đź“ŁLast Chance for Connections Conference Early Bird Registration!
Connections Conference - Deadline Extended for Early Bird Tickets!
THURSDAY, APRIL 25 | GREY EAGLE CONFERENCE CENTRE
Early bird registration for the 2024 Connections Conference has been extended to the end of the day on March 15!
Confirmed!
We are ecstatic to announce that the keynote speaker at the 2024 Connections Conference will be Vinod Rajasekaran, CEO & Editor-in-Chief of Future of Good!
This year’s conference sessions include:
Who Do Albertans Think They Are?
Jared Wesley, associate dean at the University of Alberta will be discussing some Alberta stereotypes and how a false sense of reality holds us back from pursuing bold new ways of thinking when it comes to public policy.
Building Adaptable & Strategically Focused Organizations
Liz Denis and Hugh Munro from Capacity Canada will be leading an interactive workshop focused on an organization’s need for adaptability given their continuously changing environmental conditions.
A-I-A-I-OH! How AI Will Disrupt Fundraising and Challenge Our Ethical Stance
Scott Decksheimer, founder and disruptor at Avista Philanthropy, will be presenting and having an interactive discussion on AI, revenue disruptions, and ethical challenges and how to navigate them in a changing world.
Find more sessions and the conference program here. Updates are being made regularly.
Early Bird Ticket Pricing
CCVO Members - $139/individual; $899/table of 8
Non-Members - $179/individual; $1,299/table of 8
Check our Member Directory to confirm your organization's current membership status.
Facing the Storm: State of the Sector 2023
Our 2023 state of the sector report, Facing the Storm, is live.
For Alberta nonprofits, global trends are converging with persistent local challenges. The affordability crisis is causing more Albertans to turn to nonprofits, with 30% of Albertans expecting to access charitable services to meet their basic needs in the next 6 months.
Alberta nonprofits are overwhelmingly concerned with their ability to meet this demand, with 63% finding it challenging or very challenging. Many report that they are struggling to afford standard operations and nonprofits are concerned about their own staff who are using the food bank or relying on meals that are provided as part of programming.
While revenues have stabilized with nonprofits to diversify revenue streams, expenses soared. Insurance, staff salaries, and program operations were the most notable cost increases.
Budget Analysis and Political Gossip with Friends
Thank you to everyone that joined us for The Nonprofit Vote's Budget Analysis and Political Gossip With Friends event! If you weren't able to attend, watch Melissa Caouette's budget analysis above.
If you're ready to start working on the 2025 budget, we will be hosting April-May consultations so you can weigh in on CCVO’s 2025 budget submission. Register here.
Policy Highlights
Have Your Say About Changes to the Occupational Health and Safety Code
Public engagement for proposed changes to the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code is now open. Engagement is focused on the following parts:
Part 27 – Violence and harassment
Part 33 – Explosives
Part 37 – Oil and gas wells
Responses are being collected through an online survey. There is an industry category specifically for nonprofits. If you will be completing the survey on behalf of an organization, a PDF copy of the questionnaire can be downloaded for your reference while consolidating your feedback. The survey will close on March 19. Fill out the survey here.
Learning Opportunities
Budgets 101 for Grant Writing
Mar 13 | online
REGISTER
What Does the Nonprofit Sector Data Ecosystem Look Like?
Mar 18 | online
REGISTER
Inclusive Job Postings: Attracting Diverse Talent
Mar 19 | online
REGISTER
Lobbying for Change
Mar 21 | online
REGISTER
Diversity Justice and Racial Justice
Mar 21 | online
REGISTER
Board Leadership Calgary
May 25 | online
REGISTER
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
9-8-8 is a new national three-digit helpline that provides urgent, live 24/7 support by phone and text for anyone who is thinking about suicide, or who is worried about someone they know. Distress Centre Calgary is a 9-8-8 partner and part of the network of crisis lines across the country whose responders take 9-8-8 calls and texts. Learn more about the helpine here. Help spread the word about 9-8-8 by printing off and hanging a poster or by sharing information on social media. Find promotional resources here.
Funding & Grants
CIRA Net Goods Grant
CIRA Net Good Grants funds community-led internet projects to build a resilient, trusted, and secure internet for all Canadians. This includes infrastructure work that increases the number of Canadians who have access to a quality internet, online safety projects that increase Canadians’ cybersecurity knowledge and safety from threats, and policy engagement work that broadens public awareness, understanding, and engagement in domestic internet policy and governance. Projects that benefit students, northern communities, rural areas, or Indigenous people will be prioritized.
Applications are open to nonprofits, charities, Indigenous communities, and academics at universities or colleges. Applicants can apply for up to $100,000 in funding. The application deadline is April 10. Find the application and further details here.
2SLGBTQI+ Projects Fund 2024 Call for Proposals
The Government of Canada’s 2SLGBTQI+ Projects Fund aims to support 2SLGBTQI+ organizations that address barriers to equality. This includes projects that facilitate systemic change as well as the development of knowledge, tools, and support for the community.
Organizations must be a nonprofit that works primarily with the 2SLGBTQI+ population that is incorporated nationally or provincially. Applicants can apply for up to $400,000 for projects with a local reach. Projects that cover more than one community are eligible for up to $1,200,000 in funding. Projects must end by March 31, 2027. The call for proposals will close on April 10. Find the application here.
Blogs & More
Quarter of Canadian Non-profit Workers Dissatisfied With Job: Report
Shannon VanRaes, Future of Good
People working in Canada’s non-profit sector are less satisfied in their jobs than their private sector counterparts, according to a recently released report.
“We know that we’re at a moment in time where the affordability crisis is really layering more challenges on an already strained sector, and it’s employees that are feeling that crunch,” said Karen Ball, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations.
More and more, non-profit employees are turning to the organizations they work for to access support, she said. Read more→
Inclusive Board Meetings
Katie Smith Milway & Susan Wolf Ditkoff, Stanford Social Innovation Review
The research is clear: Diverse teams get better results. From 2019 to 2021, corporate boards increased their diversity by 50 percent, just as many social sector boards have responded to societal wakeup calls by recruiting more members who can represent the communities they serve. But once a board becomes more community-anchored, how are they to embrace the challenge of inclusive governance and bring out the best insights from their new members? Here, the issue becomes much less clear. Read More→