21
Apr 2017Community benefits policy must be at the core of Ontario’s infrastructure investment strategy
Social procurement expands our understanding of “value for money,” beyond the lowest cost to include the broader costs and benefits of our collective purchasing power. That sometimes means “fair trade” or “sweatshop free labour,” but it can go much further. Like buying from companies that hire and promote marginalized workers or take measures beyond regulatory requirements to reduce their carbon impact. This is not just...
Read More
12
Apr 2017We can all be allies for creating decent work
With the final recommendations of the Changing Workplaces Review coming this spring and potential changes to Ontario’s employment and labour laws, the launch of the Better Way Alliance is bringing attention to employers who are championing decent work practices such as fair wages, stable employment and paid sick days. The Better Way Alliance is made up of over 20 small businesses and nonprofits in Ontario,...
Read More
09
Apr 2017A call to action on youth employment
Thank you to Imagine Canada for permission to repost this article. This article is a joint effort by Rachel Gouin of Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada; Joelle Lewis of Big Brothers Big Sisters; Jesse Clarke of Pathways to Education; Bernadette Johnson of Imagine Canada; and Justin Ho, Chair of the Youth Employment in the Charitable and Nonprofit Sector Working Group. Broadly speaking, it is...
Read More
05
Apr 2017The big unveil: A strategic plan to strengthen the Ontario nonprofit sector
This year, ONN celebrates the 10 year anniversary of our grassroots beginning. With a research fellow, the indomitable Lynn Eakin, a visionary steering committee, an inspiring place to call home at the Centre for Social Innovation, and a founding issue (the good ol’ Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporation Act or “ONCA”), we had set the stage for a new way of organizing: a networked approach to public...
Read More
15
Mar 2017The value of followship
What would you think if I told you that you should become a Follower? From childhood, we are taught the value of leadership. We are encouraged to develop our skills in leadership, from the classroom to the workplace. Often, the benefits of leadership are tied to ideas of individual success. I will lead. I will take charge. I will be successful. What we can often...
Read More
02
Mar 2017Managing the Year-End Buying Crunch
Tell us if you’ve heard this one before: “The good news is that we have additional funding. The bad news is that we have to spend it by the end of March!” Ahh, the end of the budget year can create any number of challenges, but none generate mixed feelings like the last minute discovery of extra funds. Whether created by an unexpected source of...
Read More
09
Feb 2017The groundwork for leadership across generations
Have we been here before? Last year, inequality, challenges to democracy, and labour force reform weighed on the minds of many nonprofit workers. Past generations were no strangers to similar problems, albeit under different conditions. Some of us may take comfort in seeing patterns in history to help understand how and why we repeat, recycle, or renew them. We would be remiss if we did...
Read More
07
Feb 2017Can a pizza party be evaluation, too? Updating mismatched expectations in nonprofit measurement
Last year, we put out a resource to help clarify the different ways in which the term evaluation gets used (or misused) in Ontario’s nonprofit sector. Since then, we have heard some great ways nonprofits are promoting critical reflection and learning that didn’t quite fit into our original analysis. So, here’s a resource refresh to reflect what we’ve learned and heard from the sector since....
Read More
06
Feb 2017Don’t let evaluation become the elephant in the room
Evaluation… Impact Assessment… Reporting… Simple in concept, but capable of causing severe challenges for your organization if not properly managed. So, why are many nonprofits missing this important piece? In the private sector, where my experience lies, measurement and evaluation is relatively straightforward: Return on investment. Profitability. Efficiency and effectiveness. In the nonprofit world as I’m learning, however, measurement and evaluation is much more complicated....
Read More
30
Jan 2017The perils of recipe thinking in the not-for-profit sector
If you stuck me in a kitchen without a recipe book, I wouldn’t know where to start. When you are inexperienced or lack confidence, a recipe is an amazing thing. It breaks up a complex task into simple steps. It minimizes the risk of making a mistake. It allows you to achieve things you couldn’t otherwise do. Skilled chefs use recipes, of course, but they...
Read More