Civil Discourse
Creating the conditions for an engaged, informed, and active citizenry
Civil Discourse
Creating the conditions for an engaged, informed, and active citizenry
Overview
A functioning democracy depends on capable elected officials, empowered public servants, quality journalism, and well-informed public discussion. These are the conditions that allow citizens to engage across difference, find common ground, and make progress on the things that matter.
Metcalf’s Civil Discourse program invests in strengthening these conditions. We believe that our ability to tackle hard problems depends on our collective capacity to engage thoughtfully and constructively, regardless of political or partisan differences.
We work with organizations committed to tolerance, dialogue, and non-partisan approaches — and we collaborate with other funders who share the conviction that this work is too important for any one foundation to tackle alone.
Focus
We will concentrate our efforts in four key areas to strengthen the capacity and conditions for improved civil discourse in Canada.
Local Journalism
Supporting high-quality, local journalism that builds a common base of knowledge and helps citizens understand their communities and the issues that shape them.
State Capacity
Investing in research and initiatives that strengthen the capacity of public institutions to deliver the public good and build citizens' confidence in them.
Democratic Practice and Spaces
Funding experiments and institutions that bring diverse groups of people together in person, nurturing the connections and spaces that democracy depends on.
Civic Education
Supporting efforts to deepen public understanding of civic institutions and increase participation in democracy, with a particular focus on young people.
Approach
We advance this work through a mix of complementary approaches.
- Start small, invest early, and learn as we grow
- Partner with diverse funders and institutions to demonstrate pluralism
- Support grantees to learn from and collaborate with each other
- Produce timely research to inform our grants and develop the field
- Use our voice and platform to advance civil discourse
- Build a growing ecosystem of organizations committed to this work
Spotlight
We are proud to support leaders across the country. These are some of the many organizations and initiatives that we fund.
Funding
For 2026, funding will be available on an invitation-only basis. Periodically, we may post request proposals with a public deadline.
We fund organizations based in Canada that are committed to non-partisan, constructive, healthy engagement. While we may support partner participation in events and conferences that support coalition and capacity building, we do not generally fund conferences as a primary activity.