimonis writes.

“What the private sector is good at is building lots of things. But it’s not geared towards building affordability because it doesn’t derive a profit.” @thephilanthropist.ca
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