Advocating for Change in the 2025 Provincial Election
🗳️ Advocating for Change in the 2025 Ontario Provincial Election
Date: February 19, 2025
Presented by: Social Planning Toronto (SPT) & Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN)
Source: socialplanningtoronto.org
🔍 Why Advocacy Matters
Advocacy is powerful. It:
- Helps change public policy
- Supports the mission of organizations
- Empowers communities
- Affects everyone—because public policy affects us all
And during an election? Advocacy gets amplified. It draws public attention, fills data gaps, and allows organizations to connect with candidates and voters alike.
🌍 Current Political Landscape
The 2025 Ontario election is shaped by:
- A winter election season
- Widespread misinformation and disinformation
- A general lack of public trust and hope
🧠Types of Advocacy to Consider
| Direction | Scale | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Upstream | Individual & Collective | Focus on ideas and solutions to create positive change |
| Downstream | Individual & Collective | Responding to government actions and adjusting course |
đź“ś Election Finances Act: What You Need to Know
If your organization spends more than $500 on political advertising during the election period (Jan 29–Feb 27, 2025), you must:
- Register as a third party
- Report expenses
- Follow donor contribution rules
âś… To avoid registration:
- Use exempt formats (e.g. editorial, speeches, interviews)
- Spend under $500
- Stick to member communication and public education without endorsing candidates
Nonprofits can advocate. Charities must stay nonpartisan.
⚠️ What Not to Say (Partisan Examples)
- “We endorse Candidate X”
- “Vote Party Y Out”
- “Help us elect Z Party to implement our plan”
âś… Nonpartisan Advocacy Ideas
- Invite all candidates to your events
- Organize local town halls
- Share stories through media
- Run awareness campaigns on key issues
- Promote voting—especially to marginalized communities
Nonpartisan ≠Silent. You can participate fully—just fairly.
🎯 Setting Advocacy Goals the SMART Way
Specific | Measurable | Achievable | Realistic | Time-bound
| Goal | Measurement Example |
|---|---|
| Influence party platforms | # of priorities adopted |
| Raise issue awareness | # of info products or views |
| Amplify community voices | Frequency of shared stories |
| Build candidate relationships | # of candidates contacted/met |
📢 ONN’s Election Priorities for 2025
- Create a home in government for the nonprofit sector
- Launch a Nonprofit Housing Acquisition Fund
- Strengthen nonprofit/public care systems and protect them from privatization
🔄 After the Election: What Next?
- Send congratulations to elected officials
- Keep building relationships
- Track new government policy (e.g. Throne speech, mandate letters)
- Join public consultations
Advocacy continues long after voting ends.
🧱 Barriers to Advocacy—and How to Overcome Them
| Barrier | Tip |
|---|---|
| Lack of time | Repurpose existing work (e.g., newsletter content) |
| Lack of money | Use free channels—email, social media |
| Fear of reprisal | Advocate as a sector—strength in numbers |
| Fear of rules | Educate your team and reach out to ONN for help |