Some of Canada’s biggest charitable foundations gave away less money than the minimum required of them, in a year when the value of their investments grew almost $13 billion. An investigation by The Logic found that in 2019, seven per cent of charities, and one in five of the country’s largest foundations, failed to meet a minimum rate of charitable spending.

Thanks to an assortment of loopholes over how the minimum giving threshold is calculated by the Canada Revenue Agency, these charities are not necessarily breaking the law. But The Logic’s findings come as Canada debates whether to raise that minimum rate in consultations run by Finance Canada.

Reporter Claire Brownell joined The Logic’s deputy managing editor April Fong for a conversation about this investigative series.