Behind the benevolent veneer: Exploring experiences of invisibilized racial discrimination in Ontario charities and philanthropic foundations


Sanaa Ali-Mohammed, Toronto Metropolitan University

Contrary to prevailing knowledge about the public value of Canadian charities and philanthropic foundations, theoretical work suggests racialized employees of these organizations often face white-dominant and masculine practices which shape their employment experiences (Heckler, 2019; Nickels and Leach, 2021). Yet charities and philanthropic foundations also offer numerous programs directed at racialized communities, and disproportionately employ racialized and women employees (Saifer, 2023; Jensen, 2022). While some of the inequalities that employees experience in Canadian charities have been studied qualitatively, these accounts do not explore racialization or racial discrimination (Baines et al., 2014; 2017; Cunningham et al., 2017). Yet anecdotal data shows the phenomenon is widespread within these organizations (Gokool, 2020; Bahubeshi, 2021). Given the impact racial discrimination can have on the efficacy of organizations and their programs, this paper asks whether employees of Ontario charities and philanthropic foundations experience racial discrimination within these organizations, and if so, how this discrimination appears. This research interrogates how organizations reinforce social relations of inequality, by bringing to the fore the knowledges of historically subjugated social groups (Zanetti, 1997; Diem et al., 2014). As a framework which prioritizes racialized people’s knowledges and exposes the ostensibly “race neutral” policies and practices that subordinate them, this paper will use critical race theory (CRT) to interrogate social relations within these organizations (Bonilla-Silva, 2022; Riccucci, 2022; Omi and Winant, 2014). Following Sandberg et al. (2020) and Saifer (2019), this will involve case studies of select organizations. Because discourse is a function of power, and shapes social relations (Foucault, 1984; van Dijk 1993), like Smith-Carrier (2020), and Trimble (2021), this paper will further utilize critical discourse analysis (CDA) to explore social processes that racialize and organize groups of employees within organizations hierarchically. To consider these processes, this research will draw on internal and external reports about selected organizations. These may include job descriptions, equity reports, strategic plans, and mission statements, as well as newspapers, legal cases, and other sector-specific sources. The paper hypothesizes that racial discrimination within charities and philanthropic foundations operates in invisible ways, giving the appearance of colour-blindness and neutrality. It also argues that racialized leaders within these organizations may facilitate and promote the racialization of less powerful employees. This research has implications for practitioners within charities and philanthropy seeking to foster racially inclusive workplaces. This is especially important when the racialized component of the Canadian labour force is projected to grow (Statistics Canada, 2022) and there is a growing chorus of voices advocating for “decent work” across the nonprofit sector (Ontario Nonprofit Network, n.d). The paper makes contributions to the fields of race and ethnic studies, policy studies, public administration, management, and nonprofit studies.  

This paper will be presented at the following session: