What we fund
We fund work that strengthens the long-term resilience of democratic systems. Like an immune system, democracy requires sustained care, diverse actors, and the capacity to respond to new threats. We invest in non-partisan initiatives that contribute to durable systemic change.
Our approach to funding is rooted in a partnership mindset. We prioritize multi-year relationships and flexible support, directed toward the overall mission of organizations rather than individual projects.
Our funding is focused on strengthening democracy in Canada. While some initiatives may have international dimensions, their primary focus must be the functioning of Canadian democracy.
Our funding strategy is structured around four interconnected pillars:
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Pillar 1: Safeguard the Public Square
Objective: Ensure an inclusive, open and resilient public square for democratic debate and civic engagement.
A healthy democracy depends on everyone being able to exchange ideas and debate matters of common concern freely and meaningfully within the public square. We support initiatives that protect the integrity of the information environment and counter threats such as disinformation, hate and foreign interference. We also support efforts to safeguard the fundamental rights and freedoms that make an informed and inclusive democratic debate possible–including equality, freedom of expression, and freedom of association–and to protect those who exercise and defend them.
Examples:
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Countering intimidation, harassment, hate and disinformation
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Addressing foreign interference, transnational repression, and coordinated efforts to distort democratic debate
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Defending and advocating for press freedom
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Advancing pluralism narratives
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Protecting human rights defenders and other civic actors advancing fundamental rights and freedoms
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Pillar 2: Foster Diverse Participation
Objective: Expand free, informed and meaningful participation in public life, especially among under-represented communities.
Democracy is strongest when participation reflects the diversity of the communities it serves. We support initiatives that address systemic barriers to democratic participation and fosters greater equality in who participates, whose voices are heard and how public decisions are made.
We fund initiatives with the potential to contribute to systemic change, whether by replicating or disseminating successful approaches, by influencing institutional practices and public policy, or by reshaping the underlying cultural norms and relationships that sustain systemic challenges.
We typically do not fund initiatives seeking to influence democratic participation within a single community or local context or through responding to a given community’s material needs.
Examples:
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Development of inclusive democratic engagement and leadership pathways
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Supporting innovative deliberation and decision processes
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Amplifying the voices and civic participation of communities targeted by hate, stigmatization, or repression
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Pillar 3: Hold Power to Account
Objective: Ensure that public power and political and economic influence are subject to effective accountability and clear, enforceable legal safeguards.
Democracy requires that public power be exercised transparently, lawfully and in the public interest. We support efforts to strengthen the institutions, legal safeguards and oversight mechanisms that ensure governments and other powerful actors can be scrutinized and challenged.
Our focus is on accountability initiatives where strengthening democratic governance, political equality or the integrity of public decision-making is the primary intended outcome. We generally do not fund accountability efforts that use democratic accountability primarily to advance other substantive policy objectives such as criminal justice reform or sector-specific policy change.
Examples:
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Supporting investigative, watchdog, and accountability initiatives
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Advancing transparency, access to information, and oversight mechanisms
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Supporting strategic litigation, legal advocacy, or policy reform efforts
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Pillar 4: Shape the Democracy of Tomorrow
Objective: Support experimentation and long-term thinking to renew democratic institutions and practices, notably in ways that advance reconciliation.
Democratic systems must continually adapt to new challenges and changing expectations. We support experimentation, research and creative approaches that generate new ideas and models to strengthen and renew democracy over the long term, with a particular interest for initiatives around reconciliation.
Examples:
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Realizing artistic initiatives that expand democratic imagination
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Developing and testing concrete democratic alternatives
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Experimenting with citizens’ assemblies and other participatory formats to explore new forms of collective decision-making
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Supporting Indigenous-led approaches to governance and reconciliation
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Is your work a good fit?
We support work that seeks to strengthen democracy itself. While this may intersect with many policy areas, we generally do not fund initiatives whose primary purpose is to reform or influence specific areas such as the justice system, health care, migration, housing, education, environmental policy or poverty reduction.
However, the Euphrosine Foundation is part of the Trottier Constellation, a constellation of organizations within the same family with complementary areas of focus. If your organization's primary mission is focused on science, climate, the justice or carceral systems, or new economic models, we encourage you to explore the other foundations in the constellation, as one of them may be a better fit for your work.