With the federal election set for October 21, and the campaign period officially underway, nonprofits have an important role to play in voter engagement. As trusted sources of information, nonprofits hold unique positions in communities, and can help inform and empower the people that they serve to exercise their right to vote. This blog post serves as a guide on tips to increase voter engagement.
Read MoreLast month, Premier Jason Kenney announced that the government will launch a public inquiry into the foreign funding sources of environmental groups who are critical of Alberta’s energy sector policies. Before that, Premier Kenney promised to establish an ‘Energy War Room’ to respond to campaigns directed at Alberta's oil and gas sector. Here is what we know and how we think it might impact the nonprofit sector, particularly organizations that hold charitable status designation through the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
Read MoreThe Alberta government provided a fiscal update yesterday, the first one from this government since assuming office a little more than four months ago. The update was given by Finance Minister, Travis Toews. Nonprofits, as many others, were likely looking to the update to provide some clarity and certainty after the many funding challenges that we’ve been hearing from nonprofits in the last few months, some of which have been reported in media.
Read MoreIn order to become a registered charity, you must apply for such status with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), which can be a time consuming process. This may be an important step to securing funding as only registered charities can issue receipts that make the donations eligible for a tax credit on an individual donor’s personal income tax return. This blog post serves as a nonprofit guide to navigating the CRA, covering tax reporting, rules to follow, and audits.
Read MoreIf your nonprofit has been following the news or social media, you’ve likely seen some rumours of looming provincial cuts starting to swirl. The new provincial government is expected to release a budget in late October and speculation as to what it will hold has already begun. We have heard in traditional media, on social media, and directly from some organizations, that they are experiencing a “funding freeze”, ranging across sectors and issues, and is likely related to the fact that there is only an interim supply budget currently in place. This blog post provides an update on provincial spending in the midst of the UCP’s transition period and prior to their budget being finalized in October.
Read MoreOn Monday July 22, Calgary City Council will meet to review Administration’s proposal on cutting $60 million in the City’s operational spending. The City has been asked to make these cuts to make way for property tax relief for business owners in Calgary. In this blog post, CCVO responds to these budget cuts in the context of the nonprofit community, and discusses our recommendations to the City of Calgary.
Read MoreThe first sitting of the new government began on May 22 with a Speech from the Throne and just concluded on July 4 with 13 bills passed relating to 55 of the UCP platform commitments. The House will not sit again until October when a budget is expected to be tabled. To give nonprofits an easy reference to all the legislation, this blog post provides a brief summary of each bill.
Read MorePart of the purpose of CCVO’s annual Alberta Nonprofit Survey (ANS) is to understand the adaptive capacity of the nonprofit sector. This includes the capacity for nonprofits to be technology savvy to meet the challenges of a fast-paced information age. We need this local data to tell the story of nonprofits in Alberta. This story helps inform government policies and can help give the push to self-organize around issues that matter to the nonprofit sector. Read more about how this year’s Alberta Nonprofit Survey will contribute to building an accurate picture of the sector.
Read MoreOn June 12, the Calgary City Council SPC on Community and Protective Services met to discuss funding and support for a Mental Health and Addiction Strategic Framework, approval of a Gender Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Strategy, and review of the Multilingual Communications and Engagement Policy Report. This blog post discusses the outcomes of these discussions and what Calgarians can expect moving forward.
Read MoreBill 2: An Act to Make Alberta Open for Business is set to implement critical and strategic changes affecting the Alberta labour force. The bill covers a range of subsections including the Alberta Employment Standards Code, the Labour Relations Code and changes in the minimum wage. This blog post will break down Bill 2 and help you understand how your nonprofit will be affected by the new legislation, if it is passed in its current form.
Read MoreLast Wednesday, the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta, Lois Mitchell, delivered the speech from the throne, marking the start of a new legislative session in Alberta and an outline of the government’s priority areas. This blog highlights key pieces of legislation and areas where Government has committed to act during this spring session, and beyond.
Read MoreThe annual Alberta Nonprofit Survey opens on May 28. This survey is an opportunity to share your views and to help tell the story of the Alberta nonprofit sector. That story only gets told with your participation and submissions to the survey are instrumental in advocating for the sector. This year, the survey will once again be supplemented with data and personal perspectives gathered from focus groups and interviews, which will be conducted with nonprofit leaders across Alberta who complete the survey.
Read MoreMembers of the Opposition are MLAs who are not part of the governing party. The role of the opposition is to hold the government accountable, criticize government activity, propose amendments to policies, and present themselves to the public as an alternative to the party in office. Leader of the Opposition Rachel Notley and her party’s MLAs were recently sworn in and she has announced her party’s critic roles, as noted in this post.
Read MoreA new cabinet was appointed yesterday as Jason Kenney was sworn in as Alberta’s 18th Premier. Please join CCVO in offering congratulations to the new Ministers, and in continuing the nonprofit sector’s commitment to working with the Government of Alberta in fulfilling the sector's vital role as major contributors to the economic, social, and cultural fabric of the province.
Read MoreWe are very fortunate to live in a place where voting is a right and a privilege that we can enjoy freely. Every chance we get to vote, is a chance to celebrate democracy, and our freedom to mark a ballot. Advance polls are a great opportunity to gather a group of voters; take friends, colleagues, and family members and head to the ballot box.
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