Policy Priorities

ONN works within four broad policy areas: our sector’s people (the paid and volunteer work force), our financing, our regulatory environment, and our data
Policy Priorities People | Data | Financing | Regulatory Environment

ONN Policy Priorities

ONN works within four broad policy areas: our sector’s people (the paid and volunteer work force), our finances, our regulatory environment, and our data

Our goal is to create a more enabling environment for a strong and resilient sector so that nonprofits can focus on supporting Ontario’s vibrant communities.

We apply various equity lenses in our public policy and advocacy work in an effort to highlight the differential impacts of our policy environment on communities that are often overlooked and underrepresented in policymaking. We particularly aim to centre and amplify the experiences of organizations and groups serving Black, Indigenous, and racialized communities, women and people who identify as 2SLGBTQI+, people with disabilities, newcomers, and low-income individuals and families. Applying an equity lens to our work also means paying attention to power imbalances that exist across the sector, such as between rural and urban areas, established organizations and grassroots groups, and settler organizations and B3, I4, and/or ethno-specific organizations.

Current policy priorities

ONN’s policy priorities are outlined in full detail and available here. Listed below are our main policy buckets and the priority areas we are focusing on for 2022-2023.

Our People

Our goal is a strong nonprofit workforce and a sector that models decent work employment practices. Through advocacy, workforce planning, and sector-wide collaboration, our paid workforce and volunteers will be well equipped for the future of work and reflective of the communities we serve, from front-line staff to senior management and boards of directors.

Policy priorities:
  • Decent Work
  • Volunteerism
  • Care economy
  • The future of work in the nonprofit sector

Our Financing

Our goal is to catalyze improvements in the Ontario nonprofit sector’s funding environment by advocating for the reform of the sector’s investment relationship with the government. The sector will play a critical role in local inclusive economic development, while diversifying its revenue sources with an enabling policy environment for community wealth building activities and one that allows nonprofits to seize expansion opportunities.

Policy priorities:
  • Community wealth building for a better economy 
  • Nonprofit real estate 
  • Funding reform

Our Regulatory Frameworks

Our goal is to ensure that the Ontario nonprofit sector’s regulatory frameworks support and empower the sector’s work. ONN monitors government initiatives and undertakes responsive policy advocacy when legislative and policy changes are proposed that affect the nonprofit sector, especially on issues related to our governing frameworks (like corporate legislation) and nonprofits’ advocacy.

Policy priorities:
  • Home in government
  • Emergency preparation, response and rebuilding 
  • Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) 
  • Shared platforms 

Our Data

Our goal is to ensure that the Ontario nonprofit sector’s data is ethically used and appropriately leveraged to support learning and data-driven decision-making. We advocate for nonprofits to be engaged in the development of new legislation and policies affecting data and privacy.

Policy priorities:
  • Privacy legislation 
  • Open data and administrative data-linking for effective programs and policy
  • Macro-level data about the nonprofit sector

Related resource:

Pages

Blogs

Publications

Publication
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Shared Platforms Toolkit

04/21/22

Events

Event
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Data Day for Nonprofits

June 10th 2022

Webinars

Podcasts

Digging in with ONN is a Decent Work podcast series.
Access all episodes
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