COMING TOGETHER: A NOTE FROM ANDREA DICKS
At Community Foundations of Canada, we are relentlessly pursuing a future where everyone belongs. This purpose is our north star; we know that belonging starts with us. We centre belonging in all that we do while responding and adapting to the changing needs of community foundations and communities. Tracking and measuring belonging is complex. We are keen to monitor and understand our own activities, and we also believe it is important to consider how the broader landscape within which we work is evolving. Initiatives like this survey and report help inform or challenge key assumptions and generate insights that instruct continuous improvement and adaptation. The world around us has changed rapidly—and it continues to do so. As communities emerge from the pandemic and face significant social, economic and environmental shifts, philanthropy is at a watershed moment—one of opportunity and urgency. This data shows that the pandemic dealt a difficult blow
to belonging. It also makes clear that regardless of where you are in Canada, people have more in common than they think. Communities, as defined using a geographic description, often face similar challenges. Communities all see the impact of broken connections with friends and family. Communities all face the strains of financial insecurity and discrimination. It’s our opportunity and responsibility to take this data and use it to guide our efforts and activities. At CFC, and within our network of over 200 community foundations, we know that when people feel like they belong, they are healthier, happier and more engaged. And when people belong, communities flourish.
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