Peter R. Elson

Professional Information & Research Interests

Professional Information

Peter Elson has a PhD in Adult Education and Community Development (University of Toronto); following the completion of his MSc in Voluntary Sector Organization (London School of Economics and Political Science). In 2019 he completed a graduate certificate in Indigenous Nationhood at the University of Victoria. Before going to LSE in 2001, he spent the previous fifteen years as a nonprofit executive director and local community organizer.

Peter is co-director of a six-year SSHRC Partnership Grant (2018-2024), PhiLab, based at UQAM in Montreal. PhiLab is focused on exploring the impact of grant making foundations on environmental issues and social inequities as well as an on-going exploration of the nature of philanthropic foundations in Canada.

Peter is the author of High Ideals and Noble Intentions: Voluntary sector-government relations in Canada, and is the editor of three additional books, including Funding Policies and the Nonprofit Sector in Western Canada, and Philanthropic Foundations in Canada: Landscapes, Indigenous Peoples and Pathways to Change. He was the founding English Language editor for ANSERJ, the journal for the Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research (2010-2015), and is active on numerous local and national committees.

Research Interests

Peter is, by nature, a collaborative, community-based researcher. His research has focused on:

• The societal impact of grant-making foundations in Canada.
• The long-term analysis of voluntary sector-provincial government relations.
• Mapping the nature and impact of social enterprises across Canada.

Selected Publications

Refereed Books

• Elson. P.R., J.-M. Fontan, S. Lefèvre (Eds) (2020). Philanthropic Foundations in Canada: Landscapes, Indigenous Peoples and Pathways to Change, London: Alliance Publishing
• Fontan, J.-M., Elson, P. R., & Lefèvre, S. (Eds.) (2017). Les fondations subventionnaires canadiennes. Québec: Presses de l’Université du Québec.
• Elson, P. R. (Ed.) (2016). Funding Policies and the Nonprofit Sector in Western Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press [IPAC series in Public Management and Governance].
• Elson, P. R. (2011). High Ideals and Noble Intentions: Voluntary sector-government relations in Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Refereed Book Chapters

• Lefèvre, S.A., E, Fontan, Jean-Marc et Elson, Peter (2021) Fondations philanthropiques et mécènes: Vers une privatisation de l’action publique? In Steve Jacob and Nathalie Schiffino (eds) Politiques publiques: Fondements et prospective pour l’action publique. Brussels:Larcier
• Elson, P. R. & Hall, S. (2017). A Portrait of Canadian Grantmaking Foundation Engagement in Public Policy. In Fontan, J.-M., Elson, P. R. & Lefèvre, S. (Eds.) Les fondations subventionnaires canadiennes. Québec: Presses de l’Université du Québec.
• Elson, P. R. (2017). Forward: The Insiders. In Mulé, N. J. & DeSantis, G. (Eds.) The Shifting Terrain: Nonprofit Sector Public Policy Advocacy in Canada. McGill-Queens University Press.
• Harris, B., Morris, A., Ascough, R. S., Chikoto, G. L., Elson, P. R., McLoughlin, J., Muukkonen, M., Pospíšilová, T., Roka, K., Smith, D. H., Soteri-Proctor, A., Tumanova, A. S. & YU, P. (2016). History of associations and volunteering. In Smith, D. H., Stebbins, R. A. & Grotz, J. (Eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Volunteering, Civic Participation, and Nonprofit Associations. UK: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Elson, P. R. (2016). Western Canada’s Nonprofit Landscape. In Elson, P. R. (Ed.) Funding Policies and the Nonprofit Sector in Western Canada. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.
• Elson, P. R. (2011). The Great White North and voluntary action: Canada’s relationship with Beveridge, social welfare and social justice. In Oppenheimer, M. & Deakin, N. (Eds.) Beveridge and Voluntary Action in Britain and the wider British World. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
• Elson, P. R. (2010). A Comparative Analysis of Voluntary Sector/Government Relations in Canada and England. In Mook, L., Quarter, J. & Ryan, S. (Eds.) Researching the Social Economy. Toronto: University of Toronto Press.

Refereed Journal Articles

• Elson, Peter R., Fontan, J-P, Lefèvre, S.A., Stauch, J. (2018). Foundations in Canada: A Comparative Perspective. American Behavioral Scientist. Vol. 62(13) 1777-1802.
• Elson, Peter R., Wamucii, P., Hall, P.V., (2018). Scaling up Community-Based Research: A case study. Research for All. Vol 2 (2) pp. 376-394.
• Elson, Peter R. (2018). Student-centered Case Studies in a Nonprofit Leadership and Management Course. Nonprofit Education and Leadership. Vol 8 (3) pp. 277-289.
• Elson, Peter R. Fontan, J-M, Lefèvre, S., Stauch, J. (2018). Foundations in Canada: A Comparative Perspective. American Behavioural Scientist (May 20, 2018 – on line)
• Elson, P. R. & Hall, S. (2016). System Change Agents: A profile of policy-focused grantmaking foundation engagement in public policy. Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, 7(2) pp. 57-78.
• Elson, P. R. (2015). A Comparative Analysis of Nonprofit Policy Network Governance in Canada. Canadian Journal of Nonprofit and Social Economy Research, 6(2) pp.

Policy Reports

• Elson, Peter R. (2019). University-Indigenous Relations: A policy assessment framework in four dimensions. Victoria: University of Victoria
• McMurtry, J.J., Brouard, F., Elson, P. R., Hall, P., Lionais, D. & Vieta, M. (2015). Social Enterprises Context, Models and Institutions in Canada: Canadian Working Paper ICSEM Project.

Research Reports

• Elson, P. R., Hall, P. & Wamucii, P. (2016). Social Enterprise Sector Survey Guide. Calgary: Institute for Community Prosperity, Mount Royal University.
• Elson, P. R., Hall, P. & Wamucii, P. (2016). Canadian National Social Enterprise Sector Survey Report 2016. Calgary: Institute for Community Prosperity, Mount Royal University.
• Elson, P. R., Hall, P., Rowe, P., Smee, J. & Wamucii, P. (2016). Ready for Takeoff: Social Enterprise in Newfoundland and Labrador. St John’s: Community Sector Council Newfoundland and Labrador.
• Elson, P. R. & Hall, S. (2015). Policy Matters: Grant-making foundations and public policy engagement: A preliminary discussion of the Canadian Landscape of grant-making foundations and public policy engagement, Montreal: Montreal Research Laboratory on Canadian Philanthropy.
• Elson, P. R., Hall, P., McQuaid. S. & Wamucii, P. (2015). 2015 Prince Edward Island Social Enterprise Sector Survey Report. Institute for Community Prosperity, Mount Royal University.
• Chamberlain, P., Gillis, K., Prindiville, T., Bechard., Ulhaq, M., Elson, P. R. & Hall, P. (2015) Enterprising Change: Report of the 2015 social enterprise survey for Ontario. Toronto: The Canadian Community Economic Development Network.
• Elson, P. R., Hall, P., Leeson-Klym, S., Penner, D. & Wamucii, P. (2015). Manitoba Social Enterprise Sector Survey (2014). Calgary: Institute for Community Prosperity, Mount Royal University.
• Elson, P. R., Hall, P., Prink, S. & Wamucii, P. (2015). Nova Scotia Social Enterprise Survey (2014). Calgary: Institute for Community Prosperity, Mount Royal University.

Other Research Contributions

• 2019- 2021 Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector, Minister of Revenue, Government of Canada.
• 2018- Decolonization Praxis Lab, Faculty of Human and Social Development, University of Victoria
• 2017 – Decolonization and Indigenization Committee, School of Public Administration, University of Victoria.
• (2009 – 2015) English Language Editor, Canadian Journal for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research
• (2011 – 2015) Co-ordinator, T3010 User Group
• (2012 – 2013) Member, Expert Panel on Modelling Nonprofit Labour Supply & Demand, HR Council for the Nonprofit Sector