Democracy

In this era of rising polarization, misinformation and disinformation, we are beginning to partner with organizations that support Canada’s democratic institutions, foster social cohesion, and strive for an economy in which everyone can find opportunity.  

A resilient democracy with trusted institutions and fair representation is needed for all sectors, nonprofit and private alike, to thrive. It is also essential to our pursuits across our focus areas of Climate, Reconciliation and Communities.  

Our work in this area is exploratory, and applications are by invitation only. We will provide further updates on the development of this program in 2027. 

If you would like to share information with us about an initiative supporting Canada’s democracy, please contact us at communications@mcconnellfoundation.ca

• Think Tanks and Academic research   

While McConnell supports research, it needs to be part of a larger initiative, and the findings need to be relevant for key stakeholders to act. We do not support academic research. 

• Conferences and Event Sponsorship 

 While McConnell hosts convenings, and we may support partner engagement in events and conferences, we do not generally support conferences as a primary activity.  

• Voter turnout campaigns    

We are interested in projects that address barriers to participation in Canada’s democracy. However, we do not support projects for which increased voter turnout is the primary outcome.  

• International entities or organizations outside of Canada 

McConnell only supports the work of organizations based in Canada. As such we do not support international human rights and democracy projects and programs.  

• Partisan Political Activities 

McConnell does not support partisan activities under any circumstances.  

• Newspapers and magazines 

McConnell does not generally support projects for which journalism is a core activity.