An Afternoon with Rachel Notley | Boland Survey Closes Apr 30
An Afternoon With Rachel Notley
APRIL 24 | 3:00PM - 5:00PM | THE GRAND | CALGARY
We’ve invited the leaders of the Alberta UCP and Alberta NDP to present their vision for Alberta's nonprofit sector. We are pleased to feature Alberta NDP Leader Rachel Notley on April 24 and look forward to confirming an event with UCP leader and Premier Danielle Smith in the future. The doors will open at 2:30 PM with the program beginning at 3:00 PM. A post-show reception will follow.
EVENT DETAILS
Monday, April 24
3:00 - 5:00 PM
The Grand, 608 1 St SW, Calgary
TICKETS
CCVO members: $25 | Nonmembers: $40 for non-members.
Not sure if you're a CCVO Member? Visit our member directory here. Want to become a CCVO Member? Visit our website here to learn more!
ABOUT THE NONPROFIT VOTE
The Nonprofit Vote is a nonpartisan collaborative home for shared advocacy in support of Alberta’s nonprofit sector. To learn more about the top five platform priorities from The Nonprofit Vote to ensure a strong and robust nonprofit sector in Alberta visit the CCVO website or The Nonprofit Vote website.
2023 Platform Priorities: Sign the Letter of Support
Alberta's provincial election will be on May 29. Alberta’s provincial parties have a critical opportunity to ensure essential nonprofit services are there for Albertans when they need them. Our five platform priorities help them get there. They include:
Appropriate Funding: Invest $300 million over 3 years in a Community Prosperity Fund for nonprofits to address the impacts of the pandemic, inflation, and historic under-resourcing to ensure this essential sector is here for Albertans when they need it most.
A Workforce Strategy: Undertake a labour market study and strategy to stabilize the nonprofit workforce by addressing recruitment and retention concerns.
Better Data Collection: Collaborate on data collection to ensure government and nonprofits can be more effective through data-informed actions.
A Door To Government: Explore creating a dedicated space in government to share challenges, successes and opportunities with renewed partnership from the Government of Alberta to address them.
An Empowered Sector: Make funding go further by cutting red tape and sharing decision-making with nonprofits on the most effective allocation of government dollars.
These provincial platform priorities were created courtesy of The Nonprofit Vote members: Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, FUSE Social, Volunteer Lethbridge, and the Rozsa Foundation. Read more about the platform priorities here.
The Nonprofit Vote has launched a campaign in conjunction with the platform priorities. Sign the letter of support to tell the provincial party leaders that nonprofits are important and you want to see these priorities included in their platforms.
This Week's 2023 Platform Priorities Updates
Our sector has a responsibility to speak up about the issues that matter to us. If we stay silent, we let others drive the agenda, and we’re less likely to see commitments that support our essential work. That’s why every week, we highlight priority issues raised by members of our sector, that remind political candidates and parties that #nonprofitsvote. On the docket this week: CPAWS and the Social Policy Collaborative! Please be in touch if you’d like to see your nonprofit advocacy work featured.
Election Advocacy
In September 2022, the Social Policy Collaborative shared their three key policy recommendations to grow Alberta’s affordable housing stock. They include:
Capital Investment: Commit $90 million each year to deliver on the province’s affordable housing goals
Resiliency: Review operating agreements with service providers to better understand appropriate funding levels to address growing challenges facing vulnerable Albertans
Resiliency: Provide an immediate 10% increase and fully index existing operating agreements to inflation. Click here to find out more.
Election Resources
Voting for nature in the upcoming election? CPAWS has resources to help you evaluate party platforms. Critical issues they have identified include: land-use planning that protects nature, participating in Canada’s goal to protect 30% of our land and water by 2030, participating in Indigenous Protected and Conserved Areas, protecting our water, and increasing research funding.
To be in touch with your elected representatives to discuss the importance of protecting Alberta’s natural spaces, CPAWS has put together this helpful Toolkit for Effective Action.
Policy Updates
The Giving Report 2023
Canada Helps
The Giving Report 2023 describes how a year defined by inflation intensifies long-standing threats to the sector. It identifies 10 challenges facing charities this year.
Some of the 10 challenges it identifies are:
Increased demand has created unprecedented strain on charities
Inflation is increasing demand for services , increasing service delivery and staffing costs
While demand is up for most charities, funds raised are down
Gifts from individuals, corporations and governments are all down
Smaller charities are at risk
Staff burnout and salaries are top concerns
Read the full list and report here.
Learning Opportunities
Changing the Conversation: Research, Surprising Findings, and VSP
Apr 25 | Online
REGISTER
Fast Pitch Panel
Apr 26 | Online
REGISTER
The Relentless Pursuit of Impact
Apr 25 | Online
REGISTER
ChatGPT & How It Just Changed The Game for the Social Sector
Apr 27 | Online
REGISTER
Practicing Sustainability
Apr 27 | Hillhurst Sunnyside Community Association
REGISTER
Amplifying Voices, Driving Change: Building Inclusive Organizations
Apr 27 | Online
REGISTER
Lobbying and Advocacy for Alberta Nonprofits
Apr 27 | Online
REGISTER
Social Finance Forum
Jun 15-16 | Online
REGISTER
Funding & Grants
Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) in the Prairie Provinces
Through the Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) program, PrairiesCan makes targeted investments that aim to generate sustainable, inclusive economic growth and help communities in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba to fully participate in and benefit from economic opportunities.
Examples of eligible activities include:
Community Development – includes activities to stimulate economic growth or diversification that capitalize on community capacity, strengths and opportunities.
Community Adjustment – includes activities to support Prairie communities facing economic shocks, challenging economic circumstances and/or depressed economic conditions.
Inclusiveness - includes activities that help women, youth, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, official language minority communities and other underrepresented groups participate in the economy
Eligible Applicants include incorporated not-for-profit entities, post-secondary institutions, First Nations, Métis Settlements and provincial/municipal crown corporation/organization/ministry or any other provincial government entity.
PrairiesCan considers all other sources of funding available to the applicant. They give preference to projects that leverage funding from all levels of governments, the private sector and other non-government sources (non-PrairiesCan funding typically should represent at least 50% of total project costs). There are no deadlines to submit an expression of interest. Find application details and further information here.
2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund
Women and Gender Equality Canada currently has a call for proposals to build the capacity of 2SLGBTQI+ community organizations and networks to advance equality across Canada.
Activities that build capacity are those that increase an organization's ability to reach its goals. They improve skills, information, collaboration and tools. They also often improve an organization's sustainability.
Applicants must be Canadian nonprofit organizations that work primarily or entirely with 2SLGBTQI+ communities. There are 2 streams of funding.
Stream 1: Eligible organizations that are incorporated or registered can apply for a total maximum amount of $150,000 to $600,000 depending on the scope of their work.
Stream 2: Eligible organizations that are not yet incorporated or registered can apply for a total maximum amount of $25,000.Organizations must first use this funding to incorporate or register your organization, and then can use any remaining funds for eligible capacity-building activities
The deadline for applications is May 9. Find out more information here.
Telus Friendly Futures Innovation Grant
In 2023, Telus Innovation Grants will focus on two areas of interest:
1. Youth mental health
The percentage of children and youth experiencing symptoms of depression and anxiety has doubled during the pandemic. Eating disorders and substance use have been on the rise. Charities offering innovative solutions to promote youth mental health and build community will help to meet the needs facing young people today and build their capacity to thrive in the future.
2. Environmental education or climate action programs for youth
Today’s youth have come of age during a time of rapid climate change, and they have the most at stake in how society responds to it. Charities offering creative approaches to climate education and action will help youth to build skills and knowledge and to be inspired to address the urgency of the climate crisis.
Your project must address one of these focus areas and meet the following criteria:
Projects must serve children or youth who face obstacles to reaching their full potential. This may include youth from marginalized or under-served communities and members of equity-deserving groups.
Requests for support of a new approach, or a significant change to an existing model to improve outcomes. Funds can be used to explore, test or launch innovative ideas or initiatives or to scale a program to serve a new region or audience.
Organization must be a CRA registered charity with a stated focus on serving youth
Projects that use technology in innovative ways to meet the needs of project participants and your community will be prioritized
Innovation Grants are available for up to $100,000 for a single-year grant or $200,000 for grants that span two years (with the second year of funding subject to organizations making sufficient progress ) Letters of intent are due June 23. See how to apply here.
Connect: Calgary's Parks Plan
Connect: Calgary’s Parks Plan is The City of Calgary’s policy document providing the framework for the future development, redevelopment and management of the city’s park network. As part of the project goals, it is important that The City develop modern policy which addresses best practices in parks planning and development through an equity lens. Social services agencies, and their clients, are crucial in helping The City achieve these goals.
The City is inviting social services agencies to participate in a workshop and provide their perspective on Connect: Calgary’s Parks Plan. Through this workshop, the City would like:
To understand how The City can best work with social services agencies and how social services agencies would like to participate in engagement processes going forward
To understand what is required to co-create sustainable long-term relationships and establish a network of social services agencies to contact for future engagements
To identify the best way to ensure that social services agency’s clients are included in engagement processes
To identify how The City can be a resource to social service agencies
The workshop will be running May 15 from 9:00am - 2:00 pm at City Hall. Register here.
3-6-9 Leaders Table For Early Literacy
The 3 6 9 Leaders Table is a collaborative catalyst group that is working to advance the Enough for All strategy. They have explored conversations around literacy through a webinar series and are working together in a variety of ways to advance policy and advocacy for early learning and literacy.
In May, the 3 6 9 Leaders Table will be launching an exciting awareness campaign around literacy and would like to invite members of the community and organizations to join in and support the campaign. Join the 3 6 9 Leaders Table on April 27th from 12 to 1pm to hear from a few members of the group and learn more about the planned activities and how organizations can support. Registration for the free event can be accessed here.
Blogs & More
Charitable status – lost and found – in 2022
Don Mcrae, The Philanthropist Journal
The number of charities in Canada is relatively stable. Over the past six or seven years, it has hovered around 86,000. This plateauing reflects what a number of charity regulators in other jurisdictions are doing and it has the tinge of being intentional. Registration of new charities has been tightened up, and the revocation of moribund charities looks to be a policy goal for the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
COVID-19 and the related restrictions on activity affected charities. For some, their revocation can be seen as a direct result of the pandemic. The groups couldn’t meet, undertake their activities, or raise the necessary funds to stay solvent. This was the case for some churches, arts groups, auxiliaries, or seniors’ organizations, where face-to-face contact is a necessity. Read more →
Budgeting Basics
Robin Butler, CCVO Guest Blogger
Not too long ago, we wrote a post on the CCVO blog about budgeting in uncertain times as we all navigated the impacts of the pandemic. You can view that post here. We decided to refresh that blog and remove a bit of the uncertainty from it, as we move forward. Although there are always some unknowns when budgeting, these basics will help you get started and be prepared, without the major uncertainties we have faced in previous years.
First, it’s important to understand what a budget is and how it helps define your course for the coming year. A budget is a guide that can be either accrual or cash-basis format. It’s reviewed regularly (usually quarterly) and is utilized by board members, members of the organization, and potential funders and donors. Read More →
Three Years of Unprecedented Change: A Look Back at Covid-19 Impacts on the Workplace
Charity Village
As of April 2023, the COVID-19 pandemic is not yet over.
However, as the third anniversary of the start of the pandemic has now passed, Charity Village thought it might be interesting to look back and recognize just how far we’ve come. They’ve put together their top 8 shakeups, trends and buzzworthy hashtags to hit the workplace over the past three years. They hope looking back at the unprecedented change the sector has been through in the past three years can help people feel a little more confident in navigating what comes next. Read More →