In 2023, Christopher Dougherty received the H. Woods Bowman Student Award from ARNOVA for preliminary results from his .

Recently, completed research that asks, “How does government funding for charities change when the party in power changes?” His answer is based on data sets covering the provinces of Ontario and Alberta from 2003 to 2017. In a , he analyzed changes in electoral district representatives and governments, looking at which nonprofits gained new funding and which lost funding — and the extent to which the changes reflected the interests of new governments. Dougherty spoke to PANL Perspectives about his findings.

Question: What inspired you to tackle this study about government funding of charities?

The Allan Inquiry into environmental charities, under the Jason Kenney government in Alberta, cost taxpayers $3.5 million and concluded that environmental groups had done nothing wrong, aside from raise awareness about climate change — and a few charities sued for defamation afterwards. Photo is courtesy of Andre Forget.

Christopher Dougherty: 杏吧原创 half of all revenue for the charitable sector in Canada comes from federal, provincial and municipal governments, and governments can be quite vocal about which charities they want to support and which they don鈥檛 want to. I鈥檓 originally from Alberta, so the , under the Jason Kenney government, was top of mind, as were the .

There’s also . So, I wanted to see how governments move charity funding around to match their policy and political goals.

Q: You write that in Ontario, changes in funding reflect partisan identity as governments and local representatives change. Can you give examples of this — or explain what you mean?

After the Dalton McGuinty government was elected in Ontario in 2003, Jewish religious charities, social services, health, animal welfare, and parks and environment all saw cuts that year or the year after the change in provincial government.

Christopher Dougherty: When there鈥檚 a new federal government, charities in Ontario see some of the biggest changes in funding. When I add together all of the federal government revenue to charities in electoral districts (excluding hospitals and post-secondary schools), they receive 27% more funding in a new government鈥檚 first year, when controlling for other variables. When I looked at a sub-sector, instead of an electoral district, new federal governments grant more to Ontario charities that are in the post-secondary education sub-sector, 鈥榦ther鈥� religious (not Christian, Muslim or Jewish) sub-sector, and social services sub-sector. Since post-secondary and social services are both provincial responsibilities, federal spending in these sub-sectors indicates something beyond direct program spending.

While new federal governments increase spending to some sectors after being elected, new provincial governments tend to cut spending. In Ontario, Jewish religious charities, social services, health, animal welfare, and parks and environment all saw cuts in the year or in the year after the 2003 change in provincial government, when controlling for other variables.

Q: In Alberta, there’s less change in funding to charities around elections and changes in government. Is there an example of this?

Read “Do Private Family Foundations Engage in Political Activities Through Their Granting?” by Christopher Dougherty.

Christopher Dougherty: Alberta sees far fewer changes and smaller changes to its funding following elections and changes in government. The biggest changes are increases to Christian religious charities and missionary religious charities in election years and in a new government鈥檚 first year. Funding changes in other sub-sectors involve smaller numbers of charities, so the changes might not be due to big patterns and are likely because of changes involving individual charities.

Q: You write, “The combined results show that the charitable sector is indeed an outlet for aggregating and expressing collective identities, but that the degree to which this happens depends on the political context.” What to you mean?

Samantha Zuhlke, a prof at the University of Iowa, found that politicians in the US use charities to access constituencies and political power. Canadian politicians seem to be doing the same thing.

Christopher Dougherty: One of the interesting things in these results is that elections, new governments, and electoral district competitiveness seem to be behind a lot of the changes in charity funding. The party that forms government, the party representing an electoral district, and whether an electoral district is in government or opposition all seem to matter less.

For me, this suggests that politicians use charity funding to achieve political goals: gaining or keeping power. Jane Jenson wrote more than 30 years ago that politics is about creating constituencies and building support for collective identities, which charities do, and Samantha Zuhlke found in the US that politicians use charities to access constituencies and their political power. Canadian politicians seem to be doing just that鈥攖rading funding (or the promise of funding) to constituencies represented by charities in exchange for votes. And, they are doing this more in electoral districts that are more politically competitive and that are located in more competitive parts of the country (in Ontario, for example, compared to Alberta).

Q: Did anything surprise you in this study related to charity revenue and government?

Christopher Dougherty: The degree to which federal government funding changes for charities in the post-secondary, hospital, and social services sub-sectors was surprising, because each of these sub-sectors is in an area of provincial responsibility. It will be important to take a closer look at what’s happening here.

The other surprising finding was the role of religious charities in the results. It鈥檚 not clear, in the data set, which funding is going to congregations and which funding is going to religiously-affiliated service charities, and that needs a closer look.

Overall, the results suggest some interesting trends, and I plan to look at other provinces to see if these trends show up in other places with different political situations.

Christopher Dougherty has PhD in Public Policy from the School of Public Policy and Administration and he completed a Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL), both at 杏吧原创 University. His research focuses on the charitable sector in Canada. He’s currently a Visiting Scholar at the Business School of the University of St Andrews, in the UK. He can be found on .

“The recognition of being named one of Canada’s top 100 most powerful women is humbling,” Rumble says. “However, the honour comes in knowing that the work I have done in the fundraising and philanthropic sector has made a positive impact. My work has been squarely focused on re-centering power to those who have been structurally disadvantaged in our sector, including Indigenous folks, racialized folks, queer folks, trans folks, disabled folks, people who are members of the communities served by charities, and many others.”

Read “Follow the Money: A Study of Gift Acceptance Policies and Practices at Canadian Universities,” a report for the MPNL program by Tanya Rumble, Bill Mintram and Ellen Doty. The study examines if and how gift acceptance policies and practices account for: ethics; Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI); and reconciliation, decolonization and Indigenization.

“This work requires being critical of our sector, but that criticism comes from a deep love for the profession of fundraising and the practice of philanthropy,” she adds. “This provides me with continued momentum to write, research and speak about the opportunities to ‘recast philanthropy’ through the Recast Philanthropy Community of Practice I co-lead, through continued research on the gift acceptance project that began under Susan Phillips and Jennifer Connolly’s supervision as a major research project in the MPNL program, and through the work I do daily with colleagues, donors and charitable organizations across the country to upend and rebalance the inequity and power imbalances that have become normalized in philanthropy.”

“I often say that money is not the most important part of impact in the charitable sector, because it exists where there is something worth catalyzing,” she says. “Similarly, this award validates the work that led to this honour and for that I am grateful.”

Tanya Rumble is on .

Alizeh established the 鈥淏enevolence Award for MPNL鈥� in honour of Hasan ibn Ali, a seventh-century philanthropist and spiritual leader known for his grantmaking and teachings about philanthropy. Today, Alizeh’s work in the philanthropic sector is inspired by his teachings and example. This Q&A session with her has been edited for brevity.

Beginning in 2023, the “Benevolence Award for MPNL” is awarded annually by 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs, on the recommendation of the Graduate Supervisor of the MPNL program, to students entering the program. Eligible recipients will be selected based on academic promise, past academic achievement and/or professional experience. Preference is for students in financial need.

How did you come to create this award so early in your career, so soon after graduating?

Alizeh Jaffrey Zaidi’s 杏吧原创 University degree and Nu Lambda Mu induction certificate, as well as honours cords, are draped with a green shawl, a colour that traditionally represents Hasan ibn Ali.

Jaffrey: In 2022, I had my convocation at 杏吧原创 University 鈥� my first time there because of two years of Covid restrictions. There was a beautiful moment as we walked into the convocation hall. A receiving party of professors and administrators stood in a hallway to greet us as we walked past, clapping and celebrating our achievements. I teared up a little bit, and in my heart, I said, 鈥淗asan Ibn Ali is here with me. This is his moment, too, not just mine.” With this award, I want to honour him, because I鈥檓 grateful for his example 鈥� and because his story and his philanthropic work haven鈥檛 been fully recognized throughout history.

Was there a personal connection?

Yes, for sure. I want to help people feel the fulfillment I did when pursuing this incredible degree. The MPNL program was one of the best things I鈥檝e had the opportunity to do 鈥� and I鈥檓 grateful to the university. My masters program was practically impossible for me to pursue without a scholarship from 杏吧原创.

I wish I could just tell someone, 鈥淗ere鈥檚 your full tuition: go do this program, because it鈥檚 such a great experience.鈥� Hopefully, one day, inshaAllah. For now, this award is what I can do.

Islam contains many ideas about charitable giving and helping others. How do you incorporate the ideas of the prophet Muhammad and his family, especially Hasan ibn Ali’s ideas, into your work and the award?

Calligraphy depicting “Hasan ibn Ali” and “Mujtaba” (which means “The Chosen”). Photo is courtesy of Wiki Commons.

The family embodied different elements of how to be a good person. They demonstrated how to practice the guidelines prescribed by the Islamic faith (in the case of charity, the giving of sadaqah, khums, and zakat).

Hasan Ibn Ali was, essentially, the patron saint of philanthropy and charitable giving, and was known as 鈥淭he Generous One.鈥� In his public-facing role 1,400 years ago, Hasan ibn Ali explained the tenets of philanthropy to society. I studied these teachings from the point of view of the philanthropic sector and found that the teachings remain relevant. The inspiration for the award is about sharing some of these teachings and helping to promote the study of philanthropy.

Is there an example of a teaching from Hasan ibn Ali that you can share?

Cindy Boustani, an MPNL student, is the inaugural recipient of the 2023 鈥淏enevolence Award for MPNL.鈥�

One tenet that I love is: 鈥淎 truly generous person gives before being asked for help.鈥� In other words, when seeing signs of need, you don鈥檛 wait to reach the point where someone has to ask for help. What I take from this is that you should be observant, keeping an eye on society and resources. People shouldn鈥檛 have significantly less and significantly more than others 鈥� there should be some element of balance.

Further, one thing our sector requires heavily these days is more unrestricted giving. As I see it, if more people are guided towards seeing signs of need early on, then when they donate, the trust element increases automatically. Building out this culture of increased awareness is our job as fundraising professionals.

Alizeh Jaffrey Zaidi聽 is on .

What stands out for you in your two years in the Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership program?

Ramchuk: The most eye-opening thing for me was, and still is, the world perspective — the broad view that the program provided me. As a practitioner who’s been fundraising and working in the social sector for more than 15 years, I feel comfortable with my practice and familiar with the world in which I’m providing services, but the program helped me to think differently about problems that I face every day, and helped me to recognize some of the challenges communities are facing, not just locally, but across Canada and internationally.

Also, I’m better able to predict and prepare for different trends, opportunities and challenges that the sector is facing — from a bigger perspective, a global perspective. It’s such a diverse sector, with a diverse landscape of organizations and communities, and the program allowed for diverse conversation — and diversity of thought. We recognized it’s important to bring in under-recognized voices into our work and into conversations. The program created a continuous opportunity to think broadly.

How relevant is the MPNL program to your work and the sector?

Ramchuk: The program educated us about what current best practices are. For me, when I started in this work, I saw that it’s like any industry in that it’s constantly changing — technology affects things and what matters in communities changes, especially during Covid, when few people had solutions. So, having access to a continuous dialogue, as a practitioner and as a student, was awesome. How do these issues affect our sector? How can we meaningfully respond? What resources are out there? We asked these big questions of guest lecturers from government, from Canada’s Senate, from leaders of other organizations, and we actually had access to people who were focussed and committed to having conversations. We didn’t necessarily solve all the problems, but we were able to have dialogues about them, and I don’t think that access is easy. The program provided a lot of value between the professors, the guest lecturers, and the knowledge and intelligence of people in the classes.

How did you finish the MPNL program while simultaneously working full-time?

Ramchuk: The idea of going back to school, post-secondary, especially in my late thirties at the time, was a little intimidating, even just the application. It got me thinking about what it would mean and how I would do it. I was working full-time. I have two amazing sons who were in high school then, and I’m a single parent, so I was raising them on my own. The idea of adding a program into that mix was very intimidating. The people running the MPNL program were incredibly supportive. I did a minimum of three courses a term, plus at that time, I was the Chief Development Officer at KGH Foundation, so I had a staff of eight and I was fundraising about $10 million a year.

I literally had to take it one course and one assignment at a time, and by doing that, all of a sudden, I was in my last course, doing my capstone (my last assignment). It was a lot of hard work — MPNL isn’t a simple program; it’s an academic program — but very supported and very manageable.

Never could I have imagined that within an hour of submitting my capstone project, the KGH Foundation board chair walked into the office and offered me the position of CEO of the Foundation.

And I don’t know if you want to say it’s universal, or serendipitous, or if it’s when readiness meets opportunity, but I can’t tell you how grateful and how amazing that was 鈥� to have those two opportunities collide in that moment. And I know that they’re absolutely interconnected and changed who I am as a professional and a person.

Allison Ramchuk is CEO of Kelowna General Hospital Foundation and can be found on . The KGH Foundation is at . Photos are courtesy of the KGH Foundation.

“Philanthropy is important in business and life,” says the former Vice-Chairman of BMO Nesbitt Burns. “I’m passionate about philanthropy and have a deep belief in education.”

“Mr. Johnson’s support was crucial when we launched the program,” explains Dr. Susan Phillips, MPNL Graduate Supervisor. “He attended our first ‘Celebrating Philanthropy’ event (with the Governor General), and co-hosted a luncheon for the new program — and he shared his insights and hopes during a talk, ‘.’

Johnson also serves on the boards of a number of nonprofit and for-profit organizations, and campaigns to improve the philanthropic sector in Canada.

“He was instrumental in convincing the Canadian government in 2005 to eliminate the capital gains tax on charitable gifts of listed securities,” Dr. Phillips says. “And, currently, he’s leading a campaign to extend this exemption to donations of private company shares and real estate.”

Johnson says he receives great satisfaction from being able to give back. “Students learn that philanthropy is educational, that it strengthens community,” he says. “Philanthropy helps you to network, and it makes a meaningful difference in life and business.”

“Aside from the monetary value, winning this award will encourage students and others to engage in philanthropy,” he adds.

Hannah Van Hofwegen is this year’s recipient

Last year was one of the hardest years of Hannah Van Hofwegen’s life. This year’s recipient of the Donald K. Johnson Award in Philanthropy survived a house fire, a death in the family and two emergency surgeries. However, she also finished an undergraduate degree in health science and got into her number-one masters choice, the MPNL program.

“I was humbled and deeply grateful when I found out I’d received the award,” she says. “I felt validated in my efforts to pursue a career in philanthropy and the nonprofit sector. The year 2021 had been hard, but the award was a push of hope that gave me additional confidence — and it provided financial support for my studies while I was off work because of Covid.”

“While growing up in a small town and going to a Christian private school my passion for serving others became instilled at a young age,” she says. She worked for Casas Por Cristo, an organization that builds homes for families in need, and later worked with .

“I just completed the second semester of my MPNL degree, and I’m a 杏吧原创 Research Assistant, looking at cross-sector leadership mechanisms,” she says. “After completing my masters, I hope to attend medical school. It’s been my dream to become 鈥楧r. Van Hofwegen鈥� and use my position to serve others.”

Champagne Thomson was last year’s recipient

Last year’s recipient of the Donald K. Johnson Award in Philanthropy was Champagne Thomson, who defines herself as a decolonial, intersectional, harm-reduction feminist dedicated to co-creating a prosperous community-oriented future.

As a practicing social worker and advocate, she completed a Human Rights and Equity Studies degree at York University before joining the MPNL program. She also works with , a feminist, changemaking media outlet that amplifies the stories and voices of those who aren’t highly represented in the mainstream.

Hannah Van Hofwegen is on . Banner photo is courtesy of Mario Gogh.

As an Indigenous ally and a signatory of the , the RHF has taken steps towards being an Indigenous-informed organization with active learning, action and commitments towards reconciliation. On a practical level this has meant that the RHF鈥檚 board, adjudication bodies and advisors include Indigenous representation and leadership, and the objectives of our programming specifically include allyship through partnership, collaboration and support with Indigenous-led and -driven initiatives.

The RHF is striving to share and shift decision-making power along with acknowledging and celebrating Indigenous innovations. This is a process that takes humility and a willingness to listen and learn, followed by concrete actions in the spirit of reciprocity and respect.

Arctic Inspiration Prize

As the behind-the-scenes managing partner for the , the RHF supports the awarding of about $3-million a year to Northern initiatives that are created by teams and communities to address local needs. Northerners lead all the initiatives, many of which are Indigenous-led. Both qualified and non-qualified donees are eligible for the AIP, so that their ideas can benefit from the seed funding that the AIP provides 鈥� and without the range of monitoring and oversight constraints that often accompany more traditional grants or contributions.

In leading up to receiving this prize, the nominations go through an adjudication process that’s representative of all the Arctic regions and overseen by a Northern Trust that also has an Indigenous majority, thanks to the AIP鈥檚 Indigenous co-owners (Indigenous development corporations and representative bodies) who put forward the nominations for the regional Trust positions.

A central position of the AIP is 鈥淔or the North, By the North, with the unconditional support of the South.鈥� The overall structure allows for Indigenous individuals and communities to be involved as ambassadors and nominators, and to have representation on the Trust board and adjudication processes. They also receive direct investment, wherein they retain power and control over the dreaming, planning and delivery of initiatives. Through this structure, accountability for program delivery and success rests in the North and in community 鈥� and not with team in the South.

Partnership with Indspire

Carmen, Lynn, Nicole and Arthur’s quote.

More recently, the RHF partnered with , a national Indigenous organization, to support a new pilot phase within their Teach for Tomorrow initiative. The program provides a seamless approach for students to transition from high school to university by providing college level courses to become certified as Education Assistants, with eventual access to Bachelor of Education and Arts degrees. The RHF is an ally and partner with Indspire, which defines its funding needs and maintains its power in terms of direction and leadership.

Within this work with Indspire and all future partnerships, the RHF acknowledges the importance and need for Indigenous leadership, Indigenous community involvement, and respect for self-determination as foundational requirements for investment in Indigenous-focused initiatives.

The future

Alex learns plumbing.

Humbled by the trust that Indigenous peoples, organizations and communities have placed in the RHF, there鈥檚 a clear recognition that our collective journey forward is one that requires both reciprocity and respect. In the spirit of transparency, this journey is one that takes time, effort, flexibility and a willingness to consider transformational changes of an organization at all levels. In this pursuit, many steps have been taken and there are many more yet to take.

Bill Mintram is an MPNL alumnus and Director of Indigenous and Northern Relations with the Rideau Hall Foundation. Photos are courtesy of the Arctic Inspiration Prize, Inspire, and Northern Compass 2019 AIP laureate Rebecca Bisson.

Wood is also a Research Assistant working with Professor Stephan Schott on Arctic food security and sovereignty and is founder of the , a community-driven, food-security nonprofit organization providing nutritious meals to people in need within the Whitchurch-Stouffville community

PANL Perspectives spoke to Wood about her experience in the nonprofit sector, the MPNL program and about her commitment to community philanthropy. The interview is by and was edited for length and clarity. (You can donate and support the Scholarship by .)

鈥淲e鈥檙e delighted that Emma is the inaugural award recipient and the scholarship is supporting her studies. And we鈥檙e excited about the future prospects of the Good Food Project and also of Emma as a future leader in the nonprofit sector. It鈥檚 clear that she鈥檚 already playing that role.鈥� — Ted Jackson and Magda Seydegart, founders of the Jackson Family Scholarship.

Q: What sparked your interest in community food insecurity?

Wood: I have to look to my mom and my grandma, who were always huge volunteers. We never did birthday gifts; it was sponsoring or donations or something like that. When I look back now, it was all the building blocks to where I am today.

The focus on food security was all due to a book I read during my second year at Trent University: The Stop, by Nick Saul. It changed the way I looked at food. The World Food Systems course, along with the World Agriculture course, really opened my eyes. It was the first time I ever felt passionate about school and wanted to write essays, good arguments, and to dig deeper. I got angry as I worked on my essays. I鈥檇 never had that before.

We started in the community here in Stouffville this time last year. I was unemployed, at home; my mom came back from a dog walk and told me she startled two folks sleeping in our community鈥檚 clock tower. I knew about the food bank, and I knew about a nonprofit, but I didn’t know much more, so I started asking questions, and it slowly snowballed. I look back now and think that one conversation over a cup of coffee turned into something so much bigger.

Q: What is the biggest difficulty of maintaining a supply of food?

Wood: The biggest challenge is educating people about a dignified giving approach. Countless times, I’ll get donations that have been opened and used or out of date. We get dented cans and get a lot of food that we can’t hand out legally. We don’t want to give somebody a can that’s completely smashed and say, 鈥淭his is all you get.鈥� That’s not really making anyone feel great about coming to a food bank and getting something presentable. It’s someone else’s trash.

Q: How will the Jackson Family Scholarship contribute to your work in the nonprofit sector?

Wood: The scholarship was a huge surprise when I found out that I was chosen. Financially, it relieves some stress and allows me to say yes to things that fuel me, where I was saying no beforehand. It also solidified that what I was doing with the Good Food Project is impactful — and somebody else recognized that. I had all these thoughts in my head — 鈥淎m I doing this right? Is this the right thing to do?鈥� 鈥� and having someone else read it and say, 鈥淭his is great,鈥� was nice to hear.

Q: How can scholarships like the Jackson family鈥檚 contribute to philanthropy?

Wood: Every student worries about how they’re going to pay for their tuition and everything else that comes with doing your studies. I know many students are working one, two or three jobs to pay for their education, or they’re going to continue paying after they’re done. Whatever can alleviate that in the moment is huge. For philanthropy, I think it really encourages innovative ideas. The Good Food Project is completely voluntary: I have to go to work, go to school, and then get to the Good Food Project afterwards. The scholarship creates connections and exposure. It’s allowing me to take what I’m learning through the MPNL program and try it out.

Read an article about Emma Wood and the Good Food Project, by Simon Martin of the Stouffville Sun-Tribune:

To the Jackson family — thank you. When I found out I received the scholarship, it was at a time where I was really doubting the Good Food Project and everything else going on with trying to balance it. It lifted my spirits to know that someone else believes in me and the work I’m doing.

Thank you to the MPNL program as well. We’re learning not only from professors, but those who have been in the sector for so long. We have classmates who are executive directors and sit on boards. Hearing their experiences is valuable, week after week, and connecting them to the course material shows where you could be in a few years or in many years — and also creates some really unique dialogue.

. Photos above are courtesy of Emma Wood, Ted Jackson and the Good Food Project. Ted Jackson was an Associate Professor in the School of Public Policy and Administration at 杏吧原创 University. Magda Seydegart served as Executive Director of the Human Rights Research and Education Centre in the Faculty of Law at the University of Ottawa. Emma Wood is on .

Given annually by the Dean of Graduate and Postdoctoral Affairs on the recommendation of the Director of the MPNL program, the award supports Black Canadians entering or continuing in the program and aspiring to pursue a career in professional fundraising. The award promotes Black leadership within the philanthropic and nonprofit sector to make professional education more accessible, equitable and inclusive by reducing financial barriers.

Preference will be given to students who demonstrate their intention to pursue a career in professional fundraising. Black Canadian students entering or continuing in 杏吧原创鈥檚 MPNL program are eligible to apply for this award, doing so by January 15 of the year in which they wish to be considered.

Please answer the following three questions and send them as an attachment to mpnl@carleton.ca. Your answers will help us to understand what the award would do for you, and what you, in turn, hope to do for the sector. Please limit each of your answers to no more than 250 words (750 words overall):

1. Please explain how your lived experience has informed your decision to undertake advanced study in philanthropy and nonprofit leadership.
2. What changes in the nonprofit and philanthropic sector do you wish to see, and what will be required to achieve them?
3. Please describe how the MPNL program would help to prepare you, as a Black professional, to pursue and realize those changes.