The Latest

Sustaining a culture of giving through Canada’s Volunteer Awards

Over the past 150 years Canadian communities have flourished with the help of volunteers.

In fact, Canada is known for its generosity. In 2015, we ranked sixth in the World Giving Index which provides insight into the scope and nature of giving around the world.

Many people and organizations have an important role in sustaining the well-being of communities. They share a common goal with many of us: to make a difference.

Recognising such efforts is why the Canada’s Volunteer Awards are so important.

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How Housing Policy Benefits from a Socioeconomic Perspective

On November 17, I delivered a webinar presentation for the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association titled “The Missing Piece: How Housing Policy Benefits from a Socioeconomic Perspective.”

The presentation focused on both macroeconomic factors and factors pertaining to Canada’s social welfare system in general; I argued that leaders in Canada’s non-profit housing sector should be mindful of such issues (and not just focus on housing and homelessness).  My PowerPoint presentation can be downloaded here; the entire webinar can be viewed here.

Here are 10 things to know:

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CommuniTEA Infusion Project

The CommuniTEA Infusion experience is essentially a mobile tea house that comes to a neighbourhood street and creates a kind of town square where people can come together, get to know each other better and strengthen connections. One reason this is important in our fast paced society today, is that fewer persons are connected in meaningful ways with community. If however the gathering place comes right to your door, there is a greater chance for meaningful exchange to take place.

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Adaptive Learning - A Pivotal Competence for Collective Impact

This session will introduce an integrated set of adaptive learning competencies that are essential for generating effective, collective, community impact. These competencies are: systems thinking, conversational capacity, and 'yes to the mess'.

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Why We Can’t Afford to Take Charities for Granted

Imagine you're the crew of a ship sailing from Italy to Canada. You arrive in Hamilton, Ont., only to discover that complications related to the sale of your vessel means it's in limbo in the harbour, you with it. Who will look after you?

This happened to the crew of the 9,000-ton Italian freighter Ardita in April. The ship is still there.

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Unwrapping the Gift of Hospitality

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