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May 10, 2017
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Celebrating Nonprofit Risk and Reward   

Calgary and Area nonprofits do incredible work! This year's Nonprofit Innovation Awards saw a record number of applicants and showcased an impressive array of initiatives. Congratulations to the three award recipients who were recognized last week for taking bold risks on the way to making a difference in the lives of those they serve:

Calgary Aging in Place Cooperative launched a new model in 2015 to help seniors age in their own homes. The startup offers a peace-of-mind service that gives seniors and their families an additional housing option to consider as they age.

Catholic Family Service helps teen dads flourish with its Fathers Moving Forward program. With a focus on an under-served and often-judged population, the program continues to break down assumptions and barriers among clients, staff, and program partners.

Oneball Charitable Cancer Organization is nuts about men's health. They take a 'ballsy' approach to removing the stigma of a testicular cancer diagnosis, and provide meaningful assistance to men in their cancer journey. 

You can read these stories and more, including photo profiles of the work of 12 other nonprofits, in the Spring 2017 issue of Further Magazine. You can also pick up print copies at most Safeway and Co-op locations across Calgary, as well as select swimming pools and leisure centres. 
Be Informed (news and developments)
Consultation Panel on the Political Activities of Charities Releases Recommendations for CRA and Federal Government 
A panel of experts has recommended the following changes to the current regulations on political activities of charities, following consultations in fall 2016:
  1. Enable charities to fully engage in public policy dialogue.
  2. Make changes to: compliance and appeals, audits, and communication and collaboration to improve clarity.
  3. Remove references to non-partisan "political activities" to allow charities to engage in non-partisan public policy dialogue, within their charitable purposes.
  4. Shift the focus from activities to charitable purposes, and update the list of charitable purposes to reflect current social issues.
In response to the report, the Minister of National Revenue has immediately suspended all remaining audits within the Political Activities Audit Program.
The recommendations align with CCVO's submission to the consultation. If the recommendations are adopted, charities will have increased clarity and freedom to engage in public policy discussions. 
The GAIN Team Needs Your Help!
The United Way of Calgary and Area's GAIN (Group for Assisting and Improving Non-profits) Team is a group of private and public sector leaders who help grow nonprofits' capacity in Board Governance, Strategy and Business Planning, Financial Planning, and Leadership . The GAIN Team is undertaking a survey about its back-office services and the relative benefits and drawbacks of various service models. Please share your experiences in this 10-minute survey before May 30 to help inform a set of recommended best practices for agencies across the city. One response per agency, preferably by the Executive Director, will be highly appreciated. 
Should Calgary Bid? Updates
The Calgary Bid Exploration Committee is working through its process to evaluate if pursuing a bid for the 2026 Olympic & Paralympic Winter Games is feasible and prudent. As the Committee works towards this mandate, a section of its website will be dedicated to updating the public on our progress.
Reflect (articles, blogs, and other ideas worth sharing)
Today's social impact leaders must be skilled collaborators, adept at bringing diverse individuals together, and confident in their abilities to drive greater social change. This playbook is designed for those emerging leaders who want to hone their leadership skills and have more meaningful impact on the issues and causes they care about. This playbook pulls together practical tools to guide personal reflection and growth and concrete ways to influence change within your organization and beyond. It is a collaborative effort between Third Plateau Social Impact Strategies and Beth Kanter, with support from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. 
Our colleagues at Imagine Canada have published a report exploring the experience of young workers in the nonprofit sector - their challenges, aspirations, and stories as they start a career in the sector. The report draws upon a series of interviews with young workers, and provides a set of recommendations for nonprofits on how to support the young workers in their organization. 
Learn and Connect (workshops and events)



Presented by Charity Village
Thursday, May 25, 11 am - noon

Properly issuing receipts has been challenging for many registered charities. In fact, according to the CRA, 89% of registered charities that are audited are not correctly issuing official donation receipts. Issuing incorrect receipts can result in revocation or penalties and it is easier to do it right than to fix problems afterwards. This free webinar presented by charity lawyer Mark Blumberg will outline what you need to know to ensure your charitable receipts are CRA compliant.



Presented by the United Way of Calgary and Area
May 25-26

If in your everyday data collection you are wondering about things such as survey consent requirements, data retention and sharing guidelines, and how to formulate sensitive survey questions with the participants in mind, then this 1.5 day training is for you. The prerequisite for participation is previous experience in designing or implementing evaluation, needs assessment, quality improvement or other types of projects. No previous ethics training is required. 





Presented by Volunteer Alberta
May 30 or June 23

Explore how to implement effective and proactive screening practices within your organization. In this one-hour webinar, you will:
  • Develop a deeper understanding of volunteer screening and engagement.
  • Learn about the important steps in the screening process and identify ways to enhance your practices and polices.
  • Gain clarity on the difference between Police Information Checks and Vulnerable Sector Checks (and how to decide when to use them).



Presented by Mount Royal University
June 5-24; blended online and classroom

How can you move your change initiative from round table talks to action? Learn promising practices that are emerging in the social innovation ecosystem to draw on the strength and creativity of the right collective to help steward solutions through the use of social innovation labs. In this course, you will experience how to apply a selection of social innovation lab tools to navigate and make progress on a complex social challenge and receive coaching relevant to your particular initiative.
Funding and Awards

As part of the Volunteer Screening Program, the grant is designed to support the development of effective screening practices and processes. Nonprofit organizations facing resource and capacity challenges around volunteer screening can apply to Volunteer Alberta for this $2,000 grant.  Application deadline: May 30

Created to inspire and honour excellence in community investment professionals, the Hazel Gillespie Community Investment Leadership Award is awarded to a professional involved in any aspect of a public or private organization's community investment strategy within Calgary. This leader is known for their generous professional leadership, strategic thinking and insight, and a genuine commitment to continuous learning and the mentorship of others. Nomination deadline: June 12


Communities and organizations interested in hosting events for Alberta's Culture Days this fall can now apply for funding from the Alberta government. Groups wishing to be a one-day Pop-Up Celebration Site can apply for up to $1,000, while groups that want to be a three-day Feature Celebration Site can apply for up to $10,000 in funding.  Application deadline: June 16
    
The City of Airdrie is accepting Letters of Intent applications for 2018. Applicants must be eligible under the Family and Community Support Services Act and Regulation. Preference will be given to social service nonprofit organizations registered under the Societies ActApplication deadline: June 16
Shortlist of Other Funding and Awards

Calgary Herald Christmas Fund; application deadline May 23
Calgary Learns Initiative Funding 2017; application deadline June 1
A Sample Of Our Publications






In Brief: Influencing
Public Policy

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