Welcome to our Budget 2026 Advocacy toolkit! This is your guide on how to advocate for Canada to invest in international aid in the upcoming federal budget.
Click on the buttons below to explore what's inside! There is also a downloadable pdf version.
In the fall, the federal government will release its 2026 budget, which will include Canada’s commitments to international aid. Now is the time for our decision-makers to hear the voice of everyday Canadians who want to see Canada play a strong role in tackling global challenges.
The G7 countries, which provide roughly three-quarters of all aid, are on track to cut aid spending by 28% in 2026 – that’s the largest reduction ever recorded by G7 members. The United States is responsible for most of these cuts, but it’s a concerning trend among the world’s wealthiest countries.
These aid cuts are coming at the same time as we’re seeing more complex crises around the world that need our attention, including about800 million people living in extreme poverty.
Instead of stepping up when needed most, the Canadian government announced its own reductions in 2025, cutting $2.7 billion in international aid over four years. This represents a historic and drastic decline in Canadian funding and goes against Prime Minister Mark Carney’s campaign pledge that his government “will not cut foreign aid.”
DID YOU KNOW? Aid spending is only a tiny fraction of Canada’s overall wealth – just 32 cents of every $100 dollars – but its impact is immense.
While the budget does and must provide support for Canadians in need, especially in tough economic times, a small fraction of our spending must also continue to go to international aid to safeguard our future and save millions of lives.
Reducing international aid is not only harmful to people around the world living in extreme poverty, it also weakens Canada’s security and prosperity. Investing in international aid keeps everyone safer by stopping conflicts, preventing the next pandemic, and building stronger economies at home and abroad. While the next budget is being written, we need to remind the government that Canadians care about building a better and healthier world.
Coming off the heels of a drastic decrease in international aid last year, Budget 2026 will set the tone for Canada’s approach to international aid going forward. Our ask of the Canadian government is to stop cutting international aid and step up as a leader in the face of global cuts. Join us in taking action for this cause!
the importance of international aid and Canada’s role
Investments in aid are effective. Since 2000, international aid has helped reduce child mortality by half and lift over one billion people out of extreme poverty. Higher levels of aid spending have also been associated with a decline in mortality for communicable diseases, including 70% for HIV/AIDS and 56% for both malaria and nutritional diseases. Simply put, international aid saves lives.
Canada has played an important role in these global efforts:
In 2010, Canada spearheaded the Muskoka Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, crowding in funding from other donors to leverage US$7.3 billion globally towards high impact interventions to reduce child and maternal mortality.
Canada used its G7 presidency in 2018 to champion the historic Charlevoix Declaration, and with a $400 million commitment, successfully reached 4 million girls in fragile and conflict-affected contexts with quality education.
Through its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP), Canada has demonstrated leadership for advancing gender equality globally. In 2023–2024 alone, Canada's $76.2 million investment in family planning reached 4.7 million women and couples, preventing an estimated 1.6 million unintended pregnancies and more than 2,100 maternal deaths.
this is the strong role we want Canada to continue to have
But recent aid cuts have threatened global progress. Reducing international aid has far-reaching impacts, costing people their lives, deepening cycles of poverty, and causing long-term instability.
We’re already seeing the life-threatening impacts of international aid cuts from the United States and other countries, which could lead to:
right now, Canada’s aid is not meeting our global moment of need
But that can change. As other countries make the dangerous decision to reduce their international aid, Canada can choose to stand up in this difficult time and lead with our strong values. Budget 2026 is an opportunity for the Canadian government to stop the cuts.
Check out our case studies for more examples of the negative impacts of aid cuts. You can also learn more about Canadian aid on our website.
DID YOU KNOW? International aid spending can also benefit Canadians.
Crises elsewhere cause global disruptions in trade, migration, and supply chains, directly affecting people in Canada. Aid helps stop conflicts before they begin, and conflict prevention is around 60 times cheaper than war.
Aid keeps us safe from global pandemics. Every dollar invested in pandemic preparedness, prevention, and response yields roughly $14 in economic and health benefits.
Canadian researchers and manufacturers are studying infectious diseases (see our map), developing innovative health tools, producing emergency food, and so much more. Investing in aid supports their work, boosts our economy, advances domestic innovation, and strengthens resilience.
take action: your voice matters
We’re not “in the room” when budget decisions are made, but we can influence those who are. Our Members of Parliament (MPs) work for us, and they listen to everyday Canadians to champion the issues that matter to us. This means that your voice matters. You can help us influence the government to stop cutting international aid.
Explore the actions you can take below. Use this list to navigate to the section you are interested in:
attend a pre-budget consultation and complete an online submission
In the months before releasing the budget, many MPs host pre-budget consultations in their ridings that you can attend. This is a chance to share what issues you would like to see reflected in the next budget and to raise concerns about the government’s cuts to international aid.
Is your MP holding a consultation?
Email your MP to find out if they are hosting a pre‑budget consultation or request your own meeting – and let us know what you hear! Don’t know who your MP is? Enter your postal code in the House of Commons website to find them and their contact information.
Not sure what to say during a consultation?
We’ve got you! Our key messages and case studies give you all the information you need to tell your MP why the government should stop cutting international aid in budget 2026.
Be heard: complete an online submission!
Complete a submission through the government’s online portal by September 8 to make the case for stopping cuts to international aid. Make sure to complete your submission as an individual and not representing Results Canada.
email the Minister of Finance and your MP
It’s important to let the Government know that Canadians care about international aid so they can champion this issue as the budget is written. You can email the Minister of Finance François-Philippe Champagne to let him know that Canadians don’t want to see international aid cut. Make sure to include your MP in the email too!
Not sure what to write?
Check out our key messages and case studies, which give you all the information you need to tell your MP why the government should stop cutting international aid in budget 2026.
Don’t know who your MP is?
Enter your postal code in the House of Commons website to find your MP and their contact information. You can also find the Minister of Finance's email there!
For more tips on how to email your MP, check out our other guides below:
Writing a letter to the editor (LTE) is a great way to help shape the conversation. MPs read these letters in their local papers, so you can use your LTE to show MPs that their constituents want Canada to stop cutting international aid in Budget 2026. Join our LTE writing challenge INK for IMPACT before the end of August for the chance to win some awesome prizes!
Don't know what to write?
This toolkit has all the information you may need to write an LTE, including our key messages and case studies.
You can also check out our other guidance on how to get published:
Being active on social media is a great way to spread your message! It sends a signal about what Canadians want to see in the next budget.
To reach a wider audience and the specific people you want to target, make sure to tag your MPs and the Minister of Finance and use hashtags like #Budget2026 and #cdnpoli. Check out our social media tips for more advice!
sample posts you can use or adapt
I want the government to step up for a better world in #Budget2026 by stopping cuts to international aid [MP/Minister tag]
Dear [MP/Minister tag], aid saves lives and fights poverty around the world, while benefiting Canadians by creating economic opportunity, global stability, and preventing the next pandemic. Will you help stop international aid cuts in #Budget2026? #cdnpoli
Too many countries, including Canada, have recently reduced their aid funding. This poses a real threat to people’s lives and global stability as a whole. Let’s show the government that Canadians care about the world and make sure aid cuts stop in #Budget2026! #cdnpoli [MP/Minister tag]
key messages to support your action
Global cuts to international aid have been devastating. Canada must stop its cuts to international aid in budget 2026.
Canadians care about international aid and Budget 2026 should reflect that.
Security doesn’t start and end with defence. International aid promotes global stability and Canadian security by helping to prevent conflicts and pandemics before they start.
International aid supports prosperity around the world and in Canada by strengthening economies and creating new trading partners.
Since 2000, Canadian aid has supported global efforts that have reduced child mortality by half and lifted over one billion people out of extreme poverty. But international aid cuts threaten this progress.
case studies showing the impact of aid cuts
We have developed three case studies that demonstrate the life-threating impacts of aid cuts. You can use these examples when attending a pre-budget consultation, emailing the Minister and your MP, or writing an LTE to show what could happen on the ground to real people if the cuts continue. Click on each of the studies below to download them:
