Nonprofit News: National Volunteer Week, Anti-Racism in Volunteering, Funding Shifts for Systemic Change
Nonprofit Connections: An Anti-Racist Approach to Volunteering
APRIL 26 | 1:00 - 2:30 PM | ZOOM
Join CCVO and VolunteerConnector during National Volunteer Week for a thought-provoking panel discussion on the intersection of volunteerism and anti-racism. Rooted in the report An Anti-Racist Approach to Volunteering, the discussion will feature a panel that will create the space for deeper conversations around changing structural aspects of volunteerism, agency, and belonging. Kicking off the discussion will be a short presentation from Dr. Moyo Mutamba, co-author of the report. We welcome you to join us from wherever you are along your journey.
Speakers
Dr. Sonia Aujla-Bhullar | Curriculum & Learning in Inclusive Education, City of Calgary Anti-Racism Action Committee, Sayje Consulting
Jeff D’Silva | City of Calgary, Comedian
Taylor McNallie | Taylor Made Studios, Inclusive Canada
Dr. Moyo Mutamba | Anti-Racism and DEI Consultant, Leadership Coach, Lecturer, Co-Author of An Anti-Racist Approach to Volunteering
Sheena Swierenga | VolunteerConnector
Ticket information
CCVO Members: Free
Not sure if you're a CCVO Member? Visit our member directory here.
Non-Members: $25
Want to become a CCVO Member? Visit our website here to learn more.
Register here
Please note: This event will be held on Zoom, and registration is through Eventbrite. You'll receive an email from Eventbrite with the Zoom link to the address you use to register.
National Volunteer Week: April 24-30
Volunteering is Empathy in Action
National Volunteer Week is a time for organizations across the country to recognize the efforts and time spent by the 13 million volunteers who give close to 2 billion hours per year. CCVO is thankful for those volunteers in Alberta who give over 262 million hours of their time per year and support communities across the province.
This year's theme, Volunteering is Empathy in Action, affirms the strong connection between volunteerism and empathy. Empathy connects people in ideas and actions and helps create bonds forged in common goals and aspirations. Volunteering can help us develop empathy, see the world through the eyes of others, connect people from diverse backgrounds and life experiences, and build our capacity to work collectively toward a vibrant, inclusive society.
Volunteer Canada has created a National Volunteer Week campaign kit for organizations to use to plan their campaigns to highlight and thank their volunteers. Visit our friends at Volunteer Alberta and VolunteerConnector for more volunteering resources to support your organization.
policy highlights
Premier's Council on Charities and Civil Society Releases Report on Supporting Women's Economic Recovery
The Premier’s Council on Charities and Civil Society has released a new report titled Supporting Women’s Economic Recovery. The report provides “advice on how civil society and government can work together to address challenges faced by women, particularly in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic”. CCVO participated in the open call for input into this report and published our recommendations which can be found here. The report incorporates several of the recommendations made. We commend the Council for taking on this work and encourage them to continue to explore the creative ways that nonprofits can address systemic issues faced by women.
Government of Alberta Announces Recipients of Nonprofit-Specific Funding
The Government of Alberta has announced the recipients of the Civil Society Fund and the Women’s Economic Recovery Challenge Grant. A total of 22 nonprofit organizations will receive the Women’s Economic Recovery Challenge Grant, which aims “to help enhance economic opportunities for women and girls”. The amount of funding available increased from the original $1 million to $3.6 million due to high demand. According to the announcement regarding the Civil Society Fund, “Budget 2022 includes an additional $6 million for the Civil Society Fund – completing the government’s three-year $20-million platform commitment to increase the capacity of civil society to address social issues”. However, while 21 "civil society organizations” were successful in their applications, 295 proposals were received, highlighting the ongoing need for this type of funding to support nonprofits across the province
Imagine Canada: Budget 2022: What it means for the nonprofit sector
As noted in Imagine Canada's recent budget statement, the nonprofit sector has been meaningfully included in the federal budget again this year. While charities and nonprofits are not mentioned in each section of the budget, Imagine Canada notes that there are organizations in the nonprofit sector working in virtually all of the budget priority areas. This recognizes the role of the nonprofit and charitable sector to push forward Canada’s priorities. Read Imagine Canada's statement to learn more about the progress noted for the sector in the Budget 2022.
Jane's Walk Calgary 2022
Jane’s Walk is a global event of free neighbourhood walking tours held in Calgary and around the world each May inspired by urbanist and activist, Jane Jacobs. For 2022, Jane’s Walk Calgary is offering in-person, virtual and self-guided walks on May 6-7-8. Need inspiration? Use the How to Design and Lead a Great Jane’s Walk guide to help you plan your Jane’s Walk. Jane's Walk Calgary is looking for walk leaders to lead a variety of activities such as:
In-person guided walks during May 6, 7 & 8, 2022
Virtual walk or event (live during May 6, 7 & 8 or on-demand)
Self-guided walking tour using the Story City app
Learn more about how you can participate on the Jane's Walk Calgary website.
upcoming learning opportunities
Canadian Centre for Diversity & Inclusion
Advancing inclusive recruitment, hiring and retention
April 21 | online
Register
Perlin Foundation
Spring Bliss: A Mini Mental Health Festival
April 23 | carya’s Village Commons
Learn more
IntegralOrg
Intro to Financials: The controls and policies every nonprofit needs
April 28 | online
Register
Volunteer Canada
Volunteer (Re) Engagement
May 4 | online
Register
Catalyst 2030: Call-to-Action Open Letter
An Urgent Invitation to Shift Funding Practices
An increasing number of funders and organizations are discovering that there is a real-time opportunity to advance global progress and model new ways of supporting change by shifting current funding practices that finance the social sector. These needed shifts span across multiple types of funders, including funding from private philanthropy, governments, and multilateral bodies.
The principles in this open letter outline what a large group of civil society organizations and systems change innovators, as well as many philanthropic thought leaders, believe to be the most critical and effective practices funders need to adopt to tackle the complex problems facing our world today. This letter invites organizations to consider adopting the transformative grantmaking practices included. Learn more here.
funding & grants
Government of Alberta First Responders’ Mental Health Grants
The Government of Alberta has opened funding for the First Responders’ Mental Health Grants which will provide a total of $1.5 million dollars in grants for 2022-23. Nonprofits can apply for funding under the services stream which is “for non-profit organizations that provide services to first responders and emergency health care workers living with or at risk for PTSI” (post-traumatic stress injuries). The deadline for applications is June 13, 2022. Detailed grant application guidelines for the services stream can be found here.
Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative
The Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative is now open to applicants for 2022-2023. This initiative commits $103.8 million over five years to support the implementation of Indigenous-designed projects that support and improve community safety and well-being. First Nations communities and organizations on and off reserves, modern treaty agreement holders, self-government agreement holders, Inuit and Métis communities and organizations, and organizations that serve urban Indigenous individuals and Indigenous 2SLGBTQQIA+ people are all eligible for funding.
This initiative will support projects that recognize the importance of traditional knowledge and practices and contribute to greater community safety for Indigenous Peoples. Projects may include after-school programs for youth, safe streets and transportation initiatives, land-based activities, and culture and language programming, as well as initiatives to support the safety and well-being of Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA+ people. Interested communities can visit the Pathways to Safe Indigenous Communities Initiative web page to learn more about the program and apply for funding.
Blog & More
Why Does Funding Organizations Without Charitable Status Matter? by Imagine Canada
You likely may have heard news about Bill S-216, which has already passed in the Senate and been introduced in the House of Commons. The Bill would replace the “direction and control” requirement that in the instance of a charity providing funds to a non-charity, a charity and non-charity must enter into an agreement whereby the charity exercises “direction and control” over the activities of their partner. In this blog post, Imagine Canada dives deep into why this legislation and funding organizations without charitable status matters. Read more →
How to Celebrate National Volunteer Week Virtually by Volunteer Canada
The pandemic has changed the day-to-day lives of all Canadians. Health care workers, emergency managers and frontline staff are working tirelessly to provide essential services during this time of crisis. Many Canadians are self-isolating or practicing social distancing to help prevent the spread of the virus. This has led to many events, including celebrations of volunteers, being cancelled to protect the public. However, volunteer recognition isn’t just about events. There are plenty of ways to recognize your volunteers and celebrate their efforts without gathering in person. Read about 10 ways you can virtually applaud your volunteers and celebrate National Volunteer Week in this post. Read more →
Next Generation Meetings: Best Practices & Creative Tools for Improving Online Gatherings byTechSoup Canada
This webinar is here to show you ways to shake up 'business as usual' gatherings by infusing them with more creativity, greater inclusion, and more opportunities for meaningful connection. TechSoup Canada looks at meeting agendas to identify some of the most common challenges and pitfalls of online and face-to-face meetings. Learn how visual processes like graphic recording, graphic facilitation, and other types of visuals can help create meaningful connection, and explore innovative best practices for organizing 'next gen' meetings. Learn more and watch the webinar→