At Toronto Foundation, we believe philanthropy has an important role to play in supporting reconciliation and strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities. As part of this responsibility, we have launched the Tkaronto Indigenous Peoples Fund, a new fund designed to support Indigenous self-determination and shift decision-making power. Toronto Foundation has committed annual contributions to the fund through 2036, with all capital and funding decisions held by Toronto Aboriginal Support Services Council (TASSC) members. TASSC has the autonomy to use the community-basket approach(opens in new tab) to grant out the fund or grow the initial capital to best meet the unique needs of Indigenous communities in the longer term. We’re building on our efforts to empower communities, acknowledging that they know best what they need.
TASSC is a coalition of Indigenous organizations that works to improve the social, economic and cultural wellbeing of Indigenous people in Toronto. Their work is grounded in addressing the social determinants of health and supporting a culturally, socially and economically strong Indigenous community, and includes organizations that have traditionally faced barriers to accessing funding. You can view their members list here(opens in new tab).
Toronto Foundation has been working with and learning from TASSC and its member organizations for over a decade, with a shared goal of advancing greater Indigenous self-determination in funding decisions. TASSC and its member organizations have been using a community basket model since 2020 to distribute self-determined funding to Indigenous-led, Indigenous-serving organizations. This allows the money to flow directly to where the need and impact is greatest, as determined by the community itself rather than the priorities of others. As part of our collaboration, we published a Good to Give Guide focused on Indigenous organizations in 2025.
How You Can Contribute
We invite our fundholders and community members to learn more about Indigenous-led organizations in Toronto and consider supporting the Tkaronto Indigenous Peoples Fund. Every contribution helps strengthen a funding model that places resources and decision-making authority where they belong: with Indigenous communities themselves.
"Reconciliation requires listening, building relationships and supporting Indigenous communities in ways that respect their knowledge, leadership and priorities,” says Nicola Hives, VP Strategy and Impact, Toronto Foundation. “The Tkaronto Indigenous Peoples Fund reflects that approach by entrusting decisions to Indigenous leaders and committing long-term resources to community-defined goals. We are grateful to learn alongside TASSC and their member organizations as we continue this journey."
