The Slaight Family Foundation is donating $13 million over two years to 13 Canadian humanitarian organizations to help fill urgent gaps in global aid caused by major funding reductions from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

The fallout has been immediate and devastating: child protection services have been shuttered, recruitment of children by armed groups is on the rise and food and health aid has been severely reduced.

According to UNICEF, USAID supplied 90 per cent of all ready-to-use therapeutic food, a critical tool in saving children’s lives from malnutrition, that was distributed for treatment in Ethiopia in 2024. Save the Children has seen a 25 per cent decline in global funding, threatening access to clean water, reproductive health care, education and gender-based violence prevention.

“Several Canadian organizations are delivering lifesaving international aid in crisis zones like Bangladesh, Yemen and South Sudan, and they need support now more than ever,” said Gary Slaight, President and CEO of The Slaight Family Foundation. “We hope this funding will help sustain access to health care, food, education and protection for the world’s most vulnerable.”

All 13 recipient organizations are Canadian-led or Canadian-supported, reinforcing Canada’s leadership in global humanitarian response and international cooperation.

“These cuts are happening at a time when global needs have never been greater,” said Dr. Samantha Nutt, Founder and President of War Child Canada. “Without swift action, we risk losing an entire generation to violence, displacement and preventable suffering. This support from The Slaight Family Foundation is a powerful reminder that Canadian philanthropy can lead where others have stepped back.”

The Slaight Family Foundation’s NGO Initiative Recipients:

• Canadian Red Cross $1,000,000
• Crossroads International $1,000,000
• The Dallaire Institute for Children, Peace and Security $1,000,000
• Human Rights Watch Canada $1,000,000
• Kinvia previously known as Canadian Feed The Children $1,000,000
• Partners In Health Canada $1,000,000
• Right To Play $1,000,000
• Save the Children Canada $1,000,000
• Stephen Lewis Foundation $1,000,000
• UNHCR Canada $1,000,000
• UNICEF Canada $1,000,000
• War Child Canada $1,000,000
• World Vision Canada $1,000,000 

Join the conversation and help amplify this important initiative on social media using #SlaightInitiative and #SupportCanadianNGOs.

The Slaight Family Foundation was established in 2008 by John Allan Slaight. Allan Slaight (1931-2021), known as Canada’s broadcast pioneer, was a leader in the music industry and a prominent Canadian philanthropist. The Foundation proactively supports charitable initiatives in the areas of healthcare, at-risk youth, international development, social services and culture. Allan’s son, Gary Slaight, oversees the foundation as President & CEO. Including this gift, the Foundation has committed over $293M to 14 unique strategic initiatives since its inception.