Future of Good

Meet the volunteers mapping Quebec’s responsible tech industry | Future of Good Le Collectif Numérique Responsable et Soutenable - or Le Collectif NRS - has launched an initiative to map Quebec's responsible technology ecosystem.

According to Le Collectif NRS, there's a growing number of Quebecois organizations leading the way in the responsible adoption and application of technology. The collective, made up of ten volunteers, is embarking on mapping the province’s responsible technology ecosystem.
🔗 tinyurl.com/y37x563z

Could a national, public ‘CanGPT’ be Canada’s answer to ChatGPT? | Future of Good What if AI were developed as a public utility? Canada’s long history with public service media offers a model for thinking about how AI could serve the public.

What if Canada built AI as a public utility, not a corporate product?

Fenwick McKelvey argues for CanGPT, a public-service model rooted in democratic values, cultural archives, and sustainability.

🔗 tinyurl.com/3fhshjrf

OP-ED: ‘Quiet, piggy’ and other slurs: Powerful men fuel online abuse against women in politics and media | Future of Good Marginalized women and women with public-facing roles — especially politicians, journalists and activists — often bear the brunt of attacks, with the intent to silence.

Tracey Raney shows how online misogyny from political leaders silences women & erodes democracy. Essential reading for social good advocates. #EndDigitalViolence

Link: tinyurl.com/yhf4687z

Vinod Rajasekaran to transition from CEO to Future of Good board member | Future of Good In January, I will transition from my CEO role at Future of Good and support the team in a new capacity as part of Future of Good’s board of directors.

Future of Good marks a big moment today. Vinod Rajasekaran will transition from CEO to board member in January. Our team is grateful for his drive, vision, and courage over eight years.

Anouk Bertner will lead the organization with strength and clarity.

Full announcement: tinyurl.com/sryc23se

Op-Ed: Corporate commitment to social purpose remains surprisingly steady, but employee giving has fallen off track | Future of Good By Sona Kholsa, Chief Impact Officer, Benevity and Woodrow Rosenbaum, Chief Data Officer, Giving Tuesday People’s sense of financial stability has been rocked this year by political, economic, and cul...

Corporate purpose is steady, employee giving is sliding—and non-profits are feeling the squeeze.

Fewer employees are donating even as workplace matching funds go untapped.

The fix? Clearer communication, recurring giving, collective action, and leadership modelling.
🔗 tinyurl.com/2e5p4uun

#GivingTuesday: Choose where your support goes.
You shape your community. You know the pressure.

We removed the paywall so changemakers can access the reporting needed to lead, fund, and support their work.

Today, we ask for your gift. Keep sector reporting free for all.
👉 tinyurl.com/5xenz5m4

Announcement: Future of Good is now a Registered Journalism Organization | Future of Good Future of Good has been granted Registered Journalism Organization (RJO) status. In short: We are now a charity and qualified donee.

📣 Big news. Future of Good is now a Registered Journalism Organization.

We are now a charity and qualified donee, recognized for journalism that serves the public good. Our goal is simple. Keep impact journalism open for all. Read more and learn how you can support this work: tinyurl.com/bp9er6rz

World-first project to help rebuild Indigenous legal systems in Canada | Future of Good The University of Victoria has launched a global-first Indigenous-led initiative to rebuild and revitalize Indigenous legal systems in Canada, beginning with the Secwépemc Nation in B.C.

It’s a world-first: UVic and Indigenous partners have launched a program to help rebuild Indigenous legal systems.

It’s a big collaboration, one that could be a blueprint for other Indigenous peoples in Canada and around the world.
tinyurl.com/248st3mj

The fast-fix for global warming that the UN climate summit can’t ignore | Future of Good We already have powerful ways to reduce the warming rate – if governments look beyond carbon dioxide and focus on a broader set of pollutants.

Carbon dioxide is the marathon runner of global warming. Methane & other short-lived pollutants are the sprinters—fast, powerful, and dangerous.

Cutting them now = slowing warming quickly.

COP30 must treat SLCPs as the emergency brake on climate change.
Read about it here: tinyurl.com/yfnbw9ck

Feeding Change: North York Harvest Food Bank on the verge of becoming self-sufficient | Future of Good The food bank based in northern Toronto is working to triple its capacity by next spring to create a long-term solution to food insecurity.

North York Harvest Food Bank is responding to the deepening food insecurity crisis by tripling its capacity next spring. The non-profit says its new community food hub will also connect users to employment opportunities.
🔗 tinyurl.com/3svm4je6

This week, we take down the wall.

Until December 15th, you have access to stories, data, and insights that help you stay informed. Now we’re asking the community to help keep the paywall down for good.
If our journalism has helped your work, or team, stand with us: futureofgood.co/make-it-poss...

Should Canadian politicians be allowed to block their constituents on social media? | Future of Good Stories have emerged of constituents being blocked by their representatives. Should Canadian politicians be free to block their own constituents?

Canadian politicians are using social media to share policy — but some are blocking constituents who criticize them. Is this a threat to democratic discourse? There is no clear legal framework yet in Canada, so should public officials be allowed to silence dissent online?

tinyurl.com/59dt232x

@PolicyWise.com is sharing resources to empower the social-serving community.

@futureofgood.bsky.social & Environics Research created the “Changemaker Wellbeing Index,” the first comprehensive randomized panel survey focused on the well-being of Canada’s non-profit workforce, at: buff.ly/41zPtX3

Fossil fuel companies use philanthropy to ‘stifle community opposition’: Environmental Defence Canada | Future of Good Canadian oil and gas companies are using philanthropic funding to direct money towards community infrastructure, programs and organizations, and as a result, “buying community consent.” “They may fund...

As part of their new research into Big Oil’s Playbook, Environmental Defence Canada identified that oil and gas companies like to play the “good neighbour” by financing community infrastructure, climate resilience projects, fire rescue departments, and education.

More here: tinyurl.com/4wvaa9a5

Could this help Canada’s housing crisis? #tinyhomes ##tinyhomevillages #housingcrisis #housing #canada

futureofgood.co/penticton-b-...

AI could help strengthen mental health support, but only if it’s used properly: Experts | Future of Good Any mental health care overseen by AI needs strong moral and ethical guardrails to prevent tragic outcomes.

AI is changing how people seek mental health support and raising important questions about safety and responsibility. Organizations are developing ways to ensure AI connects people to real human help. “The technology is just a vehicle,” said Justin Scaini.
🔗 futureofgood.co/ai-could-hel...

Federal Budget 2025: Changemakers split over focus on infrastructure vs. social programs | Future of Good Changemakers had mixed reactions Tuesday after the federal government tabled their proposed budget for 2025.

While daycare and dental weren't touched, there remain major gaps:
❌Food Insecurity unaddressed
❌Nearly $3B cut to global aid
❌Climate action risks locking in fossil fuels
✅Climate strategy for renewables
✅Youth employment focus
It’s domestic investment vs. systemic challenges
🔗 tinyurl.com/5bzcf2sw

Academics’ warning of American-style ‘anti-EDI’ shift leads feds to backtrack from sensitive info ask | Future of Good More than 5,000 academics have signed a petition to prevent the public release of their confidential information in what they say is an anti-DEI attack.

NO PAYWALL: After pushback from 5,000+ Canadian academics, a federal committee has amended a motion that would’ve exposed personal data of researchers working on race, gender & equity.

A win for academic freedom—but DEI-focused research is facing growing scrutiny.

UPDATED – Federal Budget 2025: Social spending flatline and massive infrastructure money | Future of Good The federal government’s 500-page budget document was tabled in the House of Commons Tuesday, outling Prime Minister Mark Carney’s new agenda for Canadians.

#federalbudget2025 has dropped, and we are combing through it, finding out what will affect social services and changemakers. Here's our continuously updating story (with NO paywall):

futureofgood.co/federal-budg...

If nothing else, the last nine months should have made it clear that elections matter. But what’s remarkable about America is that we have the power, as citizens, to change this country by voting. Go to IWillVote.com.

NO PAYWALL:⏳ With Budget 2025 dropping today, social purpose leaders are bracing for austerity — and watching for signs of support.

Front-line organizations are already stretched. This budget could either deepen the strain or offer a lifeline.

📍Follow the updates: futureofgood.co/federal-budg...

4 research-backed ways to beat the winter blues in the colder months | Future of Good Seasonal affective disorder heightens depressive symptoms during the fall and winter months, while the “winter blues” refers to a milder, temporary dip in mood.

Winter can be tough on our mental health—and for those working in community care, advocacy, or non-profit spaces, the season’s challenges often hit harder. Gio Dolcecore shares four research-backed ways to beat the winter blues, offering practical tools.

🔗: tinyurl.com/3c6zubkb

First fully-electric buggy to roll into the Arctic tundra | Future of Good A new set of environmentally-friendly wheels will soon be driving across the Canadian Arctic tundra. Polar Bears International has announced the first-ever fully electric Tundra Buggy. “We can really ...

Polar Bears International is celebrating Polar Bear Week with strides in sustainability and innovation. From fully electric tundra buggies to unique AI technology, the organization is proving that conservation and clean energy can work even in remote parts of the planet.
🔗 tinyurl.com/2vrwm2vr

More non-profits and organizations must register as lobbyists under stricter federal rules | Future of Good Changes to federal lobbying policy will mean that non-profits spending more than eight hours lobbying in any four-week period must register their activities.

Any corporation or organization lobbying a federal public official for over 8 hours in a 4-week period (including preparation, communication, and grant applications) must now track and register their activity.

More details on the changes: tinyurl.com/4pswyw7a

OP-ED: Why Canadians need two dramatic educational shifts to honour reconciliation | Future of Good Who do we, as inhabitants of Turtle Island, or as Canadians, want to be in the era of reconciliation? We must recognize education’s ambivalent role.

Canada’s path to reconciliation runs through the classroom.

Jennifer Wallner and Gavin Furrey argue that two bold educational shifts are needed to truly honour reconciliation: embracing Indigenous knowledge systems and confronting colonial structures embedded in our schools.

🔗 tinyurl.com/kmp47s4a

🔥Tomorrow! Don't miss From Burnout to Belonging: Everyday Practices for Personal & Team Wellbeing. Sessions will pull from the Changemaker Wellbeing Index and the deep-dive report, Thriving Yet Leaving: The Remote Work Paradox in Non-Profits.
➡️Register now: tinyurl.com/43dtxtw8

OP-ED: Four ways to tackle social finance inequalities in racialized communities | Future of Good Policies like Affirmative Action and EDI hiring seek to address inequities in employment and education, but what about other inequities? Are non-profits the answer?

BIPOC-led orgs, despite doing critical work, are systematically under-resourced. We need to move beyond awareness to action to fix the funding gap and support diverse leaders.

Adina Fudym shares 4 Concrete Ways to Tackle Social Finance Inequity.

🔗: tinyurl.com/5cx2jbvj

Food bank usage in Canada soars to all-time high | Future of Good Food bank usage has once again increased to historic highs across Canada, according to the latest data.

2.2 MILLION visits in March alone. Canada's food bank usage has doubled since 2019. The Food Banks Canada 2025 Hunger Count is a national wake-up call:
👉 1 in 5 food bank users are employed.
👉 Alberta saw a 21% spike.
👉 Toronto visits exceeded 1.4 million.

🔗 Full story: tinyurl.com/33ydn5ba

Budget 2025: Five asks to supercharge Canada’s social finance sector | Future of Good Before the Nov. 4 federal government's budget release, Canadians were invited to submit proposals and recommendations, including those related to Canada’s growing social finance sector, to enhance its...

Canada's #SocialFinance sector is ready to scale up, but needs #Budget2025 to deliver. The sector has 5 major asks for the federal government. These changes could mobilize private capital to build national resilience.
🔗: tinyurl.com/yr3b4nz6

The remote worker paradox: Why remote workers are thriving yet still thinking of quitting | Future of Good According to new data from Future of Good, remote non-profit workers are more likely to consider quitting than those in the office, even though they report their wellbeing as much stronger.

🤯 The Remote Work Paradox is Real! New data: Remote non-profit workers are happier but 2X more likely to quit. Why? Loneliness. It's not job satisfaction, it's connection. Experts share strategies for intentional culture.

🔗 Article: tinyurl.com/5xhxaep3
🔗 Report: futureofgood.co/changemaker-...