Delivering bold systems change by collaborating, mobilizing and funding

Welcome to The Catherine Donnelly Foundation

We're transforming the lives of those in underinvested communities by supporting innovative solutions in housing, civic engagement for social change and the environment.

 

At the heart of our work is the conviction that by working collectively we can eliminate homelessness and ensure decent affordable housing, restore our climate in a just and equitable fashion and help the marginalized and those experiencing poverty empower themselves through social action.

Our Focus

Mobilizing, engaging and advocating for effective housing solutions

We prioritize the prevention and elimination of homelessness as well as the provision of safe and affordable housing. We advocate a shift from an emergency-response model to a rights-based approach that removes systemic barriers preventing marginalized and low-income populations from accessing housing.

Two people working on a home construction project

Civic engagement for social change fosters active citizenship and personal and community popular education processes to strengthen democracy and promote a more inclusive, just and sustainable society.

We support projects that use adult education processes to assist marginalized people to collectively name the racism, poverty, violence or other forms of exclusion and oppression they experience.

A group of people working on tablets and computers, with one instructor speaking to them

Boldly building a just, green, and equitable economy

We seek to mobilize public opinion to build up “just” industries and livelihoods that generate green jobs as part of a low-carbon economy. These efforts should support well-being economies that eradicate poverty, distribute wealth equitably, and uphold human rights.

A woman gathering fruits/vegetables in a large greenhouse

Aligning our investments with our values to drive social and environmental progress

We engage with our capital and fully understanding its power is a matter of ethical integrity; there is an inherent contradiction in granting for a healthier environment and a more equitable and just society with funds from the proceeds of ‘dirty’ and unethical investments.

A woman adjusting a solar pannel

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