In this conversation with Tonya Surman, CEO of the Centre for Social Innovation, or CSI, we hear about the effect of COVID on their core social purpose coworking space and significant strategic changes happening at CSI.  We see the value of CSi (and other nonprofits) owning real estate, unpack SI Canada’s new role, learn about their leadership on an Impact Dashboard with a Common Approach, and a pilot social enterprise in Muskoka for healing, connection and learning for impact leaders…and...

How the world has changed!  There are a lot of new challenges and opportunities these days as organizations look to clarify their purpose, strategy, and evaluation of their work to create social impact in these uncertain times.  The work is more complex and challenging than it was say three years ago, the stakes are higher, and success is less certain.  In this podcast, Andrew Taylor, Co-Founder of Taylor Newberry Consulting and Lynn Fergusson, Partner at Social Impact Advisors let you in on...

Laura Manning, Executive Director at the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation (LSHF) shares the journey and lessons learned from a bold Canadian pilot started in 2018, granting significant additional, unrestricted General Operating Support (GOS) to known grantees.  We hear about the time it takes to get boards comfortable with this approach and what’s behind that. We also hear how Laura and the Foundation see advocating for this approach as part of their work, to help shift the sector.  Now issuing...

In this episode, we talk to Paulina Cameron, a Globe and Mail ’22 Changemaker and CEO of The Forum, a Vancouver-based charity teaching, mentoring and supporting women entrepreneurs across Canada to take their businesses to the next level.  We hear about the challenges and opportunities the organization and women entrepreneurs faced through COVID.  We also hear about the systemic issues women entrepreneurs face, and work The Forum is doing in both supporting women to overcome these barriers,...

Our guest today is Andrea Nemtin, Executive Director of SI Canada. Sally and Andrea talk about what Social Innovation is, the history of the field in Canada, and how Social Innovation Canada (SI Canada) came to be.  Andrea talks about the priorities of the organization as our country emerges from COVID, and how solutions to the complex challenges of social justice and climate change can be catalyzed and aligned through education, intentional networking at local and national levels across...

Hannah Askew started as Executive Director at Sierra Club BC in late 2018 with a mandate to bring an Indigenous lens to the work of Sierra Club BC, alongside the traditional scientific lens.  As a lawyer, prior to this role, Hannah practiced public interest environmental law and was deeply involved in learning from Indigenous communities about their systems of law and governance.      You’ll hear that Hannah is a big proponent of the McConnell Foundation’s Innoweave program “Impact and...

Sarah Midanik, Executive Director of the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund shares a message of hope, as she reflects on the important work of reconciliation requiring us all, and non-Indigenous Canadians in particular, to take action. We hear about the important work to be done to address systemic racism and how this national charity found a way, working from the ground up, to address the history not previously being told in the school  curriculum, providing tools and resources into some...

Selina Young, Director of the City of Toronto’s first Indigenous Affairs Office speaks with us about Toronto’s Reconciliation Action Plan, recently unanimously approved by Council.  We hear about the process, informed by various Indigenous community leaders, which pushed Selina and her team to revise the plan, ensuring big, bold action towards reconciliation.  It’s also made clear that this plan is not for Indigenous folks to undertake, but rather actions for non-Indigenous folks to be...

Veronika Berlicki, co-founder and leader of CityHive, shares how they are transforming the way young people engage in shaping their cities.  Based in Metro Vancouver, this 5-year old nonprofit has revisited its initial strategic plans, to assess the impact its been making and see what changes that might mean for the way forward. They’ve engaged key stakeholders along the way and had some tough conversations as a team, looking at the change they want to be making and considering the...

Bianca Caramento is the Manager of the Bay Area Climate Change Council, leading the collective impact initiative to advance and accelerate climate change action in the cities of Burlington and Hamilton.  She shares with us the structure behind this collective, with her “backbone” role housed in the Centre for Climate Change Management at Mohawk College, supporting a collective of 14 community organizations.     We hear about their Theory of Change – the master plan for reducing green...

Foreseeing COVID negatively impacting women’s ability to stay and thrive in the workforce, Pamela Jeffrey, Founder and lead of The Prosperity Project was concerned about the impact this would have on not just the women themselves, but Canada’s prosperity.  So, she took action, focusing on women, and particularly women of equity-deserving communities, including Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, and physically challenged.      Pamela shares how this project came to be and the...

The Home Depot Canada Foundation has recently revisited their role and plans by developing a Theory of Change and Strategic Plan.  We hear about the journey and results from Amy Bilodeau, Sr. Manager, Community Investment for the Home Depot Canada, a role which includes supporting the Home Depot Canada Foundation's mission to eradicate youth homelessness in Canada.  This mission has remained intact, and with a renewed commitment, with the Foundation continuing to aim higher on its...

B Corp is a global movement of more than 4800 companies, with almost 400,00 employees in 79 countries around the world, all focused on making business a force for good.     Together, B Corps are working to shift our global economy from a system that profits few to one that benefits all: advancing a new model that moves from concentrating wealth to ensuring equity, from resource extraction to energy generation, and from individualism to interdependence.     We are happy to have...

Show notes:  Kara Peck, Senior Director, Strategy + Partnerships, B Lab US & Canada shares their journey to strategic clarity for their organization and for making a real difference in the world.  Leveraging a time of organizational and societal change, they have developed a Theory of Change, creating alignment around a new focus for the B Corp-certifying nonprofit, to support the business sector in taking collective action towards addressing racial equity, climate justice and...

In this episode, Sally speaks with Shelley Zuckerman, who has been the Executive Director of North York Community House for the past 30 years, about her long career in the non-profit sector, how her organization has navigated the challenges of the past two years, and her advice for the next generation of leaders in the sector.      Shelley shares what makes her optimistic for the future, both for our sector and more broadly. As she nears retirement this year, Shelley reminds us about...

We’re focused in this conversation on a collective approach being taken in Halton to support young people as they transition from the care of CAS, at age 18-24. Halton Region identified this as a priority area, creating a Community Safety and Wellbeing table, and it truly is a community effort. With the Oakville Community Foundation holding the backbone or coordinator role, leveraging support from the Halton Granters Table, many local youth serving organizations have come together to support...

In this episode, Sonia Theroux, the Executive Director of Leadnow speaks with Sally about what progressivism means, the movement, and how activists and change makers can think about and stay hopeful about the moment we are in.    Sonia is a campaigns and communications specialist, passionate about organizing and community building. She has seen the power of people talking to people about something they care about. She has led or advised on successful electoral campaigns at the...

Our guest on this episode is Dr. David Danto, who is the Head of Psychology at the University of Guelph Humber. Dr. Danto’s clinical and research interests include Indigenous wellness and culture-based approaches to addressing intergenerational trauma in local and global contexts. David is involved in allyship and decolonization efforts within the discipline and the academy.     Dr. Danto has worked in psychiatric hospitals, counselling centers, private practice, and correctional...

In this episode, we hear from the Ontario Nonprofit Network through Executive Director Cathy Taylor, and Policy Advisor Pam Uppal, They share the state of the sector in Ontario, from their most recent surveys and ongoing interactions, and what this means for the ONN’s policy priorities. We hear about the important role of looking out for the sector overall and being part of emergent issues.  We also hear about the rise and importance of collaboration across the sector – although nonprofits...

In this episode, we have a conversation with Leanne Burton, Director, Partnership Development at MakeWay, a public foundation that acts as an intermediary, working between funder and community partners to build healthy pathways towards social, environmental and economic justice.    It’s a time of year when people might be thinking more about giving, donating to causes that are important to them.  We’ve taken an opportunity to chat with Leanne for her thoughts on what to think about as...

In this episode, we hear from 4R’s Youth Movement Executive Director Jess Bolduc about the desire to address reconciliation, by engaging Indigenous and non-Indigenous youth, creating authentic relationships and addressing fundamental flaws in the system.  We hear about the challenge many nonprofits face, of only having near-term funding, while the issue to be addressed is much longer term.  She lets us know about a framework for cross-cultural dialogue created by youth, and how the challenges...

In recognition of National Philanthropy Day and also Giving Tuesday, we’re pleased to be re-sharing our podcast with Dr. Joseph Smith, who, among other roles, is a founding member of the Foundation for Black Communities. This Foundation was designed to adjudicate grants, develop policy and liaise with government and the philanthropic sector to serve Black-led and Black-serving non-profits and charities.       The Foundation’s report: Unfunded, was a catalyst for $200 million in federal...

In this episode, we are speaking primarily about the challenges facing the arts sector and also the philanthropic sector more broadly, in addressing racial and other systemic inequities, in granting and beyond.  Our guest, Jordan Baylon (they/she/he) is a queer, non-binary second generation PhilipinX artist, critic and community worker imagining justice and abundance for equity-deserving peoples. Jordan brings a decade of experience working as a grantor in the non-profit arts sector in...

Rudy Ruttimann, Founding Director of Sketch Working Arts, shares why and how she has stepped down after 22 years as the Executive Director, and the importance of succession planning.  She also shares the exciting work she’s now taking on. The new role includes capturing learning from “Project Home”, buying their own studio space, through a community bond raise and traditional fundraising, all through COVID. Her work will also include conducting research around the impact of the arts, and...