Atkinson’s Chief Executive Officer, Colette Murphy, participated in a gathering of environmental funders in the Yukon from  May 13th to 15th, 2025 followed by a second convening in B.C. by Philanthropic Foundations Canada. What follows are some of her observations .

In May, I attended the annual conference for Environment Funders Canada in Whitehorse to learn and think aloud with other funders about cross-movement power building. I had the chance to hear others reflect on the future of environmental philanthropy, and to help make the connections between environmental sustainability and equity. There is much work to be done to show how household economies are connected to climate change and other environmental concerns. Naomi Klein issued a clear call to action in her keynote that aligns with our vision and informs the way forward.

Naomi was unequivocal in her view that a Green New Deal could not be achieved without addressing poverty, justice and decent work. She centered the people who feel most “strapped and insecure” and are most affected by continuous economic shock waves. She called on governments and civil society actors to advance policies that lower the costs of living and impact on the environment, e.g. heat pumps for all tied to tenant rights, rent control and free public transit. We need a vision for a good life that is about more than turning nature into money, she said.

“How do we bring tenants into the climate movement? How do we bring in migrant workers? We have been coalescing around a ‘right to cool’—labour, housing, climate, workers, tenants have been getting to ‘yes’ and not just figuring out what we are all against.” Naomi’s take with Astra Taylor on “end times fascism” is a must-read if you haven’t had the chance yet.

After the conference, I traveled south to Whistler for an annual retreat for chief executive officers organized by the Philanthropic Foundations Canada. The conversation was not dissimilar to the one we had at our Board retreat in March: concern about inequality and polarization, austerity, threats to democracy and equity, and philanthropy’s role in restoring social solidarity. 

Pooling funds as a strategy for cross-sector engagement has become a popular option for foundations looking for conventional scale and impact. To date, the opportunities we’ve had to pool funds with others have not aligned with our organizational strategy. Specifically, they have not incorporated a power analysis or demonstrated an appreciation for the role of grassroots movements in our cultural, economic, and political context. As part of our renewed strategy, we see more potential for this type of funder collaboration.

I left the meeting encouraged by the start of a conversation with four foundations concerned with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The use of the notwithstanding clause by provinces, and the erosion of civil liberties related to protest in the GTA, are two issues that we’ll be monitoring going forward in collaboration with these funders.