Nonprofit News: Share Your Organization's Experience
How has the pandemic impacted your nonprofit?
Share your experience in this short survey
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.
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.
Upon completion, you can enter to win a Parks Canada Pass! The survey is open until next Friday, July 22. Please forward this message and survey link to the person in your organization in the best position to answer the questions in this survey.
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!
ABNN Info Session: Civil Society Fund
JULY 25, 1:00 - 2:00 PM | AUGUST 9, 9:30 - 10:30 AM
Please join the Alberta Nonprofit Network (ABNN) for an information session to learn more about the Government of Alberta’s Civil Society Fund grant program. The Civil Society Fund (CSF) provides $20 million over 3 years to expand civil society’s capacity to address social problems facing Albertans. Applications for 2022-23 Civil Society Fund are now open and the application deadline is September 2, 2022 at 4:30 PM.
Join us for an info session on either Monday, July 25 or Tuesday, August 9 to learn more about the fund, eligibility requirements, and how your organization can apply. We will be joined by Stephen Gauk, Executive Director, Civil Society and Community Initiatives Branch; and Glen Hughes, Director, Premier's Council on Charities and Civil Society.
The meeting will take place on Zoom and registration is required beforehand – please register through the date-specific buttons below. Note that you will need to register twice to attend both sessions. To join the meeting on the day of the event, you will need to log in with the email address you used to register.
REGISTER FOR THE JULY 25 SESSION
REGISTER FOR THE AUGUST 9 SESSION
Please note that while registration is open to everyone, attendance is limited to the first 1000 people to sign in to the live session. We suggest signing on a few minutes early to have the best chance of attending the live session.
For any questions about the event, please contact ABNN at info@albertanonprofits.ca
Policy Highlights
Government of Alberta Announces Plan to Spend $50 Million on Childcare Spaces
The Government of Alberta has announced that $50 million is now available to eligible Alberta nonprofits in order to increase the number of available childcare spaces. This funding is open to “non-profit groups interested in creating new child-care spaces and providing child care in a licensed child-care program in Alberta”. The funding is part of the $3.8 billion of federal funding under the Alberta Canada Early Learning and Child Care agreement. The Government of Alberta aims to create 10,000 spaces this year with a target of “42,500 additional spaces in non-profit child-care programs by the end of March 2026”. Interested organizations can apply here.
Senator Ratna Omidvar Welcomes the Government of Canada’s Inclusion of her Two Senate Bills in the Budget Implementation Act
On June 23, Bill C-19, the Budget Implementation Act, passed and included Senate Bill S-216, the Effective and Accountable Charities Act and Bill S- 217, the Frozen Assets Repurposing Act. Bill C-19 included measures that changed “direction and control” requirements that regulate charities who work with non-charities.
Senator Ratna Omidvar recently released a statement in response to Bill C-19 being passed, noting that in addition to being inefficient, ineffective, and costly, “direction and control” regulations are an example of a quiet but deeply embedded form of systemic racism. Partner organizations are forced to give over control of their projects to the charity. Understandably, many community groups, including BIPOC-led organizations and local groups overseas are uneasy being directed and controlled, which limits true partnerships with charitable organizations that wish to support their work. Read the full release from the Senator here.
funding and Grants
Government of Alberta Civil Society Fund
The Government of Alberta has opened the latest round of funding for the Civil Society Fund. According to the announcement, this “[f]unding is intended to help civil society transform how community organizations function, innovate and work together to address pressing social challenges”. Nonprofits can apply for up to $500,000 in grants “with an innovative project supporting social recovery or increasing economic participation for Albertans”. Applications for funding are due by September 2, 2022. Click here to learn more about how to apply.
Upcoming Civil Society Fund Information Sessions
As noted above, ABNN is hosting two information sessions - July 25 and August 9 - to learn more about the Civil Society Fund. Learn more and register here.
Blogs & More
Measuring and Accounting for ‘Success’ in the Charitable and Non-profit Sector
The Philanthropist
A number of promising changes are underway in the non-profit and charitable sectors and in their relationships with partners and communities. In the last few years, the needs, aspirations, and calls for justice of equity-seeking communities have begun to receive long-overdue attention. Leading voices are acknowledging the role that the non-profit and charitable sector has played in Canada’s colonial legacy, and work continues with a view to transforming these relationships and to entering into new ones based on reciprocity.
Despite promises of change and renewal, the sector’s accountability relationships and how it defines and accounts for “success” have, overall, remained constrained, fraught, and distorted. The reasons for this are bound up with the sector’s financing models and funding relationships. Non-profit organizations and their allies are well aware of these issues. This piece argues that funders – and philanthropic foundations in particular – can be key players in the righting of these relationships. Read more →
Running Up That Hill: Exerting Influence on the Legislative Process
Imagine Canada
This spring, Canadian charities and nonprofits were quick to respond to the federal budget, and changes that were being proposed for our sector. On a relatively short timeline, a tentatively proposed “Hill Day” was urgently reframed to address the proposed changes to ‘direction & control’ in the Income Tax Act. One of many ways to advocate, this Hill Day was a reactive measure that connected with (and supported) broader advocacy efforts throughout the sector. The Hill Day efforts were seen to have a direct impact on decision making. We’re sharing our experience organizing this event so it can help others new to advocacy or who have never organized a Hill Day before. Read more →