{"id":403278,"date":"2026-01-23T14:23:50","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T19:23:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/yfile\/?p=403278"},"modified":"2026-01-25T12:55:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-25T17:55:16","slug":"canadian-non-profits-face-barriers-to-advancing-equity-york-u-study-shows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.yorku.ca\/yfile\/2026\/01\/23\/canadian-non-profits-face-barriers-to-advancing-equity-york-u-study-shows\/","title":{"rendered":"Canadian non-profits face barriers to advancing equity, 快播视频 study shows"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Despite widespread commitments to equity and intersectionality, many Canadian non-profits face barriers to translating these frameworks into everyday practice, according to new research from 快播视频.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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The study led by Ashlee Christoffersen<\/strong>, a postdoctoral researcher hosted by the Department of Politics in the Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies<\/a>, aims to fill gaps in understanding how equity-seeking non-profit organizations in Canada apply inclusive frameworks.<\/p>\n\n\n

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Ashlee Christoffersen<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

\u201cMany Canadian non-profits have made commitments to furthering racial and Indigenous justice and intersectionality in recent years, but how this translates to practice has, until now, been largely unexplored,\u201d says Christoffersen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advancing Equity in the Nonprofit Sector, Funding and Policymaking<\/a> focuses on organizations and practitioners working with communities that face overlapping forms of marginalization \u2013 including racial justice, Indigenous women and gender-diverse advocacy, disability justice, migrant and refugee rights and 2SLGBTQIA+ equality. It examines how these groups, across sectors, apply frameworks such as intersectionality, Indigenization, antiracism, decolonization and harm reduction \u2013 both in daily operations and in external advocacy, coalition-building and relationships with funders and governments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Christoffersen sought first-hand expertise from non-profit leaders to ensure the findings reflect real-world challenges, actionable knowledge and solutions. Between 2023 and 2025, she analyzed organizational publications and parliamentary or committee records, observed public events, held interviews with 15 practitioners from 12 organizations and hosted two collaborative workshops where participants \u2013 all recognized leaders in equity-focused work \u2013 reviewed preliminary findings and helped co-develop recommendations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The research shows that while 2020 sparked renewed attention to equity in some organizations, many changes were short-lived or largely performative. Lack of diversity remained widespread, particularly in leadership and decision-making roles. The findings also reveal that internal practices often lag behind in advocacy efforts and equity work frequently falls disproportionately on staff from marginalized communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short-term or inflexible funding cycles, siloed streams and limited support for capacity-building make it difficult for organizations \u2013 especially smaller or intersectional ones \u2013 to sustain meaningful equity initiatives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing directly from experiences of non-profit leaders, Christoffersen makes recommendations for making equity work more effective, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n