We are living today in a world shaped by conflict. And conflict makes philanthropists uncomfortable. This is not unique to them. In practice, individual aversion to conflict often leads to organizational avoidance of intervention in conflict, whether the organization is a company, a non-profit or a foundation. It is a rare foundation that takes on […]
Listening to the Signal in the Noise
We hear a lot of noise in philanthropy right now. This is especially true In the United States. It’s the noise of calls for funders to step up, spend more, rescue programs, fill gaps, support legal action and advocacy, help a civil society under siege, “meet the moment”. The U.S. federal government is making noise about […]
Philanthropy and the Defense of Civic Space
Civil society is under attack in the United States. How does this affect Canadian funders? The calls for support are multiplying. Some of the work that Canadian funders support, whether it is international aid or scientific research, is being demolished. But funders here may feel that they or their partners in Canada won’t come under direct […]
Canadian Philanthropy and Nation Building
Canada is under extreme pressure in the era of Trump. Our independence is being called into question in a way that has not happened for many decades, if not centuries. Our political and economic stability is being turned upside down. And Canadians are rising to the challenge of the moment with declarations of patriotism and defiance. […]
Philanthropy in 2025: Work To Do
Here we are…beginning 2025. Still getting over 2024. And I thought that 2023 was a roller coaster year with more downs than ups! In January 2024, I was apprehensive but hopeful about what might happen to foundations and philanthropy in Canada. At the beginning of 2025 I am feeling perhaps more apprehension than hope. Am I […]
Philanthropy, Climate and People
In 2021, Eric St-Pierre, the Executive Director of the Trottier Family Foundation of Montreal, made a simple but striking statement to me as I was interviewing him for my book on Canadian foundations, From Charity To Change: “If we don’t figure out climate, nothing else matters”. A major recent announcement from the Foundation demonstrates how […]
Philanthropy and Democracy: Bridges and Battlegrounds?
I often get insights from the blogs written by the ever-thoughtful Phil Buchanan of the Center for Effective Philanthropy (CEP). Phil’s most recent blog reflects on two difficult questions for philanthropy in these polarized times. How to defend and nurture democracy? How to bridge differences of opinion? He swiftly notes that he doesn’t have answers. But […]
Learning to Learn Better
As the calendar turns to September, we inevitably think more about learning, whether we are long past formal education or still engaged with it. We are prompted to it at this time of year by media commentary on school access, new tech for learning and the challenges of keeping student attention in the digital age. Much […]
Strategy, Trust and Philanthropy
One of the stranger (to me) developments in philanthropy circles in 2024 has been the fierce debate about trust versus strategy, applied to funder approaches. Perhaps for the sake of argument, trust has been described as an alternative to strategy, as if the two were quite separate. This is a distinction made in a much-discussed recent […]