Resources
Discover our wide variety of philanthropic resources and grantmaking tools.
Resources
Featured, Practice Publications
PFC Learning Series Tool 4: A Primer on Analyzing Financials of Charities and Nonprofits
Nonprofit organizations exist for purposes other than earning returns for investors, so traditional measures used to analyze the performance of for-profit enterprises are not well suited for evaluating them. This primer serves as a resource for donors and funders to help understand and analyze financial statements in order to determine the financial sustainability of an organization and identify potential red flags.
DOWNLOAD ›
Featured, Practice Publications
PFC Learning Series – Tool 1: COVID-19, social inequalities and foundations’ response
As the COVID-19 crisis reveals and magnifies inequalities, PFC has decided to launch a Learning Series comprised of resources, observations and practical tips that foundations across Canada can implement. Our first tool highlights the importance of advancing equity and inclusion while responding to COVID-19.
DOWNLOAD ›
Featured, Practice Publications
We’re all in this together: A statement from Philanthropic Foundations Canada, Environment Funders Canada, Community Foundations of Canada and The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada
With input from the charitable and non-profit sectors, we’ve outlined 5 guiding principles to assist foundations in supporting their grantees through this time. We invite foundations across the country to adapt these to their context and join us in their implementation so that the organizations we fund can carry on their important work in our communities throughout and after the crisis.
DOWNLOAD ›
Featured, Practice Publications
CONSULTATION: “TOWARD GREATER RECOGNITION AND SUPPORT OF COMMUNITY ACTION
The Government of Québec called for briefs from stakeholders to provide input in the context of stakeholder consultations that have been organized for the formulation of a new Action Plan of Government Support to Community Actions. Philanthropic Foundations Canada (PFC) submitted a brief to the Ministère du Travail, de l’Emploi et de la Solidarité sociale entitled “Towards a greater recognition and better support of community actions.”
Download ›
Diversity, Featured, Practice Publications
GENDER-LENS PHILANTHROPY: A practical guide for Canadian foundations
What does it mean to a foundation to apply a “gender lens” to their work? This gender-lens granting guide is part of a series of learning tools and resources to support foundations on how to apply a gender lens in their work. Gender is a key piece in the diversity, equity and inclusion puzzle as more foundations think about the impact of their grantmaking and doing its part in working towards equity in all forms, including gender.
DOWNLOAD ›
Diversity, Featured, Practice Publications
GOVERNANCE AND GRANTMAKING: Approaches to achieve greater diversity, equity and inclusion
As a first step to assisting foundations with their Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) journey, PFC has created this toolkit to provide them with guidance and access to a broad range of tools and resources to support and deepen their commitment to social good through diversity, equity and inclusion.
DOWNLOAD ›
Featured, Practice Publications
Funders Making Change: Engaging in Public Policy
This guide is a resource for funders considering public policy work. In this guide you will find 1) a useful checklist on what you can and can’t do 2) strategies for public policy engagement and 3) case studies from Canadian foundations. The guide also explains the regulatory framework for charities engaging in public policy activities.
DOWNLOAD ›
Featured, Practice Publications
Understanding the Philanthropic Landscape: How grants data can inform funder decision-making
PFC has released the second brief in the series of learning materials on data and evidence-based grantmaking created for Canadian funders, in collaboration with Powered by Data. This brief does a deep dive into specific examples of how data infrastructure can transform philanthropy.
DOWNLOAD ›
Featured, Research Publications
A Portrait of Canadian Foundation Philanthropy
Have you wondered about broader trends and practices in the Canadian foundation landscape? PFC, in collaboration with Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), has prepared a profile of the practices of philanthropic foundations in Canada. The study is part of a collaborative global effort led by researchers at the Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University. Through this study, we are becoming better informed about Canadian foundations and their comparisons with peers across the world.
DOWNLOAD ›
Featured, Grantmaking, Practice Publications
Good Grantmaking: A Guide for Canadian Foundations, revised 2015
This significantly revised guide shares concrete examples and successful practices from grantmakers in Canada on how to navigate the five stages of the grantmaking cycle. There are practical checklists that are useful for seasoned professionals and new grantmakers alike, to help you apply these approaches in your everyday work.
DOWNLOAD THE GUIDE ›
Featured, Research Publications
Snapshot of Foundation Giving in 2015
This snapshot provides a data portrait of Canada’s grantmaking foundations in 2015. The snapshot also takes a more detailed look at the largest grantmaking foundations by asset size and by annual grants. It provides a picture of the significant impact and contribution of the largest foundations in the country.
DOWNLOAD ›
Search resources
Pinned resources
The Northpine Foundation Appoints Aatif Baskanderi as CEO.
Good Governance: A Guide for Directors of Canadian Foundations
This revised version of the popular PFC Governance guide has been redesigned as a user-friendly workbook for current and new directors of Canadian charitable foundations. The updated version features checklists and a new Resource Map to help you find the resources that are most useful to your needs.
PFC Learning Series Tool 4: A Primer on Analyzing Financials of Charities and Nonprofits
Nonprofit organizations exist for purposes other than earning returns for investors, so traditional measures used to analyze the performance of for-profit enterprises are not well suited for evaluating them. This primer serves as a resource for donors and funders to help understand and analyze financial statements in order to determine the financial sustainability of an organization and identify potential red flags.
PFC Learning Series – Tool 1: COVID-19, social inequalities and foundations’ response
As the COVID-19 crisis reveals and magnifies inequalities, PFC has decided to launch a Learning Series comprised of resources, observations and practical tips that foundations across Canada can implement. Our first tool highlights the importance of advancing equity and inclusion while responding to COVID-19.
We’re all in this together:
A statement from Philanthropic Foundations Canada, Environment Funders Canada, Community Foundations of Canada and The Circle on Philanthropy and Aboriginal Peoples in Canada
With input from the charitable and nonprofit sectors, we’ve outlined 5 guiding principles to assist foundations in supporting their grantees through this time. We invite foundations across the country to adapt these to their context and join us in their implementation so that the organizations we fund can carry on their important work in our communities throughout and after the crisis.
Impact Investing Guidebook
The Impact Investing Guidebook and accompanying resources are designed for foundations large and small, with different capacity and levels of commitment. More specifically, it’s written to provide practical strategies and tactical support for executive directors and board members of foundations that are thinking about or beginning to make impact investments.
Philanthropy In Action
Find out how various foundations are making an impact in their communities beyond just providing funds to donnees. These inspiring stories provide a mere glimpse at what can be accomplished through collaboration between philanthropy, government, business and communities.