Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) has submitted a 2026 Pre-Budget Submission to the Government of Canada, outlining key recommendations to strengthen community resilience, mobilize locally driven economic development, and ensure Canada’s charitable framework supports long-term community wellbeing.

Today, Canadian communities are navigating a period of economic and social uncertainty. Global instability, rising costs, labour and housing shortages, and shifting economic conditions are placing increasing pressure on families, local economies, and the organizations that support them. These challenges are being felt most acutely at the community level, where resilience is built—or strained—in real time. As a national network of more than 200 community foundations, reaching over 90% of Canadian communities, community foundations are uniquely positioned to deliver community-driven solutions that strengthen Canada’s social and economic fabric.

Recommendations

  • Establish a $250M CFC Community Partnerships Fund within the Build Communities Strong Fund to support economic resilience and distribute funding through community-driven decision-making processes towards local priorities from essential services to community infrastructure.
  • Invest $30M in Free to Play to strengthen child wellbeing, support families, and reinforce community social infrastructure.
  • Conduct a Disbursement Quota (DQ) review that is comprehensive, evidence-based and collaborative with the charitable and nonprofit sector, to assess impacts and inform future policy decisions.
  • Establish a Community Resilience Endowment Co-Investment Stream with community foundations within the Canada Strong Fund to build permanent local capital and generate sustained returns for community resilience.
Read the full submission

Related Advocacy Updates

This submission builds on CFC’s recent advocacy efforts and ongoing engagement with federal policy discussions:

Related Journal Entries

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