Nonprofit News: Haskayne School Consulting for Impact Program
Understanding the Pandemic's Impact on the Nonprofit Sector: Share Your Input!
We know that Alberta’s nonprofit sector has been front and centre of this pandemic and its effects will be felt for years to come. As part of our Community Recovery Now campaign, CCVO is working with the sector to focus our efforts on measuring the impacts on vulnerable populations, the health of our environment, and the vibrancy of our communities.
Alberta’s nonprofits need a seat at the table as supported partners in the government’s recovery plan. As we find our way through the toll that the pandemic has taken over the last two years, Albertans are relying on our nonprofits to provide the critical services and support to ensure our communities continue to a full recovery and remain a strong and vibrant part of our future.
SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE
While we understand many in the sector have been called upon for their input in various surveys and focus groups, we would greatly appreciate 5-10 minutes of your time to help us paint an accurate picture of the impact of the pandemic on the nonprofit sector in Alberta. Your invaluable input allows CCVO to advocate for specific policy ideas on behalf of the sector.
The survey is open until July 22, 2022. Please forward this message and survey link to the person in your organization in the best position to answer the questions in this survey. You can also enter for a chance to win a Parks Canada Pass when you complete!
SHARE YOUR ORGANIZATION'S EXPERIENCE
With your input in this survey, CCVO will advocate for the nonprofit sector and to report on:
how the pandemic has impacted nonprofits including which types of organizations and sub-sectors,
concerns nonprofits are currently feeling for the future, and
Investments and supports needed moving forward.
We look forward to sharing the results with you in a report released this fall. Thank you for your participation and support in this work!
Join a CCVO Community of Practice!
CCVO Communities of Practice (CoP) are an opportunity for nonprofit professionals to build connections with others who share a common practice and passion in a related field – Human Resources, Communications, or Evaluation & Research. They are a space for collaboration, learning, sharing of resources and experiences, opportunity to create new practices, and build capacity collectively.
Over the past two years, we have been hosting virtual CoP sessions. Moving into this fall, we will start hosting a combination of in-person and virtual meetings, focused on various topics. Join a CoP and be part of one of our upcoming sessions:
HR Exchange (Human Resources)
July 21 | group connect on current challenges | Zoom
CommConnect (Communications)
July 19 | social media & group connect | CCVO Office
ECoP (Evaluation)
July 6 | Client-centred Evaluation Approaches and Right Use of Power Concepts with guest speaker Jeff Couillard | Zoom
To learn more and join a Community of Practice, please subscribe to one of the CoP mailing lists on our website. Please note: CoP groups are open to all professionals in the nonprofit sector, who are currently working in a specific CoP field.
Policy Highlights
Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future Releases Final Report of Lobbyists Act Review
The Standing Committee on Alberta’s Economic Future has released the final report regarding their review of the Lobbyists Act. Last year, CCVO, in partnership with ECVO, provided a joint submission as well as a made a presentation directly to the committee recommending that the exemption for public benefit nonprofits be upheld as it had been in previous reviews.
CCVO is pleased that the committee has heard the voice of nonprofits and recommended that the exemption be upheld. This decision will ensure that the Lobbyists Act does not create both unnecessary red tape for the Government of Alberta and unnecessary work for the Alberta nonprofits working in the public interest and for public benefit.
The Nonprofit Labour Force is in Crisis
Cathy Taylor, ONN
Nonprofits across this country are at the forefront of helping communities survive and thrive, and workers are committed to serving their communities and have found innovative ways to do this throughout the pandemic. But, as Cathy Taylor writes in this recent post, we’re at a tipping point. If governments do not act to support this labour force now, the most vulnerable in our communities will be impacted. Unlike many other sectors, an HR crisis in the nonprofit sector directly impacts essential services and affects Canadians in their everyday lives. Read the full post here.
How Bill S-216 Could Transform the Canadian Nonprofit Sector Forever
Bill S-216, otherwise known as the Effective and Accountable Charities Act, seeks to amend the Income Tax Act to empower charities by allowing them to more effectively collaborate with a wider range of organizations, including those without charitable status, which the Act refers to as “non-qualified donees”. Proponents of the Bill say the amendments are necessary to get rid of burdensome and expensive red tape and outdated legal bureaucracy.
But the key shift proposed by Bill S-216 is much more aspirational: to eliminate the deeply-rooted and historic paternalism that many see embedded in the current rules about how charities can operate. In the latest CharityVillage podcast episode, learn what this bill could mean for Canada's nonprofit sector.
Haskayne School of Business: Consulting for Impact
Are you a medium to large size nonprofit that would like a team of Haskayne School of Business students to work on a current strategy-related challenge?
The Haskayne School of Business is reaching out to nonprofit organizations to participate in consulting projects where a team of up to 5 students will provide pro-bono work on specific strategy-related challenges within your organization and offer solutions. Each consulting team will be made up of four undergraduate students and one MBA student, and the teams will be mentored by a professional consultant.
This project would be ideal for organizations looking for support in securing grants and other sponsorship through the demonstration of successful strategies that showcase value. Projects could involve:
Developing long term business strategies to ensure organizational sustainability
Evaluation planning of current events and programming
Organizational structure analysis
Identifying KPI’s to showcase organizational value
Creating fund development strategies
Researching business models including social enterprise
The timeline for this project is the Fall 2022 Semester, from September 6 to December 7. Learn more about eligible projects here, and apply by July 31 here.
Learning Opportunities
GEDI-HUB: Inclusive Workplace Hiring Strategies
July 5 | online
REGISTER
Workforce Planning Through a DEI Lens
July 12 | online
REGISTER
Tamarack Institute: Failing Productively in Systems Change: Key Mindsets & Practices
July 13 | online
REGISTER
Nonprofit Tech for Good: How to Create a Social Media Strategy for Your Nonprofit
July 13 | online
REGISTER
funding and Grants
Canadian Race Relations Foundation National Anti-Racism Fund
The Canadian Race Relations Foundation (CRRF) seeks to support organizations to combat racism, promote events and education, and build a more anti-racist society. Currently two streams are accepting applications: event sponsorship and youth initiatives sponsorship.
Event sponsorship applications
CRRF encourages organizations to apply to the National Anti-Racism Fund if they are coordinating events that align with one or more key themes and achieve one or more of the expected results. This stream of funding is available to:
Canadian registered charities (as recognized by the Canadian Revenue Agency).
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis organizations.
Canadian non-federal public institutions such as municipalities, boards of education, schools, colleges, and universities.
Canadian non-profit organizations and associations.
Available funding for any proposed event is up to a maximum of $25,000. CRRF will work with successful applicants to establish the flow of funds according to deliverables.
Youth initiatives sponsorship applications
CRRF encourages applicants organizing youth anti-racism initiatives to apply to this funding stream. The initiatives must align with one or more key themes and objectives and achieve the expected results of the National Anti-Racism Fund. This stream of funding is available to:
Canadian registered charities (as recognized by the Canadian Revenue Agency)
First Nations, Inuit, and Métis organizations
Canadian non-federal public institutions such as municipalities, boards of education, schools, colleges, and universities
Canadian non-profit organizations and associations
Grassroots and recognized student groups
The amount of funding for any proposed youth anti-racism initiatives will be up to a maximum of $2,500. Funding will be provided upon contract signing, and a final report is expected after the completion of the initiative.
Learn more about both streams on the CRRF website.
CMHA Alberta Working Stronger Conference: Call for Abstracts
As Alberta’s workplace mental health conference, the Working Stronger in-person conference is two days of immersive workshops, empowering keynotes and inspiring stories designed to create and maintain mentally healthy workplaces. This year’s conference, Back to the Future, focuses on helping organizations adapt their workplace mental health strategies to meet their employees' changing and diverse needs, bringing together all generations past, present and future, to advance workplace mental health together.
The conference has three streams: Reflecting on the Past, Envisioning the Future, and Celebrating Right Now. These streams aim to empower storytellers, visionaries and knowledge holders to come together to create meaningful change throughout organizations in our diverse province. CMHA Alberta is accepting abstracts until July 27, 2022. Learn more about the conference and how to submit an abstract on the CMHA Alberta website.
Blogs & More
5 Essential HR Practices for Small Nonprofits
Imagine Canada
Employees and volunteers are the secret weapon behind every nonprofit’s success. While larger nonprofits can often invest substantial amounts in Human Resources (HR), for smaller nonprofits with smaller budgets and less resources, maintaining good HR practices can be a little trickier. In this blog, learn about a few HR best practices that small organizations can adopt today to streamline HR management, and ensure volunteers and employees feel supported, valued, and excited to be part of your mission. Read more →
101 Guide: Strength-Based Communication for Nonprofit Organizations
Prosper Strategies
Strength-based communication is critical for any nonprofit committed to advancing equity. This type of communication uses messaging that emphasizes the strengths, opportunities and power of an individual, group or community. It represents people positively, in a way that feels true and empowering to them. Contrary to popular belief, strength-based communication is still very motivating to donors and supporters. But if your nonprofit has spent years using need-based framing, transitioning to strength-based communication can be a difficult adjustment. This guide can help you make the switch. Read more →