ReThinking Philanthropy with Dr. Joseph Smith, The Foundation for Black Communities and Generation Chosen
Impact Conversations
In recognition of National Philanthropy Day and also Giving Tuesday, we’re pleased to be re-sharing our podcast with Dr. Joseph Smith, who, among other roles, is a founding member of the Foundation for Black Communities. This Foundation was designed to adjudicate grants, develop policy and liaise with government and the philanthropic sector to serve Black-led and Black-serving non-profits and charities. The Foundation’s report: Unfunded, was a catalyst for $200 million in federal government endowment funding in Canada this year and has prompted a transfer of...
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Facing systemic barriers and inequities in granting and beyond
Impact Conversations
In this episode, we are speaking primarily about the challenges facing the arts sector and also the philanthropic sector more broadly, in addressing racial and other systemic inequities, in granting and beyond. Our guest, Jordan Baylon (they/she/he) is a queer, non-binary second generation PhilipinX artist, critic and community worker imagining justice and abundance for equity-deserving peoples. Jordan brings a decade of experience working as a grantor in the non-profit arts sector in Calgary and is currently the General Director of Chromatic Theatre, which is focused on supporting the...
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ReSketching Charity
Impact Conversations
Rudy Ruttimann, Founding Director of Sketch Working Arts, shares why and how she has stepped down after 22 years as the Executive Director, and the importance of succession planning. She also shares the exciting work she’s now taking on. The new role includes capturing learning from “Project Home”, buying their own studio space, through a community bond raise and traditional fundraising, all through COVID. Her work will also include conducting research around the impact of the arts, and developing Next Up, the Leadership Institute for youth not in traditional education...
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Growing Business for Good…brought to you by the United Way
Impact Conversations
In this episode, Mary Ellen Schaasfma, Director and Co-Founder of the Social Purpose Institute (SPI) at United Way BC, shares the concept of businesses having a social purpose as their reason for being, beyond profit. Over the last 5 years, SPI has been piloting programming to help businesses determine and implement their social purpose, in an effort to create a movement of businesses for good. While it’s more often that businesses support charities, Mary Ellen explains how it makes sense for United Way to support the business sector in having a societal...
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National Day for Truth and Reconciliation
Impact Conversations
In this episode, Lynn Fergusson and Sally Fazal, Partners at SIA, share their thoughts on the first annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. The day is a federal statutory holiday in Canada, and SIA is also recognizing it as a day for reflection and learning. To quote our federal government’s announcement: “The day honours the lost children and Survivors of residential schools, their families and communities. Public commemoration of the tragic and painful history and ongoing impacts of residential schools is a vital component of the...
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We need Radical Accountability in the social impact sector
Impact Conversations
In this episode, Mojdeh Cox, Executive Director of London, Ontario’s Pillar Nonprofit Network, shares a new lens she is bringing to the organization: radical accountability. She believes the organization (and everyone) needs to first look at ourselves, and hold ourselves accountable for our roles in today’s hot issues including systemic discrimination, reconciliation, and equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI). She shares that we also need to take a hard look at the nonprofit or social impact sector itself, to see the role it plays in continuing to support systemic issues, such...
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Social Robots are reducing seniors’ social isolation
Impact Conversations
Lee St. James founded Social Robots to apply her tech background to a social issue, close to home. Not able to spend as much time with her father while seeing the effects of social isolation, she took action. Through this social enterprise, and with help from an Investment Readiness Program grant from the Community Foundations of Canada, through the Oakville Community Foundation, Lee is piloting the use of a friendly robot, complete with a tablet for interactive apps and photos, to engage seniors in retirement homes and long term care facilities. She’s addressing issues of...
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Responding to Early Child Care Development Needs while Planning for Systems Change
Impact Conversations
In this episode, Trevor McAlmont, Executive Director of the Macaulay Child Development Centre, shares the importance of providing affordable, universal child care to change the system in Ontario, and Canada. While directly serving 7000 children and 6000 parents through the multi-service agency, Trevor also invests in areas to strengthen the outcomes for these clients. He sees a need for nonprofits to be able to pivot to address emergency needs, as they did in providing food to their families through COVID, thanks to the emergency relief funds granted through United Way. Under Trevor’s...
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How B Lab is leveraging business for climate justice, racial equity, and a stakeholder-driven economic system
Impact Conversations
Kara Peck, Senior Director, Strategy + Partnerships, B Lab US & Canada shares their journey to strategic clarity for their organization and for making a real difference in the world. Leveraging a time of organizational and societal change, they have developed a Theory of Change, creating alignment around a new focus for the B Corp-certifying nonprofit, to support the business sector in taking collective action towards addressing racial equity, climate justice and stakeholder capitalism. Resources B Lab US/Canada Theory of Change: ...
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Inclusion and Connection at Community Living Oakville with Alexandra Hoeck Murray
Impact Conversations
In this episode, Sally speaks with Alexandra Hoeck Murray, the new Executive Director of Community Living Oakville (CLO). Alexandra talks about the impact the organization and larger community is making in the lives of people with developmental disabilities. In our conversation, Alexandra talks about when the COVID crisis first started and how CLO addressed the potential isolation and disruption that the shutdown of their day services and central building could have caused, and how their rapid transition to online programming has kept people connected. CLOs...
info_outlineIn this episode Sally shares the new focus the Impact Conversations podcast will have in 2020:
- Talking to people starting new impact and strategy projects and initiatives in their NGOs, educational institutions and communities. We will check-in throughout the year with these guests. We hope these are helpful and practical case studies for our listeners.
- Episodes with influencers and thought leaders about how the social and environmental action sectors are changing- the emergence of systems entrepreneurs, new approaches to evaluation, participatory action research, co-design and social finance
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Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca