2023 Platform Priorities Update March 29-April 5

With a Provincial Election scheduled for May 29, Alberta’s provincial parties have a critical opportunity to ensure essential nonprofit services are there for Albertans when they need them. On the docket this week: the 5 priorities CCVO and The Nonprofit Vote launched garner attention in the legislature. Plus, find out what the City of Calgary and Calgary Chamber of Commerce want to see in provincial party platforms. Do you live in Calgary? Find your local candidates with Livewire’s handy map.

2023 Platform Priorities Update March 22-29

Election season is upon us!

With a Provincial Election scheduled for May 29, Alberta’s provincial parties have a critical opportunity to ensure essential nonprofit services are there for Albertans when they need them. Last week, CCVO and The Nonprofit Vote partners launched five platform priorities help us get there. They are: Appropriate Funding, A Workforce Strategy, Better Data Collection, A Door to Government, and An Empowered Sector.

Budget 2023 and Alberta’s Nonprofit Sector

In November 2022, CCVO and our partners sounded the alarm for the nonprofit sector in Alberta. With budget 2023, the alarm is still ringing. After more than three years of doing more with less, Alberta’s nonprofit sector remains in crisis. An Ipsos poll conducted in November 2022 shows 22% of Canadians and 30% of Albertans expect to access charitable services for their basic needs in the next 6 months. Budget 2023 does not address this reality; the strategic requests made by CCVO have not been met, and despite recording a $2.4 Billion surplus, Alberta’s 2023 Budget does not support Alberta’s essential nonprofit sector.

policy blog, policy, newsroomMegan DornstauderMarch 2, 2023Alberta BudgetComment

Alberta Budget 2023, Coming Tomorrow!

The provincial budget will drop on February 28 and CCVO has been invited by the Minister of Treasury Board and Finance to an embargoed briefing before the budget is released publicly. We are very pleased to accept that invitation as it will give us time to look at the budget and respond quickly on what it might mean for nonprofits in Alberta. This year is an interesting budget year because the provincial election is in May, just three months away, which means that commitments in the budget should be viewed as an unofficial campaign launch.

policy blog, policy, newsroomMegan DornstauderFebruary 27, 2023Alberta BudgetComment

Government of Alberta Budget 2022 Analysis

The budget projects total revenue of approximately $62.6 billion while total expenses, including the COVID-19 Recovery fund, will equal approximately $62,096 billion, leaving a surplus of $511 million. While this budget represents a projected surplus, it does not recognize the importance of community recovery or identify the nonprofit sector as a leader in that effort with any major new investments to support community recovery. In terms of the sector, the focus is on debt elimination and maintaining status quo, stating “until the debt is eliminated, resources will continue to be used to pay interest costs rather than being directed to delivering the important government programs and services that Albertans rely on”.

budget, policy blog, community recoveryMegan DornstauderMarch 11, 2022Budget 2022, Alberta Budget 2022Comment

Budget 2022 and Community Prosperity in Alberta: Initial Analysis from CCVO

Budget 2022-23 in Alberta was tabled Thursday, February 24th, 2022. Under the theme of “moving forward”, a fiscal plan was outlined for the next three years (2022-2025) with the focus on economic recovery in Alberta. Alberta Budget 2022-23 is overall a maintenance budget of the province’s investment in the work of Alberta’s community nonprofits. It is not a budget that supports community recovery or that recognizes investment in community prosperity as an important and necessary element of Alberta’s economic recovery, which CCVO outlined in our 2022 budget submission.

newsroom, budget, policy blog, community recoveryGuest UserFebruary 25, 2022Alberta Nonprofit, alberta charities, Alberta Budget, Budget 2022Comment

Creating Community Prosperity in Alberta’s Recovery: CCVO Alberta Pre-Budget 2022 Submission

This post covers CCVO’s recent Alberta 2022 pre-budget submission, focused on the recommendation to invest a portion of unallocated Recovery Plan contingency dollars through a strategic Community Recovery Fund. This fund would support community-focused recovery through investment in social infrastructure that will create jobs and spur economic stimulus. The recommendation contained within this submission outlines a role for the Government of Alberta in working collaboratively with nonprofits to meet the Government’s economic recovery goals while supporting efforts for solutions to pressing social issues.

newsroom, policy blog, budget, community recoveryMegan DornstauderJanuary 7, 2022Alberta Budget, Pre-Budget SubmissionComment

CCVO’s Submission Regarding the Charitable Fund-raising Act

CCVO recently made a submission to Tanya Fir, Associate Minister of Red Tape Reduction, asking that the Charitable Fund-raising Act is amended to exempt charities and nonprofits from being required to register. With approximately 900 organizations currently registered under the Charitable Fund-raising Act, creating this exemption could significantly reduce the administrative burden on nonprofits, charities, and public servants alike.

newsroom, policy blogMegan DornstauderNovember 24, 2021Charitable Fund-raising Act, Government of AlbertaComment

Government of Alberta’s Public Inquiry into Environmental Groups

In July 2019, the Alberta government launched 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. This blog post covers 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).

Leveraging the Power of Collective Action with The Nonprofit Vote

The launch of The Nonprofit Vote coincides with municipal elections taking place across the province. Elections provide an opportunity to highlight important issues and increase civic engagement on the specific issues that impact your organization. By raising awareness of these issues, you play a role in helping others to be a part of making their community a better place to live for all.

policy blog, advocacy toolsMegan DornstauderOctober 13, 2021The Nonprofit VoteComment

Impacts of the Pandemic on Women: Input to the Premier’s Council on Charities and Civil Society

The Premier’s Council on Charities and Civil Society recently requested that CCVO complete a questionnaire designed “to gather input on the nature of challenges facing women and inform the Council’s advice to government”, particularly “how Alberta’s civil society can help ensure the recovery is inclusive and acknowledges the experiences and challenges women face during the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic”. While CCVO does not hold expertise specifically on this issue, we have completed the survey to represent what our own research on the impacts of COVID has revealed, to highlight for the Council the great work that many nonprofits are already doing in these areas, and to note that further consultation is encouraged to ensure that the perspective, expertise, and experience of those organizations is captured in the Council’s advice to the Government of Alberta. You can find the full questionnaire and our responses in this post.

policy blog, community recoveryMegan DornstauderAugust 31, 2021Comment

Advocate with Confidence: A Guide for Nonprofits

The collective expertise and knowledge within the nonprofit sector represent invaluable insight and on-the-ground experience that can help inform policy direction and decisions. Plans to address the pandemic and subsequent economic recovery are likely to be at the forefront of this election cycle. With the increasing demand for services, it is important that this federal election recognizes and supports the role of nonprofits in rebuilding the community and economy. This election represents an opportunity for nonprofits, including those that access the services of and those who work in the sector, to come together to advocate for underrepresented and underserved populations, as well as for the sector as a whole.

policy blog, advocacy toolsMegan DornstauderAugust 23, 2021advocacyComment

Coming Soon! Community Prosperity Now: A Blueprint

In addressing the challenges that the nonprofit sector is facing due to the pandemic, CCVO’s first order of priority is to centre community in Alberta’s recovery and address the gap in Alberta's recovery plan and recent budget. CCVO made a submission to the provincial government pre-budget with a request for a $350 million investment into a Social Infrastructure Fund. Social infrastructure are assets to society that support the quality of life of a nation, region, city, or neighbourhood. In consultations around our Social Infrastructure Fund ask, we heard that it was a bold ask, but needed. Based on the rich feedback we have received, we have updated that ask and the revised report will be released by the end of June 2021.

policy blog, community recoveryMegan DornstauderJune 9, 2021 Comment

Government of Alberta Budget 2021 Analysis

The provincial government’s Fiscal Plan for 2021 includes recurring themes of economic recovery, economic growth, and job creation. This report, created in partnership with the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (ECVO), is an analysis of Budget 2021 as it relates to the nonprofit sector in Alberta, which includes highlights of key Ministries.

policy blog, budgetGuest UserApril 1, 2021Budget 2021, Alberta governmentComment

2021 Update on Government Subsidy Programs Available for Non-Profits During COVID-19

It’s been a year of change and uncertainty. As we all navigate the impacts of COVID-19, it’s important to utilize the programs available if your Not-for-Profit is struggling. In this blog post, CCVO Guest Blogger Robin Butler provides an update from her December 2020 blog post.

policy blog, community recoveryGuest UserMarch 23, 2021COVID-19, COVID-19 nonprofits, relaunch, budgeting, funding, subsidyComment

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