Prosper Canada hosts landmark convening of 97 organizations working to build the financial well-being of 1 million Canadians

TORONTO, Oct. 27, 2026 /CNW/ -- As Canadians continue to struggle with mounting affordability challenges, 97 community financial help providers, funded through Prosper Canada's Resilient Futures program, are meeting in Ottawa to share insights and expertise with each other and with federal policy makers, and assess progress against their shared goal of building the financial wellbeing of 1 million Canadians and connecting them to $2 billion in new income.

Too many Canadians with low and modest incomes struggle to find trustworthy, affordable, and appropriate financial help when they need it and many are missing out on urgently needed income due to barriers preventing them from tax filing and accessing benefit programs. (Approximately one in five people with low incomes does not file a tax return and an estimated $2 billion in benefits goes unclaimed each year.)

Through Resilient Futures, Prosper Canada and community partners across the country are working to change this.

Resilient Futures is a four-year, national initiative designed to enable one million people across Canada to access free, high quality, financial help services and connect them to an additional $2 billion in income benefits and tax credits they are eligible for. Led by Prosper Canada and supported by a $60 million investment from the Government of Canada's Social Development Partnerships Program – Children and Families, Resilient Futures enables 97 community organizations across Canada to provide year-round tax filing, benefit assistance, and financial education, financial coaching, and financial counselling services tailored for people with low and moderate incomes.

Through these services, Resilient Futures is helping to build greater financial stability, security and well-being in communities across Canada.

"Resilient Futures is helping Canadians get ahead by increasing access to benefits and reducing financial stress for vulnerable individuals and families. I thank everyone involved in this important work as we continue our shared efforts to build a more inclusive and resilient Canada," said Leslie Church, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour, for Seniors, and for Children and Youth, and to the Minister of Jobs and Families (Persons with Disabilities).

"Financial well-being is about more than managing money," said Elizabeth Mulholland, CEO, Prosper Canada. "It is about ensuring people have access to the income, financial help, and opportunities they need to live with stability, dignity, and possibility. Resilient Futures and the 97 community partners we work with are the infrastructure and network that make this possible."

From October 26-28, Resilient Futures partners will gather in Ottawa to share learning from the first year of the initiative, strengthen frontline practice, and explore how community insights can help shape stronger policies and systems that remove barriers and build financial well-being for struggling Canadians.

"Community organizations are often the first place vulnerable people turn when they are trying to navigate financial challenges," said Mulholland. "Their expertise is essential to designing services, policies, and systems that work for people with low and modest incomes, as well as those with more resources."

Discussions will focus on the renewal of Canada's National Financial Literacy Strategy, tax filing and access to benefits, financial empowerment for people with disabilities and disability-focused service delivery, early learning and impact from the Resilient Futures network, and the work needed to sustain, develop, and expand the national network. The gathering will also enable frontline organizations to share what they are seeing in their communities and identify practical ways to strengthen financial empowerment services across Canada.

In addition to community partners, the gathering will include participation from:

• Elected federal leaders – Wayne Long, Secretary of State for the Canada Revenue Agency and Financial Institutions, and Leslie Church, Parliamentary Secretary to the Secretaries of State for Labour, for Seniors, and for Children and Youth;

• Federal government departments and agencies –  The Canada Revenue Agency, Employment and Social Development Canada, and the Financial Consumer Agency of Canada; and

• Sponsoring partners – Coast Capital Savings Federal Credit Union and the Maple Leaf Centre for Food Security.

About Prosper Canada

Prosper Canada is a national charity driving bold change that enables more people to prosper. With government, business, and community partners across Canada, we are expanding life-changing financial empowerment services, innovating for greater inclusion and impact, and removing barriers to financial well-being for people with low and modest incomes. Our goal is a Canada where everyone has the opportunity and support to achieve financial well-being and live with dignity, stability, and possibility.  

Media contact: Wendy Abbott-Serroul, Director, Marketing and Communications, Prosper Canada, wabbottserroul@prospercanada.org, 416-993-6409