Calgary based the Nonprofit Chamber, which represents the non-profit sector in Alberta, is thankful for the announcements by the federal government towards tariff relief.

But that thanks comes with the caveat that more needs to be done to include non-profits in the conversation about what comes next for targeted relief measures beyond small and medium sized businesses.

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced sweeping measures on Sept. 5, to address the new reality of trade between the United States and Canada.

“We cannot control what other nations do. We can control what we give ourselves—what we build for ourselves. Canada is building the strongest economy in the G7, one that is less reliant on foreign powers and more resilient in the face of global shocks. In the face of uncertainty around the world, we are ensuring that our workers and businesses will prosper by building Canada’s strength at home,” said the Prime Minister in a statement on Friday.

The Prime Minister’s office said the goal was to build a new industrial strategy to transform the economy from reliance on specific trade partners to one that is more adaptable to global economic shocks.

Those efforts include a re-skilling package for workers, a $5 billion strategic response fund for firms, a new buy Canadian policy, expanded loans for small and medium sized enterprises (SME) through the Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC), and targeted regional supports for SMEs for up to $1 billion over three years.

For the Prairies, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada Eleanor Olszewski said that Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI), would help businesses be equipped to addressed the shifting global trade landscape.

“Prairie businesses have always punched above their weight in driving Canada’s productivity, and this initiative will help them expand into new markets while continuing to weather short-term challenges. Our new government is here to support that growth and build a stronger, more self-reliant Canadian economy for the long term,” she said.

What was missing from the announcement, said Angie Gelinas, CEO of the Nonprofit Chamber, was mention of how the some 170,000 non-profits across Canada, and 30,000 in Alberta will be supported.

She said that the only mention of non-profits was in RTRIs, and with the fine-print that said funding would be provided for non-profits that support businesses like Chambers of Commerce.

“They do not clearly include front-line nonprofits like food banks, housing providers,” said Gelinas.

Big problem, one step at a time, says Chamber

While this first round does not include those supports, she said that there was a hope that further conversations would continue with the federal government to have a seat at the table for discussions on how to support Canadians.

“This is a monumental problem, so it like, I’m glad that there’s real help for businesses, but the fact that nonprofits are very, barely visible, that that’s a real myth,” Gelinas said.

“We view the sector as indispensable. When economic volatility occurs, non-profits get hit doubly. We might pay more for essentials and then the demand for our services [increases]. We saw this happen in during Covid times, and during that period, non-profits were on the front line, but for the most part were not treated as core contributors to both economy and well being.”

She said that non-profits were able to apply for some of the supports, but that none of the supports were specifically designed for non-profits in mind.

Similarily, tariff response packages designed for SMEs could be indirectly beneficial to non-profits through a variety of avenues said Gelinas.

RTRI funding could be used to support non-profits that are helping businesses to manage trade disruptions, and BDC loans could be used to support non-profits that have social enterprise or earned-revenue arms.

Gelinas said that she understood that the government could not solve all things for all people, but that there were very real statistics that make the case for greater targeted federal government support.

After Covid, just four per cent of the relaunch grants went to non-profits, and seven per cent of the Job Now program hires went to non-profits.

At the same time that that the sector is seeing incredible pressures as evidenced like the use of food banks in Alberta which saw a 92 per cent increase in use post-Covid and had their highest ever demand in 2024.

Directed targeted response needed for non-profits

Gelinas said there was hope that the government would be able to support non-profits to address rising cost issues from tariffs that affect things like steel for building new affordable housing, or on vehicles used to make food bank deliveries, or even on the food needed to make thousands of brown bag lunches.

“We’re hoping to sit down to talk with government, to talk about that. We are preparing some briefings for the federal government asking them to include the nonprofit sector. We’ll likely be making a call to our nonprofits in the province to also add their voice to asking Ottawa to include and we want to do this in alignment with our national partners across the country,” she said.

That included a hope to sit down with Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, and provincial ministers in areas like Arts, Culture, and the Status of Women, which provides community enhancement grants.

As for the direct effect on local Calgary non-profits, Gelinas said that it was also important to keep in mind how fast the changes in tariffs have been occurring.

The U.S. placing tariffs on Canada just one month ago, followed by relief announcements throughout Aug. leading up to the one on Sept. 5, and now the response from the non-profit sector on what needs to be done next.

“We’re still talking with our nonprofits. They’re trying to figure out all of the impacts. You know, back in May, the food bank in Edmonton came out and said that they they had a food budget of $4 million for 2025. but they had adjusted to 6 million because of the at the time, the the imminent tariffs coming on,” said Gelinas.

“All of our nonprofit folks are trying to figure out, where does it hit, where it doesn’t and it’s not just tariffs. Costs are rising period, and goods that may not be tariff hit right now are a part of the of the trade agreement, or they’re outside the CUSMA tariff agreement.”