The release of the 2022 Federal Budget is just around the corner. This year the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance invited Canadians to share their thoughts on the government's federal spending priorities. 

Budget submissions provide a great snapshot of the sector's priorities and reveal similarities and trends in the sector. Below we have summarized overarching trends from 2019, 2020 and 2022 budget submissions. 

Number of submissions from charities and nonprofits: 

• 2019: ~100 
• 2020: ~300 
• 2022: ~200 

The Evolution of Sector Priorities from 2019-2022

Regulatory reform 

From 2019 to 2022 the sector has increased the level of specificity when asking for regulatory reform. In 2019, submissions included broad recommendations for “legal and regulatory reform” for the charitable sector. In 2020 and 2022, recommendations have grown more precise with asks for the creation of a home in government for the nonprofit sector, the implementation of recommendations from the Senate Special Committee report (Catalyst for Change: A Roadmap to a Stronger Charitable Sector) and specific changes to non-qualified donee requirements. 

Investments in data collection and information sharing 

Whether it's data on the arts and culture sector, data on youth mental health or disaggregated data collection, funding and support for data collection and information sharing both sector-wide and sub-sector focused continue to be prominent recommendations for the sector. 

Funding and policy solutions for equity-seeking communities

The sector has adopted an intersectional lens when focusing on policy for equity-seeking communities. In 2019, recommendations focused on promoting gender equity. In 2020 and 2022, recommendations focused on funding and support for various equity-seeking groups. 

Over the years, submissions from the charitable and nonprofit sector have led to significant wins, including the Community Services Recovery Fund, the Black-led Philanthropic Endowment Fund and consultations on the disbursement quota. While the 2022 budget consultation process has closed, the 2023 budget consultation process is just around the corner. 

We encourage all organizations in the charitable and nonprofit sector to stay engaged in the budget process every year to ensure the sector’s voice is heard! 

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