Pictured: Chantal Edwards (Imagine Canada), Meagan Bacciaglia (Conconi Family Foundation), IQRA KHALID (Member of Parliament for Mississauga—Erin Mills), Lisa Davey (Association Fundraising Professionals) and Prairie Chiu (Vantage Point).
On September 26, 2024, over 30 nonprofit leaders from across Canada convened on Parliament Hill to champion bold policy changes for the charitable and nonprofit sector. Imagine Canada’s Nonprofit Hill Day, presented in 2024 by PearTree Canada, is an annual milestone in our ongoing work to amplify the voices of diverse organizations and advance sector-wide solutions at the federal level.
What We Asked For
Our 2024 Hill Day advocacy agenda was rooted in Imagine Canada’s 2025 Pre-Budget Submission and focused on five key policy areas:
- Sector-wide labourforce strategy: Addressing workforce challenges and supporting nonprofit employment.
- Federal funding reform: Advocating for predictable, flexible, and sustainable funding models.
- A champion in Government: Establishing a dedicated home in government to represent our sector.
- Improved Government-collected data: Enhancing the quality and availability of data on nonprofits.
- Nonprofit digital resilience: Strengthening the sector's capacity to adapt to digital transformation.
Who Was in the Room
Last year's Hill Day event began with an evening reception co-hosted with Philanthropic Foundations Canada, where delegates connected with Parliamentarians and sector leaders from across the country. Attendees heard remarks from key figures including the Speaker of the House Greg Fergus, MP Philip Lawrence, and Senator Ratna Omidvar.
Throughout Hill Day, our delegates held over 30 meetings with MPs, ministers' offices, and senior civil servants. Decision makers’ interest in meeting with our delegation exceeded expectations, with an additional 15 spill-over meetings scheduled to accommodate the high demand from Parliamentarians eager to engage with our sector.
Who we advocated with
This year, we were joined by incredible advocates from across the sector, including:
- Regional Voices: We welcomed regional networks like the Community Sector Council of Newfoundland, Vantage Point in BC, and the Nonprofit Chamber in Calgary to share local perspectives.
- Diverse Causes: Our delegation included organizations representing causes ranging from health to environment and social services, including the United for Literacy, Women's Shelters Canada, the Pembina Institute, and the Alzheimer Society of Canada.
- Advocacy coalitions: Arlene MacDonald, co-chair of the Federal Nonprofit Data Coalition, joined to advocate for improved sector data.
Looking Ahead
We are proud of the momentum generated by Hill Day 2024, but there is more work to do. As we plan for our 2025 Hill Day, we aim to:
- Continue to improve the representation of nonprofits from equity-seeking communities within our delegate teams
- Continue building relationships with key policymakers, particularly with new MPs and Ministers following the federal election
- Deepen collaboration with our sector-wide networks to ensure our advocacy is informed by the experiences of organizations across Canada
Nonprofit Hill Days show us what is possible when we advocate together. In our current context of political and economic uncertainty, we will continue to work hard to advance policies that strengthen the nonprofit and charitable sector and the communities we serve.
