Patricia Bradshaw, author of “Concise Introduction to Nonprofit Governance.”

, Professor Emerita at Saint Mary鈥檚 University (in Nova Scotia, Canada), has just published a book, 鈥�,鈥� that provides an overview of governance in the nonprofit sector, including board responsibilities. The book draws on interpretive, structural and political perspectives on nonprofit governance and examines contingency factors, including how the external environment impacts governance. She spoke to PANL Perspectives about the value of her book and how it helps with organizational challenges.

Question: Your book is an important contribution to the nonprofit field. What鈥檚 the crux of it?

Patricia Bradshaw: The book challenges us to think about the difference between governance, leadership and management. It also looks at some of the processes and dynamics of governing at different systems levels. We’re seeing now that you govern boards and govern organizations, but there’s also a function for governance at different systems levels, such as network governance, social systems governance, global governance and even AI governance.

Governance is the function of challenging how we make sense of what鈥檚 happening around us. In a world often characterized by multiple and sometimes fractured interpretations and even distortions of reality, where does that function come in to say, “Are we telling the right story? Are there alternate stories that need to be told?” For me, that’s where governance best contributes and is what I call, in my own vernacular, “a loving challenge.”

Question: What governance trend have you noticed, and how does the book address it?

Patricia Bradshaw: The book looks at various theoretical perspectives of governance and looks at the roles, functions and responsibilities of boards. It also explores how we select governance models in different nonprofits. There鈥檚 a trend that I believe is driving the corporatization of the sector — a push to say that there’s one, best way — so the book celebrates the multiplicity of different ways of governing.

The book is based on Contingency Theory — the idea that there鈥檚 no one, best model — and it examines different contingency factors. So, what’s the best governance model? Well, it all depends, says Contingency Theory. There’s a place, in times of more complexity, for alternative models of organizing. 听for instance, is looking at reimagining governance. There are exciting models that are looking at more flexible, more dynamic, more entrepreneurial models of governance.

The choice of governance model depends on the history of a nonprofit, on what stage in the life cycle the board is at, on values and mission, on external environments and on other variables.

I鈥檓 trying to challenge the dominant model and create space for innovation and alternatives but to do it in a way that’s theoretically grounded. Let’s have some fun. Let’s not be afraid of questioning this governance thing. Let’s keep it adapting to fit the circumstances that we’re in.

Question: Are organizations and the sector in Canada struggling with governance?

Read “Real-Life ‘Succession’,” a discussion with Cathy Barr and Susanna Kislenko about their report, “Good Governance and Leadership in Founder-led Organizations” (2025). It offers guidance for building effective boards, managing founder transitions and avoiding Founder鈥檚 Syndrome.

Patricia Bradshaw: I do think that we’re nervous about having candid conversations at the level of boards. For example: 鈥淲e have a founder who’s dominating the board. We have different ideological perspectives. We have a lack of commitment.鈥� 听Board members often tend to silence or avoid discussions of interest, conflict, power and different models of working. If we can have frank and honest conversations, I think we can start to have more meaningful governance.

In the book, I talk about latent conflicts; for example, fundamental disagreements and different perspectives, that stay under the surface and then eventually blow up. If we don’t normalize conversations about multiple constituents, multiple meanings and interpretations of reality, and different conflicting interests, we can’t have good governance.

Question: Why talk about power when looking at governance and boards of directors?

Patricia Bradshaw: I’ve frequently felt like the work that the nonprofit sector does is informed by good intentions — the charitable model, that desire for making a difference in the world — but unless we talk about power, inequality and systemic oppression, we’re not going to get to the kind of meaningful change we want.

There’s nothing wrong with power. Power is the ability to get things done. It’s when we don’t talk about power, don’t talk about who’s got the power and what interests their power is being used to advance, and have those conversations that are frank and honest, we’re not going to get to the place where we need to be resilient and move forward.

So, it’s having the courage to surface those conversations, because they’re tough ones: you’re right into talking about oppression, racism, white supremacy and a lot of topics that we’re sometimes veering away from.

Patricia Bradshaw . She suggests considering buying the e-book rather than the paperback:

Francesca Allodi-Ross

Question: What does Romero House do, and why is its approach so successful?

Francesca Allodi-Ross: We鈥檙e a community that welcomes refugee claimants. We鈥檙e a nonprofit housing provider for refugees when they first come to Canada. They live with us for about a year. We also work with refugee claimants who live outside of Romero House: last year, we supported 1,500 claimants with immigration and settlement needs.

We welcome refugees differently; we welcome them as neighbours, not just as tenants or social work clients. That鈥檚 the heart of what we do. It鈥檚 different from being a shelter or temporary hotel. as well.

I live in one of the houses, and living at work isn鈥檛 for everybody, but I get a lot out of it. I don’t have to do the direct client work with the families who I live with, but it keeps me connected to why we’re doing what we’re doing. Those personal relationships are very meaningful, and they motivate me. I’ve been the Executive Director for two and a half years, and I’ve been part of the community for more than 15 years, when I started as a summer intern.

Question: Can you walk me through some of the innovative ways you work with refugee claimants?

Francesca Allodi-Ross: The heart of what we do is the ; staff and volunteers live in the houses alongside families. We help them to navigate the refugee process, enrol in school, find work, access mental health supports and access all the things required in a new country. We provide a food bank, a clothing bank, and support for things people need (diapers, menstrual products, hygiene products and more).

And we connect refugee claimants with the many employment supports in our communities for help with cover letters, resumes and job-search tools. We offer English conversation partners and circles because English is often a barrier for refugee claimants who don’t speak the language when they arrive. Finally, we connect claimants with friends and neighbours who can offer odd jobs, or sometimes networks that help them find permanent jobs.

Then we have our , which offers a lot of those same supports to families and individuals who don’t live with Romero House, supporting them to .

A third initiative is our , in which neighbours or supporters provide an extra bedroom or a couch — a safe place to sleep, because oftentimes, people are forced to sleep outside. Community hosts support a refugee for a time, usually a few months, until the newcomers can find permanent housing, because the shelters in Toronto are full. We also support refugees after they move out of Romero House through our alumni program.

Question: What can be done better in terms of funding or policies for your sector?

Francesca Allodi-Ross: We鈥檙e growing this year, opening a fifth building, and doubling the number of families that we house. That funding, to lease the building, is coming primarily from the City of Toronto. But there are restrictions on public funding, and we need to fundraise for the wraparound support and community programming that makes Romero House what it is.

We鈥檙e very lucky to have quite a few donors and supporters who have known us for 30 years and give us funds that we can use in a general way. This allows us to be nimble and responsive to emerging needs. We’re a relatively small organization, and our donors trust us. It鈥檚 important in our sector to have flexible funding, and I encourage governments and foundations to move in that direction.

It鈥檚 also important to defend the ability of charities to engage in policy work. We are involved in many . We鈥檙e a member of the , which includes refugee houses and agencies who work with vulnerable populations.

We see a lot of similar problems over and over, and we’re in regular communications with immigration officials and Canada Border Services Agency officials. So, with many of our partners in the sector, such as the , we advocate for change at a systemic level.

I was glad to see changes by the Canada Revenue Agency a few years ago to remove restrictions on political activities by charities. We鈥檙e never partisan but we do advocate for policy change. We can have a much bigger impact improving the lives of those we serve by combining front-line social service work with advocacy to address systemic issues.

Romero House is on . Photos are courtesy of Romero House.

Question: How is your work as a performing artist connected to your work as an arts researcher?

Megan Lindsay (as Mary Magdalene) in Opera Atelier鈥檚 “The Resurrection” (2021). Photo by Bruce Zinger.

Lindsay: As a musician, I鈥檓 very aware of the power of nonverbal communication. It has informed my curiosity about the 鈥渁ffective capacity鈥� of words, images, sounds, structures and policies. Affects are the vital forces beyond emotions. They’re the shivers we get from watching or reading something compelling. Affects also flow through policies and structures, and can create barriers. The languages, expectations and institutional norms within the arts sector reproduce barriers for many.

My work deals with understanding how these seemingly intangible forces shape our everyday lives. Specifically, I鈥檓 curious about which systems support or hinder a healthy, safe and exciting artistic landscape. This often involves refuting a homogeneous definition of arts and culture. It involves honest conversations about the lived experiences of artists and of precarity. It involves reflection and a deep honour for a multitude of different cultural expressions.

Q: What have you been researching in terms of post-pandemic arts organizations?

尝颈苍诲蝉补测:听Right now, I’m working on a research project called 鈥淧andemic Preparedness.鈥� It’s a project funded by the British Academy that looks at policy responses to the COVID-19 pandemic in the performing arts in G7 countries. I just wrapped up 鈥淏eing Together,鈥� a SSHRC-funded project on how theatre audiences experience the feeling of being in close proximity. My ongoing work looks at how perceptions of 鈥渋mpact鈥� are constructed between artists and mechanisms of public funding. Much of my research is rooted in understanding how artists relate to policies and institutional structures, and how these structures are positioned within civil society. In the wake of the pandemic, this work feels timely. Challenging, but timely. I鈥檓 grateful to be an artist doing this research. My experience has informed my approach.

Q: What has changed in arts organizations in Canada since movements regarding racialized communities, Indigenous people and #MeToo?

Lindsay: First, I want to be transparent about being a white settler working in both academia and classical music. There are people who would be able to speak to this question with more depth than I would, so I’d prefer to take this opportunity to point to the work of those leading change across the sector.

Governance can mean different things to different people. Many interesting organizations,听like are working on subverting organizational structures and exploring new ideas of artistic leadership. They鈥檙e exploring new ideas for board governance and co-leadership, alongside a rich and innovative artistic season.

I’m on the editorial committee of , a Canadian digital magazine that looks at art and social justice. The perspectives, stories and issues that they’re moving forward are integral to redistributing power in the Canadian arts. Across the landscape, there’s conscious critique about the difference between calls for decolonization and actions toward decolonization.

The 鈥淎 Culture of Exploitation: ‘Reconciliation’ and the Institutions of Canadian Art鈥� touches on how Canadian art institutions have been plagued by tokenism and inequality. They point to a series of Standards of Achievement for the Relationship Between

Indigenous Peoples & Cultural Institutions in Canada. This is a critical piece for anyone working in the arts in Canada.

Q: What are artists doing differently in terms of social issues and spaces?

Artscape, a group of not-for-profit organizations, was at the forefront of creating resources and spaces for artists. It entered into receivership this year.

Lindsay: Artists are increasingly engaged in advocacy, and the civic role of the arts is deeply embedded in practice.

It鈥檚 a complicated time. While we鈥檙e seeing artists de-centering Eurocentric knowledges and ways of being, the arts in Canada are deeply reliant on structures that many seek to subvert. Some artists are reimagining futures, some are embedded in community-building, some are doing the important work of language revitalization. We sing, we dance, we write, we laugh. There isn鈥檛 one homogenous definition of “social” or “impactful.” What’s important to note, though, is the 鈥渄ouble burden鈥� of artists who are encouraged (or compelled) to have both a civic and aesthetic output. There are expectations for artists to fulfill both an aesthetic and civic role, but not an increase in resources to support these responsibilities. As we look toward a shifting role of the arts and culture in Canada, we must be mindful not to laud artists as agents of social change without supporting their capacity to enact this change.

Q: In opera specifically, what changes have you noticed in relation to social issues?

Lindsay: That鈥檚 an interesting question. In the wake of the pandemic, opera is dealing with a loss of audience, an aging patron base, issues of burnout, and an interrogation of its role in society. For that reason, companies are balancing new works with revivals and stalwart productions.听 is exploring digital works and partnerships with larger institutions in order to support an emerging generation of artists. And is doing some really cool things at the intersection of virtual reality and opera. Larger organizations are partnering with indie and grassroots companies to resource share. The , who’s co-founder of , on a solo show that explores how conventions of race and gender exist within the canon. There are tons of critical pieces and initiatives being put forward. Running parallel to this, we see that companies are accepting entertainment and spectacle as an equally important part of the landscape. Different productions inevitably have different aspirations.

Q: Overall, is there a role for the arts in addressing social change?

Lindsay: There isn鈥檛 one straight answer to that. I presume that the answer will also vary depending on who you ask. The instrumentalization of the arts 鈥� using the arts to address broader social or economic issues 鈥� has been embedded in our cultural policy and rationale (and public consciousness) for quite some time.

The arts are inherently social, but the 鈥渟ocialness鈥� of the arts can also be exploited. Scholar Adam Saifer looks at 鈥渁rt for social change philanthropy.鈥� He points to the fact that this 鈥榩rogressive turn鈥� in arts philanthropy often commodifies artists (particularly the racialized poor) without shifting their material or economic realities. This is important work.

The arts鈥� fluidity, immeasurability and subjectivity leaves it open to take on many forms and absorb many claims. This presents a host of challenges. It also makes for a beautiful, fertile ground for experimentation, world-building and hope. I love academia and research and am deeply grateful for the privilege to contribute here. I am an artist in my bones, though.

Meghan Lindsay is on . Banner photo is courtesy of Gabriel Varaljay. Photo of Artscape Theatre Centre is courtesy of Adamina and Wiki Commons.

In the last decade, Black artists have put Canada on the map. Across the globe, contemporary Canadian culture is recognized as the look, sound and feel of Black Canada. Musicians like Kardinal Offishall, Drake and Kaytranada, and producers like WondaGurl have made defining contributions to global popular culture in the last decade. Despite the cultural and economic contributions we’ve made, we continue to see a reluctance from institutions to invest in Black Canadian artistic production. In the 15 years that has operated, we’ve seen that art is a life-sustaining practice. The organization was borne out of the recognition that our communities thrive when we invest in their creativity.

School Engagement: A class at Toronto’s Etobicoke School of the Arts participates in an exhibit, 鈥淓ars, Eyes, Voice.” Photo is courtesy of Nia Centre.

Black youth too often find themselves discriminated against in our schools, in the media and when navigating the public sphere. Yet, everyday we see young people enthusiastically using their talents to envision a different kind of world. Our work began in 2008, as a response to increased youth violence in Toronto. From early on, our founders to young people. Since then, we’ve developed a holistic approach to working with young people that honors their creativity.

The Work

Nia Centre has : introducing youth to the arts, supporting local artists and creating opportunities for Canadians to experience art from the Black diaspora. Through our in-house programming, we connect young people to established mentors in the arts sector, provide artists with skills-building workshops and link young people to career opportunities in the arts. Young people who engage with The Centre frequently receive opportunities to showcase their work to the public, helping them to build their portfolios and reach new audiences.

“Thank You for Keeping Us on Track,” by Jordan Sook, one of three art exhibits at “Here Again, At the Crossroads,” presented by Nia Centre and Union Station and shown at Union Station, in Toronto. Photo by Spring Morris. See end of this article for links to Sook and the exhibit.

In a city as diverse as Toronto, it’s important for people to engage with artists who make meaning out of our collective experience. In the last few years, we’ve brought public art projects to Harbourfront Centre, Union Station and along the Ossington corridor. Each of these projects invited citizens to engage with Black cultural production in public spaces where our voices had often gone unheard.

A fourth, and still developing, pillar of our work is documenting our community. Canada鈥檚 decision to not collect race-based data has made it difficult to uncover the true impact of systemic racism in the lives of Black Canadians. In the last few years, it has become increasingly clear that in order to create change in our community we have to begin collecting data ourselves. Last year, we began . Through a nationwide survey and a number of dedicated focus groups and interviews, we鈥檙e tracking the impact of anti-Blackness online. As an arts organization, we recognize the importance of including artists’ voices in conversations about larger social issues. The research findings have been interpreted by a number of selected artists, who will be exhibiting their works later this year.

The Challenges

Nia Centre for the Arts is located at 524 Oakwood Ave., in the historic neighborhood of Little Jamaica, in Toronto. The neighborhood has become collateral damage to the Eglinton Light Rapid Transit development, rapidly rising rent prices and devastation as a result of the Covid pandemic. Still, local residents, businesses and organizers continue to build a new future for the neighborhood. Photo is courtesy of Nia Centre.

The work of an organization like ours is to uplift and support the people we serve. This responsibility becomes increasingly difficult each year, as expenses rise and funding doesn’t. As a nonprofit organization, finding consistent funding has always been our biggest challenge. At Nia Centre, we find ourselves at a difficult intersection between lack of funding for Black charities and a lack of funding for the arts sector.

A report (Unfunded: Black Communities Overlooked by Canadian Philanthropy), by the Foundation for Black Communities and 杏吧原创 University, found that only seven to 30 cents of every $100 donated in Canada goes to Black-led charities. Additionally, a majority of the Black community organizations that participated in the study indicated that they will run out of funding in less than six months.

These numbers are staggering, considering that Black charities play integral roles in our communities when local and federal governments fail us. In the last two years, the pandemic has decimated the arts sector, and our biggest funders have been unable to keep up with inflation and the increasing financial pressure on our community. This reality makes it increasingly difficult to provide services to the ever-growing number of youth and artists in search of support.

The Pathway

Alica Hall, Executive Director of Nia Centre for the Arts.

Acquiring a physical space has always been a top priority for us. Black artists are the heartbeat of Toronto, and yet, there’s no dedicated gathering place where people can connect to their work. In 2020, we announced that we’re building Canada鈥檚 first, multi-disciplinary, professional art facility. Located in Little Jamaica, a historically Caribbean neighborhood, the Centre features a 150-seat theater, studio space, a digital media lab and a youth hub.

In a city where space is increasingly financially inaccessible and often racially discriminatory, it’s important that Black communities have spaces in their neighbourhood that serve them. The facility is a space where young people, local artists and community members can create and dream. We offer a place where people can experience art, divorced from imposed notions of what 鈥淏lack art鈥� should be.

We’ve been working on the front lines of preserving and nurturing Black artistic talent in Toronto for over a decade. In that time, it’s become increasingly clear the Black artistic traditions aren’t valued by the philanthropic or government sector in the same way that Eurocentric traditions are. What we know about our society changes when we make space for new stories and new experiences. This kind of knowledge is what Black art offers us, and is exactly why it’s so urgent that Canadians see it as their duty to support local artists.

Nia Centre for the Arts is @niacentre on all social media platforms. “Thank You for Keeping Us on Track” is one of three exhibits in at Toronto’s Union Station.

addresses social issues through our exhibitions, programs, acquisitions and policies. Since 2017, we鈥檝e mounted 15 art and material culture exhibitions concerned with colonial history and Indigenous knowledge, Black culture and systemic racism, community voice, and climate change. Our education programs address issues outlined in the Ontario curriculum. Grants and sponsorships provide opportunities for students from lower-income communities to participate in our on-site school programs. We鈥檝e developed new Collections Plans for both the art and material history collections that prioritize First Nations/M茅tis, Black, Asian, Hispanic, and LGBTQ2+ artists and histories. And our Board includes representatives of Indigenous, Muslim, and LGBTQ2+ communities, and is now looking to establish a Diversity Advisory Committee.

The history

“Black Lives Matter, London,” installation at Museum London, in Ontario, from Aug. 13/20 to Feb. 28/21. Photo credit: Museum London.

Behind these initiatives lies a history of addressing social issues through exhibitions and programs. This has been intensified and informed by contemporary events: the murder of George Floyd; environmental protests; concerns around Indigenous sovereignty, as well as the 25^th anniversary in 2020 of the Ipperwash Crisis; greater awareness of sexual and gender-based violence; and the ongoing local effects of economic disparity. In part, our work has been encouraged by the criteria within government grants featuring equity, inclusion and diversity. Partnerships also provide impetus, such as our recent collaboration with faculty at Western University on the environmentally themed exhibition . At the Board and leadership levels, there鈥檚 also a growing call for Museum London to be more responsive and welcoming to a wider audience and more open to community partnerships.

How we鈥檙e responsive

Museum London continues to look for opportunities to work with representatives of marginalized communities and to maintain longstanding relationships with organizations such as the Black History Committee and the Unity Project for Relief of Homelessness in London, Ontario. In 2018 we secured funding from the London Community Foundation to hire an Indigenous Legacies Project Manager on a one-year contract. Since then, we鈥檝e demonstrated greater commitment to working with and following the lead of community consultants and guest curators from marginalized communities. We recently received funding to support the creation of new video works by artists identifying as Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour鈥攖he most successful works to be screened starting in the fall of 2022.

Resource management is the biggest challenge to Museum London鈥檚 ability to develop, formalize, and then implement policies and projects that respond to social issues. Like most small-to-mid-sized museums, we face the prospect of repairing the boat while floating on the lake, needing to deliver established and successful programs, while at the same time looking critically at itself in the wake of a sector-wide reconsideration of museums鈥� roles.

Here鈥檚 an example

The exhibition was conceived as an on-site celebration of Museum London鈥檚 80^th Anniversary in 2020. But with the arrival of COVID-19, 80ML evolved into a virtual exhibition in 2021 that prioritized community input and feedback. In consultation with the community and paying close attention to diversity, we commissioned 80 Londoners each to pen an 80-word response to either an art work or artifact that we selected from our collection鈥攂ut with the respondents鈥� values, concerns and experiences in mind. For the most part, the respondents weren鈥檛 art or heritage specialists, but instead, were entrepreneurs, teachers, activists, volunteers, religious leaders, social service advocates and professionals who demonstrated high degrees of community involvement.

Looking ahead

Museum London will continue to position social issues in the foreground, while working to ensure traditional audiences continue to feel welcome. The establishment of a Diversity Advisory Committee will help clarify and hone our mandate and new strategic plan to be launched this year. We鈥檒l continue to pay attention to opportunities for online programming, as well as to our reach to communities beyond the primary locale of London/Middlesex. Digitization鈥攅specially of the Museum鈥檚 under-documented material culture collection鈥攚ill create new resources for the museum to address social issues.

Since 2019, Andrew Kear has been the Senior Curator and Head of Collections, Exhibitions and Programs at Museum London. He was formerly Chief Curator at the Winnipeg Art Gallery. is on , and . Photos on this page are courtesy of Museum London.

The challenge

In many Indigenous worldviews, cultivation is part of the journey of life or, more commonly, the 鈥淢edicine Wheel.鈥� Planting a seed today, with proper care and nourishment, can create a forest over time.

In 2015, the 鈥� came from seeds nourished through years of work by private, public and community foundations to build relationships with Indigenous leaders, as well as Indigenous-led and Indigenous-serving organizations, to better understand their needs and those of their beneficiaries. One of the earliest efforts dates back 13 years to the launch of the Aboriginal Grantmakers Network, which helped to lay the groundwork for .

The Declaration was born from a challenge laid down by Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the (TRC). At a (PFC) conference in 2014, he challenged the philanthropic community to act in a meaningful way. By then, there was a receptive audience.

The original team members who prepared the Philanthropic Community鈥檚 “Declaration of Action” in June 2015.

The two of us were part of the group that responded by drafting the Declaration. It came together through a collaborative process by a small group in the weeks leading up to the Closing Event of the TRC in June 2015. While it was an intense process both to write the Declaration and enlist organizations to sign it, the real work of the signatories lay ahead. How would we meaningfully integrate the Declaration into our work? How could we breathe life into it, so it didn鈥檛 end up on a shelf like many Treaties and commissions of the past?

By the time the Declaration was presented at the Closing Event, more than 30 foundations and networks had signed, signaling their desire to sustain the work of the TRC and the desire to implement the Declaration鈥檚 principles into their own work. Since then, the number has grown substantially.听

What’s transpired since June 2015?

We can speak only from our personal experiences, and out of them, offer anecdotal evidence that the Declaration has made a meaningful contribution in the philanthropic field:

• Network organizations, such as the PFC, Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and Environment Funders Canada (EFC), have regularly featured Indigenous speakers and topics within their educational programs.
• There鈥檚 greater awareness of the history of colonization and more opportunities for education through professional development programs like Partners in Reciprocity offered by The Circle or the Blanket Exercise offered by .
• Several private and community foundations have developed Indigenous-led advisory bodies to guide their work and designated funding streams for Indigenous-led organizations and beneficiaries.
• Several private and community foundations, as well as network organizations (PFC, CFC and EFC) have hired Indigenous staff and/or recruited Indigenous leaders to their Boards.

One the most tangible ways in which the Declaration has manifested itself is the (the Fund). It came together in a matter of weeks, in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. The ability to recruit an Advisory Council comprised of First Nations, Metis and Inuit philanthropic knowledge-holders, as well as an Indigenous group of staff, is a sure sign of progress in the philanthropic community.

The Fund was launched in June 2020 with initial funding of $1.4 million for distribution to First Nations, Metis and Inuit communities and organizations. By the end of 2020, it had multi-year commitments of over $12 million and had already distributed $2.2 million. The rapid response of the philanthropic community to the unfolding crisis in Indigenous communities wouldn鈥檛 have happened without many years of building relationships, educating the philanthropic community about the needs of Indigenous self-determination, and wouldn鈥檛 have happened without the commitments made through the Declaration.

There are many more seeds that need to be planted and roots that need to be nourished; indeed, we need not only a forest, but an entire ecosystem to support the self-determination of Indigenous Peoples in Canada.

We invite others to join us on this journey.

The authors

Victoria Grant: 鈥淚 grew up in a small community in northern Ontario that was isolated on an island in the middle of a lake that had a large, non-resident, tourist population, with the nearest community 20 miles away. I would describe myself as someone who is a community builder. Volunteerism was a big part of my life. In the 1970s, my community was engaged in a land claim, and we issued a caution on 4,000 square miles of land in northern Ontario that we consider our traditional territory. This caused some hardship and hard feelings among the local, year-round residents, the Teme-Augama Anishnabai (Deepwater People), and the seasonal residents. In my case, I sort of feel that I’ve spent most of my life trying to make sense of our differences and our common goals. The question for me then and now, from a local perspective to a national perspective, was and is: how could we come together with our different interests, share the land, and support each other in a good way, so that all of us feel at home in this place that we all loved and lived?鈥�

Victoria Grant, Maang Indoden, (Loon Clan), Teme-Augama Anishnabai Qway (Woman of the Deep-Water People) and member of the Temagami First Nation. Victoria is a past Chair of The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples, and is currently involved with the . She’s a keen volunteer, and passionate in advocating for a more robust Indigenous voice within the foundation and philanthropic world.

Bruce Lawson: 鈥淩elationships take time to develop, and there have been markers over time. As examples, The Counselling Foundation of Canada made its first grant to benefit Indigenous learners at Lakehead University in 1987 and made a series of further grants to Indigenous-led and Indigenous-benefitting organizations in the subsequent years; but it wasn鈥檛 until 2010 that the Foundation formally articulated the career development of Indigenous Peoples a stated priority in our work, including a dedicated funding envelope and education for Board and staff members.鈥�

Bruce Lawson is President of and the Executive Officer of CERIC, a national charity that advances career development in Canada. He鈥檚 a founder of Foundation House, a collaborative workspace housing several foundations, charitable and nonprofit network organizations in Toronto; was part of the steering committee that co-authored the Philanthropic Community鈥檚 鈥淒eclaration of Action鈥�; was a member of the Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector for the Government of Canada; and helped to launch the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund.

By and

launched the to support Indigenous youth on their educational journeys and on their searches for meaningful work aligned with their aspirations. Our role is to partner with these youth, relying on them to lead the way in transforming education, employment and entrepreneurship systems, so that these systems embrace and value Indigenous youth, cultures and languages.

In 2019, EleV was approved for an expansion, with a new, bold goal of enabling 30,000 Indigenous youth to complete their education, to access economic opportunities and to drive meaningful change in their communities by 2030.

From the outset, our relationships are based on co-creation. This means that Indigenous youth and communities are in control of their own futures by leading vision, decision-making and implementation. And it means that each partnership is unique, responding to the specific priorities and realities of the youth and communities within the region where the partnership is focused.

Mastercard Foundation seeks to build trusting and reciprocal relationships with partners, believing that systems change requires a commitment to learning and flexibility. Through learning, new pathways are illuminated by our partners. Flexibility allows for adjustments that best align with the needs and vision of our partners and Indigenous youth.

Ulnooweg Foundation partners with Mastercard Foundation

鈥淭he partnership process is convenient, equal and transparent,鈥� says Jasmine Seeley, Partnership and Outreach Coordinator with Ulnooweg Foundation. 鈥淚t provides the opportunity to be on the ground in the communities, to better understand their root issues — and building from there is incredible.”

In 2020, working with government, the private sector and Indigenous communities, the Mastercard Foundation entered , one of Canada鈥檚 first Indigenous community foundations. Ulnooweg鈥檚 mission is to be a leader both in nation-rebuilding among Indigenous communities of the Atlantic region and in strengthening relationships with philanthropic and other sectors. Ulnooweg aims to create new sustainable funds, pursue additional investment opportunities aligned with Indigenous vision for growth and self-sufficiency, and increase public understanding of the role of philanthropy in and by Indigenous communities.

Our partnership focuses on strengthening the capacity of Ulnooweg, so that it can be sustainable and can collaboratively lead transformation in areas of youth leadership, post-secondary education and training, employment and entrepreneurship, and language and culture. We do this by using youth-led and Indigenous-led processes.

Billie Julian

鈥淯nlike other, colonial styles of engagement, where you feel heard but not listened to, with Mastercard Foundation, you are listened to,鈥� says Billie Julian, Youth Engagement Officer at Ulnooweg Foundation. 鈥淥ne unique thing that this partnership provides is that it decolonizes processes, and it allows us the space to speak our mind, do things that feel right with us, and define our work and relationship with our communities鈥�.

The values of the Mastercard Foundation lead every aspect of our work: humility, listening, kindness and respect, co-creation, and impact. We鈥檙e guided by values specific to our work with Indigenous youth, communities and Nations 鈥� values that are founded on supporting Indigenous self-determination, affirmation of languages and cultures, equity, and inclusion, and addressing systemic barriers to progress and transformation. Living these values is central to our work.

In reflecting on our path so far, we humbly offer some reflections for others:

• Take the care and time to build meaningful, reciprocal, and trust-based relationships.
• Be prepared, and understand the context, while recognizing the wisdom and expertise that resides within Indigenous communities.
• Become a deeply reflective practitioner and always ask yourself (and your organization) why you do things a certain way.
• Embrace change, be open to critique, and minimize the burden you put on partners to satisfy your organization鈥檚 internal needs.

We must recognize and welcome the diversity of Indigenous peoples, cultures, circumstances and priorities. We must recognize that for too long so-called solutions have been imposed on Indigenous peoples. The real solutions reside with Indigenous youth, communities, and Nations. They must always lead the way.

Jennifer Brennan is the Head of Canada Programs at Mastercard Foundation, leading a team and programs across Canada in multiple sectors with Indigenous youth and their communities. As part of the Foundation鈥檚 Senior Leadership team with a focus on Africa, she supports global efforts aimed at youth-led transformation in education and meaningful livelihoods.

Dorcas Babet Kwofie is a graduate intern with the Canada Programs at Mastercard Foundation. She assists the team with research and strengthening partnerships with organizations across Canada.

You can find on , , , 听and听. The program is active on , , and .

Artwork in banner is courtesy of Ulnooweg Foundation.

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.

How do we strengthen relationships with Indigenous communities and enhance our collective work toward reconciliation? This question informs Calgary Foundation鈥檚 commitment to reconciliation in accordance with the , the , and finally, as signatories to .

In 2016, Calgary Foundation realized the key to providing a lasting impact was to learn about and implement systems-change thinking into our work; this work needed to be weaved into the fabric of the Foundation. In February 2020, a partnership between Candid, Grant Craft and Native Americans in Philanthropy released a case study of Calgary Foundation鈥檚 approach, 鈥�.鈥� The study provides important context and history about the Foundation鈥檚 reconciliation journey to date.

How do we begin? Where do we start?

As a society, we are conditioned to identify a complex issue or problem and immediately find ways to a solution. As an organization, all of us at Calgary Foundation have come to understand it is not that straightforward when attempting to shift a culture or change a system that was built on power and privilege. Even before delving into the Calls to Action, there are insights and context provided in the TRC鈥檚 Executive Summary: . This context is what Calgary Foundation is drawing on as part of our approach in systems change for reconciliation.

The TRC notes, “Reconciliation is about establishing and maintaining a mutually respectful relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples in this country. In order for that to happen, there has to be awareness of the past, acknowledgement of the harm that has been inflicted, atonement for the causes, and action to change behaviour.鈥�

Since 2017, Calgary Foundation has been on a journey to incorporate context and deep-rooted understanding related to the damaging legacy Canadian history has had on Indigenous communities. This type of transformational change requires the Foundation to take a relational as opposed to transactional approach with all stakeholders, including grant recipients.

Grantees as partners

The strategy to expand Calgary Foundation鈥檚 relationship with Treaty 7 communities began by increasing awareness and understanding of who made up the Nations of Treaty 7. Over the years, none of the Nations had applied for funding through the Foundation 鈥� and this was likely due to a general lack of awareness that the Nations were eligible to receive grants from Calgary Foundation. We knew that building a level of trust would be foundational to our relationships with Treaty 7, and began the slow, yet necessary, process of what would ultimately become ongoing outreach, connection, and convening.

We began researching the Nations that were qualified donees, as per Canada Revenue Agency. The grants team reached out to many of our partners, including surrounding community foundations in southern and central Alberta, to determine which Nations they could support. Through the process, they learned that some foundations had already begun similar work in relationship-building with neighbouring Indigenous communities.

Calgary Foundation continues to meet with elders and community leaders to provide an overview of our work, discuss immediate and emerging community needs, and identify opportunities where we can strengthen relationships and incorporate levels of reciprocity.

Shifting power

An understanding and appreciation of the unique perspective and experience of Indigenous people is now embedded in the granting process, which has ultimately led to changes in our internal practices. As Calgary Foundation looked for ways to share decision-making power with Nations, the focus shifted to prioritizing Indigenous ways of knowing 鈥� specifically an emphasis on oral history and culture. This meant shifts like accepting oral/video grant submissions and final reports from Indigenous-led organizations and First Nations communities.

A recent grant to the Blood Reserve in southern Alberta involved the reintroduction of bison. Having the volunteer grant committee sit down with Nation leaders allowed the committee to see the full economic and cultural importance of such an initiative. Sitting in conversation and prioritizing relationships led to the beginning of transformative philanthropy.

Committees of volunteers, who broadly represent the Calgary community, review Foundation grant applications. In recent years, part of our journey toward reconciliation and racial equity has involved including more Indigenous volunteers in this grant-review process 鈥� another way of putting power back into the hands of the communities we serve.

It鈥檚 about the journey

As a community foundation, we have come to understand that there are significant changes needed when it comes to action toward reconciliation, decolonization, and racial equity. We鈥檙e working against decades of oppression, racism, discrimination, and genocide. Our very culture has been shaped by this negative history.

How we act and what we believe, as well as the infrastructure of our organizations, came from colonial structures. Therefore, processes for all institutions should be ongoing, not merely be part of a five- or 10-year strategic plan. It has taken generations to get us to where we are, and it will take generations to get us to a place of true social justice. Currently, the scales are tipped in favour of those who have benefitted the most from our societal structures — and there remains much work to be done to find a balance for all community members.

Calgary Foundation is approaching our work on reconciliation and racial equity in much the same way we operate — making it part of our ongoing mandate, in perpetuity, with no end date. Reconciliation and racial equity have become part of our organizational process and culture. Whether it鈥檚 a staff member who works with donors creating a giving plan, a board member who oversees the governance of our financial status, or a committee volunteer who reviews grant applications, Calgary Foundation is committed to evaluating how we think, communicate, and learn about Indigenous communities, and we鈥檙e determined to inspire others.

Katie MacDonald is the Cultural & Community Engagement Coordinator and Tim Fox the VP of Indigenous Relations & Equity Strategy at . Photos of MacDonald & Fox, Calgary, bison and Bow Valley are courtesy of Thunder Boy Photography, Igor Kyryliuk (Unsplash), Calgary Foundation, and Grapher78 (Wikimedia).

By

This year’s Annual TD Lecture on The Future of Philanthropy was hosted by 杏吧原创 University鈥檚 MPNL program and TD Bank Group in September. Called 鈥淔rom Charity to Social Justice,鈥� the virtual event looked at how philanthropy is being transformed to create a more inclusive, just and equitable world. It presented proposals for transformative changes within marginalized communities and the philanthropic sector as a whole. Moderated by Susan Phillips, Graduate Supervisor of the program, the panelists discussed:

• increasing disbursement quotas;
• mandating equity benchmarks for greater representation;
• strengthening investment in equity-seeking groups;
• trusting and donating to non-qualified donees because of their experience on the frontlines;
• giving to organizations with alternative models; and
• moving beyond intermediaries to give directly to communities and their leaders.

At the speed of change

Liban Abokor

鈥淩ealign, represent, resource, then repeat,鈥� said Liban Abokor in his opening remarks. 鈥淎 simple enough recipe to dismantle inequity.鈥� Abokor is Executive Director of , a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving educational and employment outcomes for Black youth in Toronto.

Organizations must realign their purposes to include communities that are regularly overlooked, and guarantee that they鈥檙e represented in decision-making processes, he said. He added that it鈥檚 also necessary for the communities to receive resources to address challenges they鈥檝e identified for themselves.

Discrepancies arise when it comes to discussing the speed of changes. Abokor shared how some people in the sector advise against moving too rapidly, while others argue that slow changes are insufficient to produce a more equitable sector. 鈥淭his paralytic procrastination that calls for a 鈥榣earning journey鈥� is akin to a fire truck taking the scenic route to a house fire,鈥� Abokor said. 鈥淭he journey’s cost is preventable human suffering, putting the lives of millions of Canadians in jeopardy.鈥�

鈥淎ddressing inequity in philanthropy should not be the job of those who are burdened by it,鈥� Abokor said. 鈥淚t is the moral and ethical responsibility of those in leadership positions within our sector to be leading the charge. More than that, it鈥檚 our fiduciary responsibility as well, given the tax treatment our sector receives.鈥�

Go at the speed of trust

Kristen Perry

Kristen Perry, a community organizer whose work centres on community care and mutual aid, spoke of donors funding projects and movements that challenge systems that are oppressive — and that we should work towards safer alternatives led by marginalized communities.

Perry said it is important to know Canada鈥檚 history when discussing wealth, and to recognize class, race, gender and other privileges that one may have. 鈥淚nstead of feeling shame for those, we really need to use them to leverage and support movement work, instead of just upholding structures of oppression,鈥� she said.

According to Perry, mutual aid is on the rise because of the pandemic, but many communities have had to engage in it for generations, because they weren鈥檛 being taken care of by society. Since these communities are familiar with taking care of themselves, it鈥檚 important for foundations and donors to 鈥済o at the speed of trust,鈥� to let go of micromanagement practices, and to believe that the funding is being used in a good way.

She said the charity model isn鈥檛 about giving a gift out of the goodness of one鈥檚 heart, but owing resources because they were earned from exploitation. 鈥淭he language we use in the Resource Movement is 鈥榬edistribution,鈥� because we recognize that the wealth that has been accumulated has been accumulated through disenfranchisement of other communities,鈥� Perry explained.

Due to this history, communities had to take matters into their own hands, but the panelists said it does not have to be this way.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 why we need allies to be stepping up and taking on some of that burden,鈥� Perry said. 鈥淏ecause the thing about power is, to get more, usually, you need to have some power to start with. So, I really believe in community power.鈥�

Trust-based philanthropy within a colonial system

Joanna Kerr

Joanna Kerr, President and CEO of , acknowledged that while inequality became much more visible because of the pandemic, a lot wealth grew during the COVID pandemic. She said the pandemic drew more attention about the role philanthropy must play, and provided an opportunity to improve. 鈥淚f our purpose is to tackle the root cause, we actually have to understand the interconnectedness of crises and systems and identities and people,鈥� Kerr said. 鈥淲e are all part of the system that is reproducing inequality.鈥�

She described philanthropy as a colonial system needing people with privilege to help shift power — and that starts with organizational culture. 鈥淚f you鈥檙e not tackling inequality in your own organization, or the way power is concentrated in your organization, then how are you supposed to change the world?鈥�

Kerr advocates for moving towards trust-based philanthropy. This would mean allowing members of the communities most affected to have a seat at the table when discussing charitable laws and influencing policy. It would also mean letting go of specific, project-based outcome measurements and relinquishing direct control of funds.

鈥淲e need to be able to provide core funding, multi-year funding, so that organizations, movements, and leaders who are changemakers can get out of the starvation cycle and can be adaptive and flexible,鈥� Kerr said.

The rest of the event, including a Q&A period with panelists, is .

Sherlyn Assam is a graduate student in the MPNL program and a Research Assistant for PANL Perspectives — and is on and .