Happy Holidays from SIA
December 16, 2022
As we end this year we find ourselves reflective. Appreciating the impact of our friends, colleagues, and partners on our shared communities. We are grateful for the social and environmental change we have seen organizations and collectives make over the past year. Although broader society has seen many challenges in 2022,…
Constant Strategic Innovation at the Centre for Social Innovation, or CSI at CSI.
September 29, 2022
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…
Evolving Social Impact Planning in Uncertain Times
September 1, 2022
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…
Loosening the Reins on Funding to Enable Impact: The General Operating Support pilot
August 18, 2022
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…
Paulina Cameron: A changemaker supporting women entrepreneurs, individually and systemically
August 4, 2022
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…
Successfully bringing Indigenous ways to a traditionally science-based culture at Sierra Club BC, with Executive Director, Hannah Askew
July 7, 2022
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…
Gord Downie’s Legacy of #ReconciliACTION!
June 23, 2022
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…
Insights from Toronto’s Reconciliation Action Plan
June 9, 2022
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…
Creating an increased and lasting sense of civic agency in youth
May 26, 2022
Veronika Bylicki, Executive Director & Co-founder of CityHive, shares how her organization is 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 their impact to date and what changes might be needed for…
Connecting for Impact – May 12, 2022
May 16, 2022
https://youtu.be/6AwyN4tr5P4 Lynn Fergussen from Social Impact Advisors connects with Tamer Ibrahim and Kate Flynn about the collective impact process, what it is like to be a backbone, and lessons learned from the field. Collective impact is defined as a group of organizations working together to address a major challenge by…