Funding (In)security and Challenges: Non-Profit Literacy Programming and Neoliberal Contradictions in Canada

Abstract

Increasingly, the non-profit sector is expected to provide services for which the state previously took responsibility, and plays a vital role in providing key supports, such as those related to literacy and building social capital. In a jurisdiction of Ontario, Canada, local funding for literacy programs ceased without warning. In this qualitative study, stakeholders consisting of program users ( n = 72), staff ( n = 11), and program leads ( n = 8) shared their experiences regarding the goals, activities, impacts, and needs of the programs through interviews and focus groups. Findings illuminate both challenges and recommendations for future implementation in three themes: (1) Identifying and reconciling funding gaps and restrictions; (2) requiring supports for human resources; and (3) communicating, cooperating, and collaborating to survive. The challenges faced by financially strapped, non-profit entities highlight a fundamental contradiction within neoliberal ideology: Neoliberal-induced funding scarcity within the non-profit sector can undermine the capacity of community organizations to promote neoliberal ideals related to self-reliance and resilience.