This text is part of the special section Philanthropy
As social justice and the climate increasingly dominate the global agenda, philanthropic “umbrella” networks play an unrecognized but essential role in solving these major contemporary issues.
While Canadian society and its laws have changed since the 1980s, the rules are still the same in the philanthropic sector. And that’s a problem, according to Bruce MacDonald, president and CEO of Imagine Canada, the leading network of Canadian charities.
“If a Toronto foundation wants to invest in an education program on a reserve by partnering with an Aboriginal organization that is not registered as a charity, both parties must sign an agreement that gives the foundation the right to control and direct everything the organization does, Mr. MacDonald illustrates. Even though the Aboriginal organization is creating a very innovative approach to education, the foundation owns the intellectual property! It’s an old, disrespectful and colonial way of doing things. This inequality is built into the system everywhere. We want to change the rules to ensure that philanthropy can evolve to dismantle systems of oppression and racism. »
To do this, philanthropic support networks like Imagine Canada lobby governments to improve the environment in which philanthropy can flourish. “We do research and produce policy recommendations, a bit like a think tankbut we will also advocate with the government,” added Mr. MacDonald.
Imagine Canada is in particular lobbying the federal government to change the law for better recognition of the expertise of non-profit organizations or for the creation of a department that would make it possible to advance Canadian legislation surrounding philanthropy more quickly. This type of network is also very active within foundations and charities.
Building bridges and changing practices
“We play the role of bridge builders,” observes Jean-Marc Mangin, President and CEO of Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC). During the second wave of COVID-19, the network supported a philanthropic consortium acting in the neighborhoods of Montreal most affected by the pandemic, gives as an example Mr. Mangin.
“We created a common fund that supported consultation tables, which supported 20 to 30 community organizations in each neighbourhood. So instead of having each community organization knocking on the door of 30 foundations, there was a single submission, and it went much faster. At the end of the day, there is $12 million in funding that ended up at the community level. »
As part of the Glasgow Climate Change Conference (COP26), FPC also encouraged foundations to engage in solving the climate crisis. “We try to encourage our members, whether they work in health, arts or education, to think about how they can integrate this climate action into their programming,” explains Mr. Mangin.
“There are discussions that we did not have before, questions that go to the very heart of philanthropic action, such as systemic racism, he continues. We are moving from a paradigm of charity to a paradigm of justice. Some foundations have pushed the reflection very far, while others are beginning it. No matter where the foundation is on this spectrum, our role is to be able to strengthen this sharing of knowledge and their capacity. »
The strength of unity
“We find ourselves with increasingly major economic and ecological crises”, observes for his part Benjamin Bellegy, managing director of Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support (WINGS), a network of nearly a hundred philanthropic associations within 39 countries in the world. The WINGS organization plays a role similar to that of Imagine Canada and PFC at the international level, and is active with actors such as the United Nations, the European Union or the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development.
“How can we continue to play a role in the transformation of our societies? continues Mr. Bellegy. The sector has enormous potential because we have an independence that allows us to take risks, which allows us to play a bridge role with other players. There must be more investment in this ecosystem, in these actors who network, who influence, support, guide, question, coordinate, help to join funds so that collectively, we have more impact in as a sector. We have a really important role to play, which can have a leverage effect [dans la société]. »