Research Projects

The Canadian Philanthropy Partnership Research Network (PhiLab) received funding from the SSHRC under the name “Evaluation of the role and actions of Canadian grantmaking foundations in response to social inequalities and environmental challenges.”

The PhiLab Network supports three types of research along 5 research axes:

  1. Canadian National Sectoral research conducted by partnership research teams, supported by PhiLab’s administrative team. Some research projects are led by the Indigenous Research Cluster. The supervisors of National-level research are the PhiLab-SSHRC co-directors: Peter R. Elson and Jean-Marc Fontan. These research projects cover, amongst other subjects: Responsible finance practices; portraits on grantmaking philanthropy; the social impacts of grantmaking philanthropic action; the environmental impacts of grantmaking philanthropic action; the philanthropy / First Nations connection through a postcolonial and decolonization perspective.
  2. Regional Research is conducted by partnership-oriented research teams, supported by their Regional Hub (4 Regional Hubs: Western, Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic). PhiLab also supports their affiiate international research units (4 international units: France, USA, Latin America, Africa). These research projects mostly focus on landscaping of regional and sectoral philanthropy.
  3. Theoretical Research focuses on comparative studies and analyses that help foster a systemic and theoretical understanding of philanthropy. Theoretical research is supported by PhiLab’s administrative team. Each project has a theoretical aim: Historical analysis, typologies, central concepts, systemic or comparative analyses.
  • All
  • Axis 1: Reflections on Philanthropic Theory
  • Axis 2 : Innovative philanthropic research methods
  • Axis 3 : Sectoral or regional portraits of philanthropy
  • Axis 4 : Philanthropy and Social Justice
  • Axis 5: Philanthropy and Environmental Justice