A temporary dollar-for-dollar matching program is affordable – and necessary for the health of the charitable sector
When it comes to shoring up Canada’s troubled charitable sector, we’ve heard good words. “I appreciate the need to protect the entire (charitable) sector to keep it resilient, to make sure that it thrives and doesn't collapse and comes out strong after COVID-19 is over,” federal Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen told the Canadian Press…
Fewer Canadians (and fewer businesses) are in a position to give to charity, even as more of us need help from the sector
It didn’t take long for the federal government to help grieving families when an Iranian missile brought down a Ukraine passenger plane in January. There were 57 Canadians and 29 permanent residents among the 176 who died in the crash. Very quickly, Canada’s government set up a $1.5-million donation-matching program for a special charity created…
What vast amounts of alone time can do, if you’re lucky, is make you think about others
Apparently, the pandemic that’s gripping the world is also making many of us more productive. I know this because 14 marketing companies (I counted) have sent me emails over the past week telling me that while self-isolation might be lonely, it’s actually good for business. That, naturally, makes it good for me. In fact, it’s…
When people believe it’s the government’s job to help someone, they stop doing it themselves
“God giveth and the government taketh away,” goes the old, wry saying. God aside, it’s people who won’t or can’t give when the government takes away. A recent survey of generosity in the United States and Canada gives proof. The more centralist and socialist a society becomes, the less voluntary giving occurs. Socialism doesn't help…
Some schools in Liberia are well supplied with materials because of the power of one Canadian student asking a simple question
Teacher and motivational speaker Jack Canfield tells us, “Take the risk to ask for whatever you need and want. If someone says no, you are no worse off than when you started. If someone says yes, you are a lot better off.” Following Canfield’s principle can benefit us and others. This lesson was taught to me by…
A swamp of vested, bureaucratic interests hobbled by dogma, enriched by institutional entitlements and bloated by fat pay packages. Surely not these two now-merged think-tanks
Now that Canada’s most famously libertarian think-tank has merged with the Atlantic provinces’ premier government-thrashing mouthpiece, does their union augur a future for exemplary new standards of public policy along the East Coast? After all, both the Fraser Institute and the Atlantic Institute of Market Studies have, over the years, made many of their major…
Almost half of the people visiting food banks live alone. The single-household economy is clearly not doing so well. It's time for some social retooling
We’re reminded every year how many Canadians are left behind in our society, without enough food. Hunger Count 2019 has just been released. The report says that despite a strong economy and living in one of the richest countries in the world, many Canadians still don’t have enough food. The report says food banks have…
Lloyd Cenaiko talks about the work his organization HART does in Eastern Europe and why each small act makes a difference
Lloyd Cenaiko is president of HART. What is HART and what does it do? Cenaiko: HART is a relief, aid and missions agency, dedicated to alleviating poverty and injustice in Eastern Europe. For the past 20 years, HART has been on the cutting edge of a movement focused on empowering and equipping local leaders, agencies…
Canadians will elect a new House of Commons on October 21. We’ve already seen the political parties and their leaders staking out positions on an array of fundamental issues. Whether it’s climate change, taxes, employment, foreign policy, immigration or health care, we have a pretty good idea where each party stands. But what if we…
Ivonne Gamboa of GOAT talks about how the food-sharing app can be a difference-maker for many people
Ivonne Gamboa is CEO of GOAT. What is GOAT and what does it stand for? Gamboa: Goat Generation is a mobile app that enables meal sharing among communities in a new and unique way. The term GOAT is used to define an exceptional person, experience or thing – GOAT is the greatest of all time.…
When it comes to shoring up Canada’s troubled charitable sector, we’ve heard good words. “I appreciate the need to protect the entire (charitable) sector to keep it resilient, to make sure that it thrives and doesn't collapse and comes out strong after COVID-19 is over,” federal Social Development Minister Ahmed Hussen told the Canadian Press…
