English – Page 38 – Canadian CED Network

In response to the economic instability facing the Town of Churchill and surrounding region following the announcement of the closure of the Port of Churchill and associated reductions in rail service, Community Futures Manitoba (CFM), a member of the Canadian CED Network, has announced a $4.6 Million fund.

The goal of the Churchill and Region Economic Development (CRED) is to encourage short and long-term, sustainable economic development and diversification of local economies, facilitate economic adjustment and enable collaboration and partnerships leading to enterprise opportunities in the Churchill and Bayline Region communities affected by changes in service delivery.

Learn more and apply to the Churchill and Region Economic Development Fund

The CRED Fund will be delivered and administered by CFM, the association representing Manitoba’s 16 Community Futures organizations.

The Fund will give priority to projects which are multi-community in nature and benefit the Churchill and Bayline Region. Municipal councils, Indigenous organizations, bands, tribal councils, hamlets, businesses, services or community organizations in Northern Manitoba are eligible. The Fund will also support projects that promote business activity in Kivalliq and the west coast of Hudson Bay if they strength the economic activity across Northern Manitoba.

Ontario

Ontario’s Rural Economic Development (RED) program helps rural communities remove barriers to community economic development. The RED program provides cost-share funding to rural communities, Indigenous communities and organizations, and not-for-profit organizations.

The objective of the RED program is to support:

Evidence-based planning projects
Implementation of projects that contribute to economic competitiveness

Apply now to the Rural Economic Development program

Applications will be accepted during the following timeframes:

From January 30, 2017 (12:00 p.m.) to March 31, 2017 (5:00 p.m. Eastern)
From July 31, 2017 (9:00 a.m.) to September 29, 2017 (5:00 p.m. Eastern)

Communities can use this support to remove barriers to local economic growth through initiatives such as developing a downtown revitalization plan or implementing a tourism-related marketing and promotion strategy to attract businesses, investors and visitors to their city.

Since 2013, the Rural Economic Development program has committed more than $8 million towards almost 160 community economic development projects, generating over $25 million in new economic activity and creating and supporting more than 600 jobs.

In 2016, the government approved 38 RED community projects representing a total investment of up to $1.7 million.

Click here to find out if your community or region meets the definition of rural Ontario as outlined above.

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EconoUs2017: Innovating for Shared Prosperity (September 13-15, 2017, Calgary, Alberta)

The organizing partners of EconoUs2017, the national community economic development conference, are seeking proposals for workshops!

The Program Committee for EconoUs2017 loosk forward to reviewing all proposals. Preference will be given to proposals that clearly outline the relevance to community economic development by aligning with one or more of the 3 following conference themes, that adopt one or more of the suggested formats for effective engagement, and that exemplify the diversity of activity, organization type and people engaged in the social economy. Prior to making our final selection we may follow up with you for more information or to suggest collaborating with another proposed session. Following selection, successful session leaders will receive an information package to better prepare for your participation in the conference program. Only successful submissions will be contacted.

The 3 conference themes are:

THRIVING COMMUNITIES

GOOD JOBS

DOING BUSINESS DIFFERENTLY

Workshop Formats

Workshops should prioritize engagement with attendees, building on information and ideas shared through a formal presentation. Please share your ideas for how you would format your workshop to get everyone active and contributing to the conversation.

Panel presentations comparing and contrasting approaches to community economic development (CED)
Training sessions that foster new forms of leadership and build capacity to activate CED
Dialogue in small breakout groups
Roundtable discussions that explore a particular issue
Local tours or site visits

We also welcome and encourage workshop proposals that include creative works and/or performances that can help animate the conference.

Workshop presenters will receive 50% off full registration to EconoUs2017 or a free registration for the day of their session.

DEADLINE FOR PROPOSALS: FEBRUARY 28, 2017

Please complete the on-line proposal

For more information, visit econous.ca

Did you know that the word “wealth” actually comes from the Old English weal—meaning well-being—and th—meaning condition? The word literally means, “the conditions of well-being.”

Wealth isn’t just about your finances. It’s about personal and cultural identity. It’s about skills, knowledge and abilities. It’s about relationships. It’s about having a safe home and access to transportation. Of course, finances play a role in genuine wealth, but they aren’t the factor.

At Momentum, we work with Calgarians living on low incomes so they can build their own genuine wealth, or sustainable livelihood, as we refer to it.

Of course, we have fun along the way. Wealth Auditors, Episode 1 is an example of genuine wealth. We hope you enjoy!

Originally published on Momentum’s blog Engage: https://momentum.org/2014/03/01/do-you-know-the-true-meaning-of-wealth/.

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Amanda McKellar is currently Marketing & Communications Coordinator at Momentum in Calgary. Amanda is a communications expert with experience in writing for a variety of audiences having worked for 8 years as a self-employed content writer/editor. For other articles by Amanda McKellar, visit https://momentum.org/author/amanda/

Together2030 CCEDNet has joined Together 2030. We previously were members of Beyond 2015 that had promoted people-centered sustainable development for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that were adopted at the UN in September 2015.

Together 2030 is a civil society initiative that promotes national implementation and tracks progress of 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. We aim to generate knowledge and project voices from different civil society and stakeholders around the world on the challenges and opportunities for the 2030 Agenda. We bring together actors to discuss the way to formulate and implement roadmaps at national level and hold governments to account at all levels.

The 2030 SDG’s are universal in nature. All countries, including Canada, need to go forward on all the 17 Goals. For CED, the SDG’s are important since they promote lifting people out of poverty, gender equality, rights of indigenous peoples, sustainable cities, etc. Climate change and reducing inequality are also very important. We want Canada to adopt a sustainable development strategy involving all stakeholders, including civil society and all levels of government. This strategy for implementing the SDG’s must consider what must be done in Canada, and in the world. For example, Canada must commit the equivalent 0,7% of GDP to international development so that all countries can achieve the SDG’s. CCEDNet intends to be part of this process in Canada, and in the world.

The Canadian CED Network hosts a number of “Strengthening Non-Profits” workshops throughout the year on a variety of topics identified through engagement and consultation with our members and partners. Check out the following offerings in 2017. For more information or to let us know about a customized Build-Your-Own workshop you’d like to see, contact Jenna Drabble at jdrabble at ccednet-rcdec.ca.

2017 Strengthening Non-Profits Workshops

Dealing with Conflict in the Community

Tuesday, January 24 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Register for Dealing with Conflict in the Community

This half-day workshop will teach participants about the foundational models for conflict resolution and how to respond to the conflicts that inevitably arise when working in a community setting. Whether it is an interpersonal issue or you are 3rd party to a conflict, this workshop will equip you with the tools to assess a conflict and determine the most appropriate response. Participants are invited to bring low intensity examples of conflicts they are dealing with in their work and use the opportunity of this interactive workshop to talk through challenges and approaches. Participants will also learn about Mediation Services, a community resource, and how it can support the work of community groups.

FACILITATOR: Sue Hemphill

Planning for Your Organization’s Financial Sustainability

4 Wednesdays, February 8 & 22, March 8 & 22 | 9:00am – 12:00pm

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FACILITATORS: Sarah Leeson-Klym and Brendan Reimer

Tools for Great Facilitation

Friday, February 10 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Register for Tools for Great Facilitation

Many people underplay the role of a facilitator. A great facilitator is generally not noticed, but the work and accomplishments are remembered. Unfortunately when there is poor facilitation, it is often all we notice. The cost of poor facilitation is participant frustration and ideas or decisions that are limiting and even divisive. This workshop will focus on some basic skills in facilitation so that you and your audience can meet your goals.

FACILITATOR: Jan Schmidt

Build & Grow Your Social Enterprise

Monday, February 27 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Register for Build & Grow Your Social Enterprise

Non-profits and social entrepreneurs are increasingly considering social enterprise – a blended value model where business methods are put to work achieving social impacts. This workshop will explain what social enterprise is and what it’s not, then lead participants through an overview of the typical steps in an enterprise’s early development. The facilitators will introduce participants to tools for deciding if you’re ready to take on an enterprise, how to clarify your idea, test it’s feasibility, plan the business model including legal and financial considerations, start-up and then evaluate and strengthen.

FACILITATORS: Frank Atnikov, Sarah Leeson-Klym, and Gilbert Dion

Community Development as Community Organizing: Building People Power for Social Change

Friday, March 10 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Register for Community Development as Community Organizing

What does it mean to “organize”? How do we gain “people power” and put it to use? The answers to these questions can help people in communities of all types identify and carry out effective strategies for achieving social change on scales big and small. While organizing is often associated with political parties and issue-based social movement organizations, community development actors can also benefit from thinking strategically about the resources and opportunities that exist within their political landscapes.

FACILITATOR: Joe Wasylycia-Leis

The Power of Story: A Toolbox for Action

Wednesday, April 5 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Register for The Power of Story

Stories are a powerful way to connect, to engage, and to motivate people to take action. This three-hour workshop is designed to give organizations the tools they need to: discover the stories that convey the raison d’être for their existence, share the impact they have in the community, use stories as a strong call to action. Participants will get hands-on practice, listen to great examples of powerful storytelling, and take away tools that will help them shape their story for different audiences.

FACILITATOR: Cate Friesen

Stronger Outcomes Statements for Better Results

Wednesday, May 3 | 9:00am – 12:00pm
Register for Stronger Outcomes Statements for Better Results

Strong, well-written outcomes can focus your program’s activities and make it easier to evaluate your effectiveness. In this half-day workshop, you will get step-by-step guidance in writing practical, measurable outcomes so that you can better communicate your goals to stakeholders. You will find out about different ways of organizing outcomes, and learn how to use performance indicators as supporting evidence to illustrate your successes.

FACILITATOR: Margerit Roger

Understanding Fundraising

Thursday, June 8, 2017 | 1:00pm – 4:00pm
Register for Understanding Fundraising

FACILITATORS: Mikuska Group Inc. – Laura and Julie Mikuska 

A new construction project in urban East Baltimore aims to use federal funding to achieve a number of progressive goals. Volunteers of America Chesapeake has leased space to Arcturus Growthstar Technologies, which received funding from CBO Financial to build indoor vertical farming facilities that will employ and train ex-offenders.

The East Baltimore partnership is funded through the New Market Tax Credit, a $65 billion program designed specifically for community development entities like CBO. It allows investors to claim tax credit in return for providing equity to a project, from which they later hope to realize profit.

The building being leased from Volunteers of America Chesapeake is currently a residential reentry center for ex-offenders, who often struggle to rejoin society and the workforce after leaving prison. Training and employment have repeatedly shown to be crucial for rehabilitating ex-offenders, and the United States’ work and training programs for inmates are sadly lacking compared to both other countries’ programs and the actual need.

The benefits of providing employment and training to ex-offenders are twofold: They help people stay out of prison and they promote economic growth. A 2013 study by the National Career Development Association found, “Employment is still a leading factor in recidivism for ex-offenders. Research indicates that an estimated 54 percent of offenders return to prison without full-time employment, compared to 14 percent who are employed full-time.” The Center for American Progress claimed that “estimates put the cost of employment losses among people with criminal records at as much as $65 billion per year in terms of gross domestic product.”

The East Baltimore project will help ex-offenders reenter society, and it will help revitalize the community by putting a gardening center right in the city. Urban farming projects have significant economic and health benefits for the surrounding communities and can even help promote socialization and self-reliance among participants.

Vertical farming, which is the urban gardening type proposed by Arcturus, has its advocates and its opponents, but it’s an undeniably interesting invention. The idea is to stack trays of plants with their roots in nutrient-enhanced water so more food can be grown in less space—like a skyscraper of greenery. The ability to grow large amounts of food indoors eliminates the problems associated with trucking produce into urban spaces, whose residents often don’t have access to fresh vegetables.

Baltimore in particular has struggled with this “food desert” problem, but Arcturus hopes that their project “could serve as a bellwether for other public-private partnerships within the urban farming industry.”

The public-private nature of the enterprise could be a blessing or a curse. On the one hand, the New Market Tax Credit is essential to the project’s existence. There is even an opportunity for further partnership down the line with the Work Opportunity Tax Credit, which offers significant credits to employers who hire ex-felons. (The WOTC covers a number of disadvantaged groups, including veterans and SNAP recipients.)

On the other hand, public-private partnerships sometimes demand short-term results and are answerable to taxpayers as well as private investors. Not only that, but federal money for social impact projects, especially those that impact ex-felons, may not be long for this world once the new administration takes over.

Nonprofits should keep an eye on the partnerships like the one in East Baltimore; if it’s ultimately able to achieve its goals, it may serve as a model for community investment projects elsewhere.

This article was originally published by NPQ online, on January 6th, 2016. Reposted here with permission.

Erin Rubin is the Editorial Coordinator & Community Builder at the Nonprofit Quarterly. Previously, she worked as an administrator at Harvard Business School and as an editorial project manager at Pearson Education, where she helped develop a digital resource library for remedial learners. Erin has also worked with David R. Godine, Publishers, and the Association of Literary Scholars, Critics, & Writers. As a member of the TEDxBeaconStreet organizing team, she works to communicate innovative ideas and translate them into action.

Co-operatives in Canada continue to be important actors in Canada’s social economy. The strength of the co-operative model lies in its ability to support local economies by revitalizing and sustaining communities through socially inclusive means. As legally incorporated organizations owned by their members, co-operatives exist in most sectors of the economy, and can operate as for-profit enterprises, non-profits and registered charities. The sector continues to generate a significant economic impact while making important contributions to communities across the country.

As an entrepreneur or business owner, you now have access to Co-operatives in Canada 2012, a collection of baseline data on the co-operatives sector collected by the Government of Canada. The report, now in its 79th edition, provides an overview of data collected in 2012, including statistics on co-operative types and ages as well as on co-operatives’ distribution by geography and industry.

Download Co-operatives in Canada in 2012

According to the report, almost 8,000 non-financial co-operatives, boasting nearly 8 million in membership, operate in the sector. Generating an estimated business volume of more than $38 billion annually, co-operatives provide employment for almost 90,000 Canadians.

In 2012, 42% (or 2,135) of all reporting co-operatives were classified under the Real Estate sector primarily as housing co-operatives. Wholesale and Retail were second (14%), followed by Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting (8%), and Health Care and Social Assistance sectors (8%).

Co-operatives in Canada are involved in a wide range of activities, ranging from manufacturing and processing to housing, daycare and health care services. The co-operative sector also has the potential to support a number of government priorities under the Government of Canada’s Inclusive Innovation Agenda, including social innovation and social finance initiatives, a transition to a greener economy, and Indigenous economic development.

Whether you are currently part of a co-operative, or looking to start your own co-operative business, the report provides valuable insight into the sector as a whole, providing a unique national snapshot of co-operatives in Canada and allowing you to make sound business decisions based on latest available data.

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED) is currently in the process of preparing open data tables for data collected in 2011 and 2012 as well as finalizing the data for the Co-operatives in Canada in 2013, which will be published in the New Year.

Thinking about starting a co-operative? Check out the Canada Business Network’s past blog posts for useful tools and resources:

SOURCE: Originally published by the Canada Business Network, December 22, 2016. This guest blog is provided by Co-operatives Policy, which provides analysis, advice and support to promote co-operative business innovation and growth in Canada.

The United Nations Association in Canada (UNA-Canada) and the British Council Canada are pleased to launch Active Citizens Social Enterprise (ACSE) in communities across the country. This is a chance for youth to join 150 young leaders from across Canada to learn how to use the ACSE framework to address the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in your local community.

Active Citizens Social Enterprise is a social leadership training programme that promotes community led development through a social enterprise lens. ACSE training helps participants to become more self-aware and confident as leaders, strengthen their capacity to communicate, and build strong relationships with others.

Apply to Active Citizens Social Enterprise

Who is eligible?

If you are a young leader (aged 18 – 35) living in Canada, if you are committed to and passionate about social entrepreneurship, community-engagement, social development, if you have a passion for the SDGs and an idea for how you could address one of the Sustainable Development Goals in your community, then ACSE wants you!

What will you do?

If you win a place on the ACSE programme, you will take part in a 3-day ACSE immersive training session over a weekend in January or February 2017. Training sessions will take place in six cities across Canada (Vancouver, Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto, Montreal and Halifax). Travel bursaries will be available if you do not live in one of those cities.

Armed with the ACSE framework, you will return to your community after the training to implement your proposed SDG intervention throughout 2017, with the support of peer or business mentors.

You could also have the opportunity to be chosen among other participants to be part of the programme’s Innovation Summit in Ottawa in March 2017 (10 participants will be chosen by a multidisciplinary Selection Commitee). The Summit will showcase the youth’s passion and commitment for social enterprise while convening high level representatives from public and private sectors, innovation-focused enterprises and start-ups, social enterprises of all sizes, British Council and UN representatives. This Summit will also provide opportunity for partnership development, to showcase social enterprise, ideas and innovation.

Programme Schedule

December 2016

Official launch of ACSE
Youth recruitment and selection of participants for the ASCE training sessions January and February 2017
Training sessions to take place in Vancouver, Edmonton, Montréal, Toronto, Halifax, and Winnipeg
ACSE participants engaged in the Canadian International Model United Nations 2017
Selection of candidates for the Innovation Summit

March 2017

Ottawa Innovation Summit

How can you get involved?

You can apply by completing the application form, or share this opportunity with your network. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the end of February 2017. Application deadline is a week before each training date. Late applications may be considered depending on number of applicants.

Learn more about Active Citizens Social Enterprise

coop canada On November 28th, 2016, Alexandra Mendès, Member of Parliament for Brossard – Saint-Lambert, tabled Motion M-100. The purpose of Motion M-100 is to provide for the development and implementation of a strategy in order to promote and support Canada’s co-operative sector.

“My motion calls on the Government of Canada to continue to recognise the important role that co-operatives play in the Canadian economy and to ensure that Canada’s co-operatives continue to thrive,” stated Mrs. Mendès.

Last June Ms. Mendès tabled Bill C-286 An act respecting the establishment of a framework to promote the development of co-operatives in Canada and amending the Department of Industry Act and other Acts. The purpose of Bill C-286 was to provide for the establishment and implementation of a framework to promote the development of co-operatives in Canada and to amend the Department of Industry Act and the Regional Development Agency Acts to specify that, within their mandates, federal ministers and agencies are to develop and promote the co-operative model in Canada.

“At the time of tabling C-286, I explained that it was the continuation of the work started by my then colleague, the late Honourable Mauril Bélanger, and implementation of the recommendations that came from the Special Committee on Co-operatives in 2012. After much thought and discussion, I have come to the conclusion that a motion is a better tool to continue the work that has been accomplished to date because the motion uses stronger language and, if successful, would firmly establish the support of the House of Commons for the development of a strategy to further Strengthen Canada’s Co-operatives,” explained the Member of Parliament for Brossard—Saint-Lambert. “Mauril often said that co-operatives, especially new ones, face significant challenges capitalising themselves and that there is clearly a role for the federal government to play,” said Mrs. Mendès.

Furthermore, Mrs. Mendès believes that a motion undergoes a quicker and less arduous process than a Private Member’s Bill since it does not need multiple readings in the House of Commons, does not need to be studied by a parliamentary committee and does not require to be debated or voted in the Senate. In fact, a motion simply requires two hours of debate before being voted on by the House. These factors have led to her decision of moving forward with this motion.

Alexandra Mendès strongly encourages all members to read her motion and to vote in favour of strengthening the co-operative sector.

Motion of Support for the Co-operative Sector

That, in the opinion of the House, the government should recognise the important role co-operatives play in the economy and ensure that they continue to thrive by taking concrete steps such as: (a) developing, in consultation with provincial and territorial governments, Indigenous communities and the co-operative sector, a federal co-operative strategy to promote and support Canada’s co-operative sector; and (b) providing periodic progress reports on pre-established goals and targets.

SOURCE: Co-operatives and Mutuals Canada

The Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program is a four-month (May 1 – August 25, 2017) education program offered by Coady Institute’s International Centre for Women’s Leadership. This program enables indigenous women to strengthen their leadership capacities in order to contribute to change in their communities within a culturally safe environment of sharing between women. Two on campus components bookend a community placement period over the summer months during which time the participants are supported by a mentor who can guide the application of new knowledge.

During this time, IWCL participants showcase and hone their leadership skills, address community priorities, engage and build upon community strengths. Once the program is complete, the graduates and mentors are linked through an IWCL network through which they can support each other in creating change beyond the temporal boundaries of the program.

“The skills, tactics and life experience I obtained as an IWCL participant are at the top of my library of resources that I reach for every day as a front-line worker in First Nations communities. The facilitators have the knowledge and experience to provide context into how the material could be applied within Indigenous communities.” 2013 Coady graduate

Learn more and apply to the Indigenous Women in Community Leadership program

Who should take the program?

This program is open to First Nation, Métis or Inuit women who are legally entitled to work in Canada. Successful candidates demonstrate that they have some leadership experience through community involvement, community organization or volunteer work, must be passionate about working in and developing their communities, and must be committed to this program for its duration. Participants are chosen through a rigorous selection process with a review committee of indigenous program faculty and experienced indigenous women leaders.