Intentionally Designed for Meaningful Giving, with Kate Masson, Meaningful Work Foundation at Ian Martin Group
As the co-owner and Community Manager for the Ian Martin Group, Kate Masson works to establish a community of belonging and shared accountability for staff through a self-managed operating system and a genuine spirit of care for those in the organization. You're going to get a sense of that in this conversation. We're focused here not on the staffing organization, the work of Ian Martin Group as a B Corp, but on their foundation. They have been intentional in creating a foundation. The structure reflects the impact they intend, which includes looking at the effect they don't [...]
Making Data Accessible to Address Inequities, through the Toronto Child & Family Network’s Raising the Village initiative
In this episode, Social Impact Advisors Partner Lynn Fergusson interviews representatives of the Toronto Child & Family Network. Kelley Baldwin provides backbone support to the Toronto Child and Family Network, a network of about 100 organizations. Tamara Augsten, who's had a lead role in developing the Network's Raising the Village initiative shares the value of this database. This initiative has pulled together data from various partners' sources, such as EQAO standardized testing, Toronto District School Board, and the census, and made 120 indicators easily accessible to anyone, in a way that allows for insights into the current [...]
Hope for the Homeless – with Proof, with Foundations for Social Change CEO Claire Elizabeth Williams
As co-founder and CEO of Foundations for Social Change, Claire Elizabeth Williams is getting global acclaim for North America's first direct giving project with people experiencing homelessness. Direct giving project, as in giving a lump sum of cash directly to people experiencing homelessness. We hear about their innovative project, the New Leaf Project, and its key success factors, including: the ability to be innovative forming partnerships conducting the research - the proof of the impact they're making and how they're going about doing that, and doing it through the gold standard of a Randomized Control Trial in [...]
Staff Message for the Season – Generosity, Collaboration, and Innovation
As we reflect on the past year, we are hopeful about the opportunities for healing and rebuilding we see within communities. This year the pandemic and global movements around Black Lives Matter and Indigenous rights have exposed long-standing inequities within our systems. We are inspired by our partners' and clients’ generosity, collaboration, and innovation during these uncertain times. Generosity Although many organizations are stretched for resources and capacity, we are seeing them readjust and reorient programs to continue to serve those most in need. We have seen individuals and organizations be generous with their time, knowledge, and resources. We [...]
Storytelling, impact investing and reshaping philanthropy, with Sadia Zaman, Inspirit Foundation CEO
Sadia and her small but mighty team at Inspirit Foundation are focused on shifting Canada to having more inclusive and equitable media and arts, impact investing, and philanthropy sectors. With a background in journalism, it should be no surprise that Sadia shares the power of storytelling to make change, and Inspirit follows through, providing platforms for voices to be heard, including through the Narrative Change Lab, particularly raising Muslim and Indigenous voices. We also hear about the bold objective set by the Foundation's Board 5 years ago and just achieved, for Inspirit to be 100% in impact [...]
Capturing your Secret Sauce in a powerful Theory of Change, with Melissa Sariffodeen, CEO of Canada Learning Code
It's evident in this conversation that Melissa is a strong proponent of a non-profit having a Theory of Change – having a clear objective and a road map to get there. She shares with us Canada Learning Code's significant but achievable goal, and their journey of developing and living into a Theory of Change to deliver on that goal. It has continued to be their guide through a re-branding and the unprecedented times presented by COVID-19. You'll hear how the Theory of Change has rigourously captured the organization's secret sauce, to ensure that they stay focused on [...]