The Harder Question of Giving: What Are Communities Really Asking of Us?
Reflections from a talk at Hamilton Community Foundation’s Women4Change Gathering by Lee Burton Earlier this fall, I had the honour of joining the Hamilton Community Foundation’s Women4Change community for a conversation about what is emerging in Canadian philanthropy. The room was a beautiful reflection of Hamilton itself, diverse across culture, gender, and generation. I felt […]
Community-based Data Management for Northern Indigenous Land-Based Programs
Across Northern Canada, Indigenous land-based programs are gathering a wealth of information—photos, maps, audio recordings, field observations, and other types of data—to guide stewardship decisions. This information often carries cultural knowledge and responsibilities, and it must be collected, stored, and used in ways that respect Indigenous data rights and align with community values and needs. […]
Stewarding a Transformative Gift from MacKenzie Scott
At MakeWay, we often talk about what’s possible when resources and relationships move together in support of community-led change. Recently, that possibility grew in a profound way. We are humbled and deeply grateful to share that MakeWay has received a transformative donation of CAD $86 million from Yield Giving, the philanthropic initiative created by MacKenzie Scott. […]
A New Tool for Evaluating Indigenous Conservation Legal Pathways
Indigenous communities in the Northwest Territories are leading some of the most ambitious conservation efforts on the planet. Just look at NWT: Our Land for the Future—an innovative $375 million funding partnership for Indigenous-led conservation—or at projects like Thaidene Nëné, a 6.5 million-acre protected area rooted in Dene Law. More than 20 Indigenous governments across the territory […]
“Love in Action”: Susan Wright’s Journey of Deepening Her Philanthropy
The change she hopes her philanthropy will bring: A greater awareness of me, us, and all of us. Susan Wright is many things to many people – an author, teacher, Integral Coach, and a matriarch to many. She is also a Fund Advisor who conducts her philanthropic giving through a Donor Advised Fund at MakeWay. […]
A Year in Donor Advised Funds with MakeWay: Our New Seasonal Cycle of Giving
Published by MakeWay’s Philanthropic Services team How can aligning philanthropy with the seasons create more meaningful giving and impact? At MakeWay, we draw deep inspiration and guidance from the changing rhythms of the seasons. Recently, we’ve woven these natural cycles into our donor advised fund (DAF) program, aligning giving with a cycle of reflection, intention-setting, […]
How IndigenEYEZ is helping Indigenous leaders restore the fabric of their communities
In nsyilxcən, the language of the syilx Okanagan people, Kelly Terbasket’s last name describes the process of unravelling or pulling apart a ball of tangled sinew or string. “That’s totally what I see as a metaphor for the work we’re doing,” she says. Kelly is the director and co-founder of IndigenEYEZ, a project on […]
What We’re Learning About Foundation Investment Transparency in Canada
Growing calls for equity and accountability are pushing philanthropy to become more transparent. Some foundations now share more about their operations, governance, and grantmaking. But the largest share of foundation wealth—investments—has been largely left out of the conversation. A few foundations have started to disclose aspects of their investing, often around impact investing, but unfortunately […]
How the Northern Manitoba Food, Culture, and Community Collaborative Centres Learning and Unlearning
At MakeWay, we are proud to host several funding collaboratives that support positive change across Canada. Funding collaboratives are an innovative way for funders to pool resources, share knowledge, and reduce burdens on community partners—creating deeper and more coordinated impact. By applying to a collaborative rather than multiple individual funders, grant seekers often face simpler […]
Slowing Down to Move Forward: Rethinking Our Board Recruitment
At MakeWay, we’re continuously learning. Part of our learning journey is to stop and ask if what we’re doing is serving our mission and our aspirations. We find ourselves at one of those moments, and so, as an organisation we are reimagining how we recruit for our board of directors. We’ve learned that our current […]