Charities across Canada remain hopeful that promised federal funding for COVID-19 relief will help them, because the government has recognized their “unique” qualities.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau provided more details Wednesday on a 75 per cent wage subsidy for businesses that show a minimum 30 per cent drop in revenue compared to the same month last year.

But Canadian charitable organizations and non-profit agencies seeking some of the $71 billion relief package worried that they might not qualify, despite tens of thousands of layoffs in the charitable sector during the pandemic. Industry leaders say they need $8 billion to $10 billion to remain viable.

Morneau didn’t lay out specific funding for the sector, but some direction from Ottawa is expected soon.

While organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada and YMCA say it’s too soon to know if the layoffs can be rolled back, they remain cautiously optimistic.

“Now we are hearing measures announced that explicitly include non-profits and charities and that’s a good thing,” said Owen Charters, CEO of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada, after Morneau’s announcement.

He added, however, that proving a 30 per cent decline will be a problem for some.

“Some charities work on a fee-for-service model — for instance, some clubs charge for child-care fees — but many others, especially clubs in high-need areas, rely on fundraising,” said Charters. “Fundraising will dry up later in the year because businesses and individuals who normally give will say no, due to COVID-19. So, the capacity to demonstrate a 30 per cent drop in revenue at this time, or next month or so, is probably not provable or knowable.”

Unlike small businesses, which were hit hard immediately, the effect on charities will be felt more down the road.

“I think that’s where we’re hoping that when the government says they recognize unique factors in the non-profit and charitable sector, it will take that into account,” Charters added.

His organization is one of many lobbying for federal funding, an effort led by Imagine Canada, which represents 170,000 non-profits and charities. Imagine Canada CEO and president Bruce MacDonald said the pandemic has hurt on several fronts. Many spring fundraisers are on hold, for example, and charities don’t typically have reserve funds to fall back on.

“Combine that with the inability of organizations to get bank loans — most don’t own buildings, don’t have big collateral assets, don’t have equity, etc. — while revenues are going to go down. There’s a cash issue coming for charities and non-profits. Organizations won’t have the ability to draw down on cash reserves for the next four to six months,” MacDonald said.

The sector expects to lose $9.5 billion and lay off 117,000 staff, he said, most of them women — 70 per cent of the 2.4 million workers are female.

“Ensuring there is support for our workers is important,” MacDonald said.

In recent weeks, YMCAs have had 20,000 layoffs across Canada. The Boys and Girls Clubs have laid off 6,000 of 7,000 staff. The Canadian Cancer Society laid off a third of its staff, 300 jobs.

Peter Dinsdale, CEO of YMCA Canada, said he was unsure how Ottawa would treat charities when it comes to funding: “We certainly understand we aren’t a hospital or a library, but we receive federal funding, so where is that line?”

Canadian Cancer Society CEO Andrea Seale says her organization is facing “the greatest threat in our 80-year history” and expects a decline in donations of $60 million to $100 million over the coming months. She called the wage subsidy plan a “step in the right direction.”

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“We are very supportive of the federal government’s efforts to help non-profits. Like all charities right now, we hope to see greater stabilization support for the sector to ensure that we can continue to support Canadians with cancer,” Seale said.

Charters said his organization hosts a variety of programs for young people — 60 per cent of them from ages 6 to 12, many in high-risk categories — including: after-school homework, sports, crime rehabilitation, addiction treatment, food supports, housing assistance and help for those in difficult domestic situations.