The List of advocacy groups in Canada includes groups engaged in advocating for a common political, economic, or social interest.
According to the government of Canada, social advocacy groups "comprises establishments primarily engaged in promoting a particular social or political cause intended to benefit a broad or specific constituency". Some advocacy organizations "solicit contributions or sell memberships to support their activities". [1]
The government of Canada subdivides advocacy groups into "accident prevention associations, advocacy groups, animal rights organizations, antipoverty advocacy organizations, associations for retired persons, advocacy civil liberties groups, community action advocacy groups, conservation advocacy groups, drug abuse prevention advocacy organizations, environmental advocacy groups, humane society (advocacy group), natural resource prevention organizations, neighborhood development advocacy groups, peace advocacy groups, public interest groups (e.g., environment conservation, human rights, wildlife), social Service advocacy organizations, taxpayers advocacy organizations, and tenant advocacy associations". [1] Advocacy groups are further divided into micro (1-4), small (5-99), medium (100-499) and large (500+). [1]
In Bill C-86, Budget Implementation Act, 2018, the government adopted recommendations of the Report of the Consultation Panel on the Political Activities of Charities, which affirmed that charitable organizations can engage in public policy dialogue and development activities (PPDDA or P2D2A) that support their charitable purposes. [2] [3] As a result, the Income Tax Act (ITA) was revised to change the "long-standing requirement that charities must be constituted and operated exclusively for charitable purposes". The changes to the ITA now allow charitable organizations to engage in advocacy in support of its stated charitable purpose(s) but they are not allowed to engage in advocacy for a "political purpose". [2]
Advocacy is an activity by an individual or group that aims to influence decisions within political, economic, and social institutions. Advocacy includes activities and publications to influence public policy, laws and budgets by using facts, their relationships, the media, and messaging to educate government officials and the public. Advocacy can include many activities that a person or organization undertakes, including media campaigns, public speaking, commissioning and publishing research. Lobbying is a form of advocacy where a direct approach is made to legislators on a specific issue or specific piece of legislation. Research has started to address how advocacy groups in the United States and Canada are using social media to facilitate civic engagement and collective action.
REAL Women of Canada is a socially conservative advocacy group in Canada. The organization was founded in 1983.
Egale Canada is a Canadian charity founded in 1986 by Les McAfee to advance equality for Canadian lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) people and their families, across Canada.
The American Center for Law & Justice (ACLJ) is a politically conservative, Christian-based legal organization in the United States. It is headquartered in Washington, D.C., and associated with Regent University School of Law in Virginia Beach, Virginia.
The Traditional Values Coalition (TVC) was an American conservative Christian organization. It was founded in 1980 at Anaheim California by Rev. Louis P. Sheldon to oppose LGBT rights. Sheldon's daughter, Andrea Sheldon Lafferty, was initially the executive director and presently serves as president. TVC was influential in the 1980s and 1990s in lobbying for government policy based in Christian fundamentalism.
"Gay agenda" or "homosexual agenda" is a pejorative term used by sectors of the Christian religious right as a disparaging way to describe the advocacy of cultural acceptance and normalization of non-heterosexual sexual orientations and relationships. The term originated among social conservatives in the United States and has been adopted in nations with active anti-LGBT movements such as Hungary and Uganda.
The Campaign Life Coalition is a Canadian political lobbyist organization founded in 1978. Based in Hamilton, Ontario, the organization advocates for socially conservative values. Campaign Life Coalition opposes abortion, euthanasia, embryonic stem cell research, in vitro fertilization, same-sex marriage, and transgender rights legislation.
Pierre Lemieux is a politician in Ontario, Canada. He served as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Glengarry-Prescott-Russell from 2006 to 2015, first elected in Canada's 39th general election and defeated in the 42nd. He represented the Conservative Party of Canada. While in office he served as deputy government whip as well as parliamentary secretary to the Ministers of Official Languages, Agriculture, and Veterans Affairs. He was a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative Party of Canada in 2017.
William Gary Whatcott, known as Bill Whatcott, is a Canadian social conservative activist who campaigns against homosexuality and abortion. The dramatic nature of his activities have attracted attention from the media, including an appearance on The Daily Show. He has also run for political office in Toronto, Saskatchewan and Edmonton.
Family First New Zealand is a conservative Christian lobby group in New Zealand. It was founded in March 2006 by former Radio Rhema talkback radio host and South Auckland social-worker Bob McCoskrie who continues to be its National Director. Its 2006 stated objectives were to "seek to influence public policy affecting the rights and protection of families and promote a culture that values the family". In 2009 Victoria University religious studies professor Paul Morris said Family First was "successfully broadening the Christian agenda in New Zealand politics in a way never seen before". In 2020 Family First was described as "New Zealand's most formidable conservative campaigners". Family First was established by a trust deed under the Charitable Trusts Act 1957 in 2006, was registered as a charity in 2007 and deregistered in 2022.
American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit international development and human rights organization that supports community-based organizations in 19 countries in the developing world and works to educate the American Jewish community about global justice. It is the first and only Jewish organization dedicated solely to ending poverty and promoting human rights in the developing world. Its headquarters are in New York City. AJWS has received a Four Star rating from Charity Navigator since 2002.
The Center for Family and Human Rights (C-Fam) is a right-wing United States–based advocacy group, founded in 1997, in order to affect policy debate at the United Nations and other international institutions. It was formerly known as the Catholic Family and Human Rights Institute. The 501(c)(3) organization is anti-abortion and anti-LGBT.
Advocacy groups, also known as lobby groups, interest groups, special interest groups, pressure groups, or public associations, use various forms of advocacy or lobbying to influence public opinion and ultimately public policy. They play an important role in the development of political and social systems.
The Civil Rights Agenda (TCRA) is a civil rights advocacy organization founded in June 2010 by Jacob Meister, with a stated mission "to maintain and increase individual rights for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) citizens in Illinois through inter-generational volunteerism and community-driven project-based education, statewide coalition and network building, and leadership in supporting underserved communities with the necessary tools that will equip members of those communities with the resources and confidence to establish equality for all persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity."
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