Today’s launch of Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada (CMC) represents a new united voice for Canada’s co-operative and mutual businesses.  A national, bilingual association, CMC represents 9,000 co-operatives with a total membership of 18 million.

This new association brings together the wisdom, historical roots and experience of two large networks that developed largely in isolation from one another: the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and le Conseil canadien de la coopération et mutualité (CCCM).

CMC activities will be targeted at helping co-operatives form, develop and thrive. Through advocacy with the federal government, CMC will provide a knowledgeable voice to encourage national policies that strengthen the co-operative economy. CMC will also support wide-ranging research in partnership with leading research institutions and government to inform policy.

Co-operatives support sustainable social, economic and environmental goals through adherence to the International Co-operative Principles and Values. There are ambitious plans at the international level to make co-operatives the fastest growing form of business by 2020 and today’s launch is Canada’s first step in doing our part to achieve that vision.

Visit CMC’s new website >>

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The co-operative sector has cause to celebrate as an all-party Parliamentary Caucus on Co-operatives prepares to hold its first meeting.

The caucus will look to continue the work that the House of Commons Special Committee on Co-operatives began during the 2012 International Year of Co-operatives, which resulted in the Status of Co-operatives in Canada report based on interviews with over 46 co-operative organizations and written submissions from over 60 sector stakeholders. Joe Preston, Conservative MP and former member of the House of Commons Special Committee on Co-operatives, will be chairing the caucus and will be joined by Liberal MP Mauril Belanger and NDP MP Hélène LeBlanc, among others. All MPs and Senators have been invited to attend the first meeting.

The creation of this new Parliamentary Caucus is due in large part to the tireless work of Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada.

Check out Hon. Mauril Belanger’s update on Co-operatives.

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For Albertans with an interest in addressing complex social issues such as poverty and family violence, the news of a new provincial Social Innovation Endowment was a clear highlight in the recent provincial budget announcement. Still, its potential impact is uncertain. Momentum has been watching the issue and is pleased to share with its community economic development colleagues across the country 5 things people in the field should know:

1. It is big…really big: In fact, it’s the largest social innovation fund in Canada at $1 billion. The fund will be capitalized over two years with the first $500 million endowed immediately and the second $500 million in next year’s budget.
    
2. But endowment disbursements are small: In the first year $22.5 million will be available. In the second year it will be $45 million and after that 4.5% of total endowment funds. Relative to the provincial budget, these are small amounts.
    
3. The focus is, well, broad: So broad that culture is included in the working definition of social innovation. This is unusual—arts money has historically been kept separate from social services. It’s too soon to speculate what the impact of this breadth will be, but members of both sectors hope that the overall funding available will grow because of the new endowment.
    
4. It is linked to the Social Policy Framework: Alberta’s recently developed Social Policy Framework is directly mentioned in the endowment description. Many have wondered how the SPF will be funded; this endowment may provide part of the answer.
    
5. Community Economic Development activities may be on the table: Throughout the announcement, many aspects of CED are mentioned. A multi-sector approach; risk-sharing between non-profits, social enterprises, business and government; research of social finance tools… to Momentum, this sounds like CED.

Momentum will keep its ears open as details become clear. What’s your take on the Social Innovation Endowment announcement? Share your view with us via twitter @momentumcalgary.

Carolyn Davis is the Community Relations Director at Momentum, a Calgary based CED organization and founding member of the Canadian CED Network. Momentum partners with people living on low incomes to increase prosperity and inspires the development of local economies with opportunities for all.

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Wouldn’t it be amazing to know that every time you made a donation, it went directly to creating a job or training opportunity for someone with barriers to employment? It really is amazing, and has been happening for 20 years at LITE, a long-time member of CCEDNet!

Local Investment Toward Employment (LITE) was born out of a vision for actually reducing poverty rather than simply alleviating it. It was a vision of change, not charity. Yes, if someone needs food today, we absolutely need to make sure they get something to eat. But what about making sure that people don’t end up in a spot where they don’t have food in the first place? Winnipeggers generously give food to those living in poverty at Christmas, but that gift does nothing to change the reason why those families needed food in the first place.

The brilliance of LITE is that it isn’t about one option or the other. It is about doing both at once. This simple yet transformative model ensures that food is provided to those that need food, and is purchased in a way that creates jobs for those who need jobs. It is the gift that gives twice!

Over two decades, LITE’s Alternative Christmas Hamper has provided over $750,000 of food to the Christmas Cheer Board, and in the process has created and supported hundreds of training and employment opportunities in Winnipeg’s inner city at places like Neechi Foods, Andrew Street Family Centre, and Wolseley Family Place. So many wonderful stories emerge out of these opportunities. A simple chance to bake cookies can build confidence that leads to other jobs or further education. So many people want to work, but lack the right skills or the right opportunity. Sometimes all it takes is for someone to believe in you, and give you that first chance. LITE, through the community partners they purchase from, does exactly that with fantastic results.

Looking to support training and jobs throughout the year, LITE is now also about more than food hampers as it has begun to fund a variety of other projects that have the same outcome – giving people a hand up instead of a hand-out. These jobs always build people’s confidence, lead to supportive social relationships, provide important skills and a resume, generate income that help people meet their basic needs, and often lead to other employment as a result of this first chance they embrace.

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CCEDNet, LITE, and Manitoba Green Retrofit staff

Huge congratulations are in order to LITE for twenty years of changing lives, one dollar at a time! In total, that would be over $1.5 million dollars in change. The many staff, the dozens of dedicated board members, the amazing community partners, the tireless volunteers, and the thousands of donors have all contributed to making this fantastic CED story a resounding success. Many hands really do make LITE work. 

LITE’s 20th Anniversary Winter Gala was a resounding success! It was great to see some founders there, and many new faces. It was a blast for all who attended, a great chance to deepen our engagement with LITE, and it raised enough money to fully fund 3 CED Grants, hire single mothers to bake 33,000 cookies for Alternative Christmas Hampers, or provide over 100 families with full hampers this Christmas!

I will leave you with a challenge. Find some way to support LITE, and be a part of this great story. Make a donation, organize your workplace to raise money, join the Run for Rights, buy raffle tickets, or offer to volunteer. Every dollar counts, every dollar matters.

Tell your friends, tell your church, tell your company, and promote this great option via social media. The message of LITE is simple, but the impact is huge. When people hear about LITE, they get it, and they love it. Many just don’t know about it yet. We all need to do our part to get the message out there. The needs in our communities remain, but the opportunities that are possible are real, and this is why people will want to be a part of these workable solutions.

Brendan Reimer is the Manitoba Regional Director for the Canadian CED Network. He is also the manager of CCEDNet’s Enterprising Non-Profits – Manitoba program and a member of the Social Enterprise Council of Canada.

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