Philanthropy leaders urge the sector to lean more into policy advocacy

Article by Future of Good, in partnership with PFC.

When COVID-19 created urgency for crisis support in times of social and economic instability, there was a clear rise in philanthropic giving. Philanthropy Foundations Canada’s report on Canadian philanthropy’s response to the pandemic shows that in 2020, COVID response funding increased from $99 million in May to over $116 million in July. 

And yet, some philanthropic leaders say that the sector needs to play a larger role in not only funding social issues, but working to diminish those issues altogether. 

During the closing panel of PFC’s annual 2022 conference on October 4, 2022, sector leaders discussed exactly why and how philanthropy can evolve their organizational practices when addressing challenges like climate change, reconciliation, and racial inequities.