This report presents a brief overview of the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund (IPRF): a multi-funder, Indigenous-led initiative established to support Indigenous communities across Canada as they respond to the current health crisis. In doing so, IPRF also contributes to the construction of an Indigenous philanthropic infrastructure in Canada.

The report is based on several conversations with key stakeholders in the process of establishing the IPRF. Two in-depth semi-structured interviews with individuals that started the initiative: Bruce Lawson, CEO of the Counselling Foundation of Canada; Victoria McKenzie Grant, Teme-Augama Anishnabai Kway (Woman of the Deep Water People) and Wanda Brascoupé, Kanien'keha, Skarù rę', Anishinabe, as representatives of the Indigenous Peoples Resilience Fund. Along with these conversations, the analysis also draws on conversations with Andrew Chunilall, CEO of Community Foundations Canada (the host partner of IPRF), and Jennifer Brennan, Head of Canada Programs at the Mastercard Foundation, which participated in initial funder consultations that preceded the establishment of the fund. Information on IPRF objectives, priorities, and future steps come from a draft version of the IPRF founding document, which was made available by the three key informants. The interviews were conducted in the first half of May 2020.