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Aug 2017Postcards from the collaborative economy
In the nonprofit sector, we often seem to be fighting uphill battles trying to combat poverty and exclusion, addictions and mental illness, climate change, racism, political disengagement and many other challenges in our communities without the sense that we are making real progress against “the system.” As we work to support our community members’ access to jobs, food, and housing, and their exercise of rights,...
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Jul 2017Is your organization covered?
Nonprofits and charities are focused on creating solutions to strengthen communities. However, in the course of this work, employees or volunteers may offer advice and counsel that simply falls short— or worse, causes harm. What happens when an oversight or mistake results in a lawsuit? If you’re found liable for professional negligence, a lawsuit may be too much for your organization to bear. How do...
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Jun 2017Non-profit sector leading the conversation on inclusion
The non-profit sector is often seen as leading the way when it comes to diversity and inclusion. Non-profit organizations do diverse work and often rely on the perspectives of an equally diverse workforce to make social change. But is the sector sending mixed messages when it comes to diversity and inclusion? Many nonprofit organizations list diversity and inclusion among their core values, while in practice...
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Jun 2017More useful evaluation for nonprofits? Yes, we can!
In 2015, ONN took on a project to look at the systemic issues of evaluation in Ontario’s nonprofit sector and design potential solutions to help us get to more useful evaluation. This framing led to the development of our Sector Driven Evaluation Strategy work, which to date now includes a resource treasure chest designed to help identify pain points experienced by nonprofits, and move forward...
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02
Jun 2017No matter how you slice it, workplace legislation matters to us all
Over the past seven years, ONN has been actively working on labour force issues affecting Ontario’s nonprofit sector. As our work has evolved, we have become more focused and intentional on our sector’s role as employers and economic actors. ONN’s vision is to mobilize a decent work movement across the Ontario nonprofit sector that will allow organizations to more effectively achieve their missions because they...
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May 2017Behind the numbers: Ontario Budget 2017
Now that the dust has settled and the Budget bill is just finishing its trek through the legislative process, it’s time to look beyond the numbers and ask, what does Ontario Budget 2017 mean for the nonprofit sector? This is the first balanced Budget since the 2008-09 downturn and a Budget with the 2018 election clearly in its sights. As ONN noted it its budget...
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May 2017The long or short road to retirement
In our June 2016 blog, we highlighted how the pensions file at ONN grew out of our decent work agenda and why nonprofit workers deserve to retire with a pension plan. In the nonprofit sector, a lot of people do not have a workplace pension plan but wish they did, while others do not know where to begin on retirement planning, especially workers at the...
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May 2017Highlights from GO Open Data Conference 2017
Over 150 people gathered in London, Ontario for the Go Open Data 2017 conference May 5 & 6. This was a cross-section of folks from government, the private sector, academia, and the nonprofit sector who all share a common interest in open data. Together, we shared a full day of learning and discussion about the potential and challenges that open data presents. Here are a few of...
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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...
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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,...
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