My Philanthropic Checklist

Join Toronto Foundation in redefining philanthropy in the urban context. Explore the collective and personal values that underpin effective and impactful charitable giving today. Embrace the importance of creating a philanthropic plan.

• Understand the nuances of power and privilege and help change the dynamic in philanthropy to be responsive not directive
• Uncover your values and philanthropic principles
• Learn about our commitment to Reconciliation
• Become an ally
  • find the issues you care about and research the organizations doing the work
  • access new media outside my usual sources
  • support advocacy
  • amplify the voices of others
  • support equity-driven businesses & social enterprises

Get grounded in the issues facing the sector, the needs, opportunities and stakeholders.

• Understand the fundamentals of inequity in our city and the role of philanthropy in addressing it
• Understand giving trends
• Learn about the chronically neglected issues that tend to be underfunded
• Learn about the leading organizations driving change

Learn about Toronto Foundation’s approach to granting and implement these in your own granting.

• Set goals aligned with your values and philanthropic guiding principles and focused on the issue areas(s) you care about
• Give with an equity lens by incorporating small- and medium- sized orgs
• Make unrestricted, multi-year grants based on trust
• Increase your impact by giving with others
• Earmark donations outside of your fund to support the grassroots organizations (groups without charitable status)
• Spend all your annual ATG remembering grants start at a minimum of $200

Get informed about the emerging approaches to impact that go beyond granting.

• Understand the responsible investing landscape to inform what types of impact you want to make
• Learn about Toronto Foundation’s growing commitment to impact and responsible investing and how you can partner with us to go “beyond granting”