Why should you care about the federal budget?​

We are now deep into government budget season in Canada. All provincial budgets have been tabled in recent months. The federal budget tabling is anticipated for April 16th , 2024. Why should your organization care about the federal budget? And how can you maximize your impact and engagement? Read on to learn more!

For many political nerds and policy wonks, the federal budget is the highlight of the annual political calendar. And for many Canadians, it may be the one event on the political calendar that they pay any attention to, particularly because there are often several announcements that can impact personal finances. For the Government, the budget represents a welcome opportunity to lay out a clear and compelling narrative with a collection of funding announcements and other policy pronouncements. This can be a welcome opportunity to create positive buzz, or to re-set their public agenda and shift public attention towards their achievements. The budget speech is a communication moment.

If you are a social impact organization, charity, or non-profit, why should you care about the federal budget?

1) It’s an easy way to try out some advocacy. 

The government actively encourages organizations to submit policy recommendations in advance of the budget. The Finance Committee even provides a template. If you craft a strong submission, you can post it in your website, share it with supporters, and use it as the basis for a response to the budget. Imagine Canada has a fantastic toolkit available here.

2) It can contain important insights both on what the government says it isprioritizing and also on what its spending shows it is actually prioritizing—not always the same thing!

3) It can create new opportunities for advocacy by allowing you to identify issues that are of interest to Canadians as well as identify potential allies and collaborators.

4) It can contain clues about upcoming funding opportunities and programs. If you hear something of interest in the budget, this can give you a great opening to follow up with the government to seek further details.

Many public affairs firms in Canada publish excellent free newsletters and free budget analyses. Imagine Canada and Cooperation Canada will also publish responses. There are lots of great sources of information and analysis available.

Imagine Canada has also created a helpful infographic that guides you through the federal budget cycle: