Mission

 

Democracy Funders Canada is a national network of funders working to strengthen philanthropy’s contribution to a pluralist democracy.

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Goals

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Democracy Funders Canada has three goals:

• Build a stronger shared understanding among Canadian funders of the forces shaping democracy in Canada, the organizations working on them, and the opportunities for philanthropy to contribute.

• Foster trusted relationships that make it easier for funders to exchange information, reduce duplication, and identify opportunities to work in complementary ways. 

• Support collaborative and collective initiatives where working together can add value.

 

Principles ​​

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The network operates according to the following principles. 

• Member-driven and voluntary: The network responds to the interests, questions, and opportunities identified by participating funders. Participation in network activities, including collaborative initiatives, aligned funding, or pooled funds, is always voluntary. 

• Pluralist and open to difference: The network brings together funders with different mandates, perspectives, and approaches. Members are encouraged to engage across those differences with curiosity, respect, candour, and a willingness to test assumptions. 

• Collaborative and responsive: The network should help funders learn from one another, coordinate where useful, and work together where collective action can achieve more than individual efforts. It should complement, rather than duplicate, existing organizations, networks, and initiatives. 

• Practical and grounded: The network’s learning and collaboration should be informed by practitioners, communities, researchers, and organizations working on democracy-related issues, and should help funders make better-informed decisions and respond to emerging opportunities. 

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Areas of interest​

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We take a broad view of the conditions, institutions, and practices that shape democracy and public governance. Current areas of interest across the network include:

• Democratic institutions and public governance

• Civic participation, engagement, and education

• Human rights and civil liberties

• Media and journalism

• Information integrity and disinformation

• Technology, digital rights, and AI

• Polarization, hate, and extremism

• Indigenous governance and self-determination

• Community organizing and movement-building

• Economic conditions that shape democratic participation and resilience

 

This list is not exhaustive. We welcome funders approaching democracy and public governance from different perspectives and areas of work.

 

Learn more​

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For more background on the emergence of Democracy Funders Canada and the growing philanthropic interest in strengthening Canadian democracy, read With democracy under siege, the philanthropic sector seeks to strengthen its foundation in The Philanthropist Journal.