360 degrees.

Last June, I applied to take part in the six-month program offered by the Max Bell Foundation to educate nonprofit staff and volunteers on how to engage in public policy and advocacy.  As part of the application, I needed to identify an “ask”.  Coming from philanthropy, my ask was going to be around how we could encourage the government to provide more incentives for charitable giving and philanthropy.

As I started down the path, I realized that my “ask” didn’t push the needle far enough.  In fact, I’d argue that we’re pretty lucky to have as many incentives to give as we do. 

Instead of philanthropy, I set my sights on social enterprise.  And over the six month course, I found myself immersed in the legal and regulatory frameworks of for-profits, non-profits and charitable organizations.  Oddly, I loved this depth of information.   My ask evolved into encouraging the Alberta government to create a regulatory structure for social enterprise.

Now, I can go WAY into details of the legal and regulatory merits and challenges of this idea.   And I can tell you who is on side and who isn’t.  I can even tell you about how Canadian federal/provincial dynamics might hinder my Utopian vision.   I won’t right now.  But you can see, I became entranced by the topic. 

And now, happily, I can’t get out.

The crux of writing this blog was to say – social enterprise will take 360 degree thinking.  There are folks, from all perspectives, who will tell you one thing or another.  They will disagree with your definition of social enterprise.  They will approach it from another vantage point.  They will squint their eyes at your crazy notions of nonprofits making money.

For simplicity (and I like simplicity): 

social enterprise is for-profit (or commercial) activity for community (society) benefit. 

(I’m happy to have folks disagree with me.)

Regardless of what you know about social enterprise, the most exciting part is the journey of the thought process.  No longer does our thinking live in for-profit / non-profit silos.  No longer do we just “donate”.  No longer can we point the finger and blame someone else – for the fact that social issues continue to persist.

Instead, social enterprise thinking takes 360 degrees.  You need your financial mind, your MBA, your legal eagle, your engineer, your designer and (most important) your human service folks to say, “hey, great profit idea, crappy social intervention.”  The 360 degrees is why it is so much fun.  I would argue that the process might be more fun than the actual result.

In a nutshell, that’s how I came into the world of s.e. & why I persist in this space.  You’ll hear lots of opinions – and increasingly so – on the merits and challenges of the idea.  In the end, you’ll make your mind up for yourself. 

And in the process, I challenge you to ask, “How will I contribute to this 360 degree thinking?”

Helping to Stretch your Charitable Donations

Over the course of the past year, it has become  routine in the sector to hear of funding cuts and shortfalls in fundraising efforts.  While there have been some bright spots, for the sector-at-large and for the foreseeable future, funding is weighing heavy on the minds of Executive Directors across the city.

As the voice of the voluntary sector, Imagine Canada is using their role to find innovative ways to incent charitable giving.  In Alberta, we’ve already seen this innovation in the Community Spirit Grant offered by the Ministry of Culture and Community Spirit.  This grant rewards organizations who are able to increase their base of private donors.  Imagine Canada continues this type of charitable innovation with their proposal of the Stretch Tax Credit.

The purpose of the Stretch Tax Credit for Charitable Giving is to encourage more Canadians to give and to support those who do give to give more.

How it works: The Stretch Tax Credit for Charitable Giving would increase the federal charitable tax credit from 29% to 39% on all NEW giving that is over $200. This incentive will allow Canadians to “stretch” their giving even more.

Finding innovate ways to finance our charitable sector is cruical for its operations and sustainability.  We know there is great value of the sector to deliver services both for the good of the community and on behalf of the government.  For this reason, it is great to see Imagine Canada using its voice to find new ways of incenting charitable giving.

For more information or to get involved, please visit Imagine Canada.

Attracting Young Leaders of Tomorrow – Let’s get Creative!

When I tell people I work in the non-profit sector, many come back with questions like: “Can you make a living out of it?” or ”Do you go help people like you feed the hungry?” or “Did you choose your job because it give you a good feeling at the end of a work day?” As superficial as these questions sound, they show that there is a skewed understanding or stereotypes of non-profit work and the voluntary sector. Especially for the “Y” generation or “Millennials” (those who are born after 1980), working for a non-profit may not be on the top of their list of desirable career paths as the most glamorous jobs offering high pay or a well established corporate ladder to climb! In 2009, an annual survey conducted by the HR Council based in Ottawa suggests that:

“[In] a total sample of 16,688 students from 50 post-secondary institutions across Canada. The majority – 84% – were university students, most pursuing an undergraduate degree.

A total of 1,732 students surveyed (10%) indicated an interest in a nonprofit career in response to a question that allowed multiple responses; in this summary report, this group of students is identified as “Nonprofit Sector: A Possible Career Choice.” When asked which (one) type of organization they would prefer to work for following graduation, 988 students (5.9% of the total sample) chose “non-profit/charity/social enterprise”; this group of students is identified as “Nonprofit Sector: A Preferred Career Choice.”

Statistics like this have the soon-to-be retired Executive Directors, Managers, recruiters, and workers in the non-profit sector worried – who will be the leaders of tomorrow? Without a definite answer, perhaps it is time for us to get creative! In the past two weeks, it just happened that I was informed of many of such creative attempts to encourage the young and the motivated to get involved in their community by promoting the voluntary sector in a different way. To name a few:

• HR Council is looking for young nonprofit employees to profile in new video series to promote the nonprofit/voluntary sector as career choices.
• Urban Exposure Project 2010: Poverty in Our Community - a project of United Way’s 2335 initiative encouraging interested photographers between the age 23 and 35 to give their time to document and express what they learn about poverty.
• PhotoPhilanthropy.org - an online space and forum recognizing photographers around the world pushing for social change through their images of local non-profit works. 

Perhaps it is difficult to change people’s perception on the characteristics of nonprofit jobs and voluntary work, it is possible to encourage and excite people to be involved in many other innovative and non-traditional ways.

We’re in it for the long term.

From Pat Morris, Connections Counselling – in her 2010 New Years Greeting.

I once read a quote that loosely translated said “we don’t always realize the impact we have on others -through our words and our actions. We may never know how our interactions and kind regard can positively influence and make a difference in the life of another”.

Sometimes however, we may catch a glimpse of the difference our actions or words have made. Case in point is “John’s” story.

Approximately a year and a half ago John, a 22 year old young man with some learning challenges, called to say he was in a relationship with a young woman who had a pre-school aged child.

John went on to speak about his memories when he was a child – a time when Connections provided support to his mother who had an intellectual disability. This support began when John was eight years old and lasted until he was sixteen years of age.  He recalled how the workers made him feel good about himself, and how they taught his mom many things so she could be a better parent to John and his brothers.  John spoke with fondness and gratitude of the relationship and interactions with Connections’ staff during that time.

John remembered the good work of Connections – and asked there was a program to help guide he and his girlfriend to help be the best parents they could be for this little boy?

Through a blended parenting program that Connections offered, John gained the skills and confidence to demonstrate a very positive and caring relationship with his girlfriend’s child.

By providing this type long-term support, lifetime support, tailored to the needs of a specific family – Connections does indeed reap immediate and long term benefits.  Actions and words do indeed have the ability to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Let your Heart be Light

Driving around Calgary on sheets of ice and in snow, isn’t something that I love to do.  My little Scion slips and slides along the roads – and I hear my father’s voice “shift into neutral”.  I grew up in the Mid-West so I know how to drive in the snow, but it still stresses me out.

Last Thursday I was running late, had a million things on my mind, and was in the car on another icy day in Calgary.  The radio was my only weapon against insanity – and quickly put things in perspective.

Mix 97.7 was running a Radio Marathon for the Calgary Herald’s Christmas Fund.  Even though I read the Herald everyday, work in the sector, and watch my Twitter feeds – nothing tugged at my heart like hearing the voices on the radio. 

Humans are hardwired for stories.  We are pulled in by the drama, we connect to the characters, and we remember the lesson – so much better than if we are thrown facts and figures.  Stories are our history, and they connect us to one another.  There is a time and place for evidence, facts and figures – but there is no replacement for that feeling of human connection.

And if you listen, you’ll soon hear stories all around:

Each year, our family puts together a Christmas Hamper for families in Calgary who need a little extra help.  Unlike most years, this year we’ve actually met the family. 

Imagine if, in your golden years, instead of retirement and vacations you were raising both your adult son and his son.  This is the reality for a family of three, who in many cases, may have been split apart – the grandson taken into protective services, the grandmother unable to care for her son. 

But this family has had the support of Connections Counselling to keep it together. 

This year, I met the father and son.  They were enjoying the day at a Connections sponsored event for families.  Laughing, talking, and engaging with one another – you knew that disability did not inhibit their love.  As I watched them enjoy one another’s company – I was filled with deep admiration for the work that Connections does to keep families together.

This year, as our family puts together our Christmas Hamper, I have the image of that day in my head.  The human connection is so important – we aren’t just writing a cheque, we aren’t just making a hamper – we are gifting to a family who we know, who cares deeply for one another.

Maybe it is just the time of year – admist the traditions, the parties, the family reunions – that pulls at my heart strings.  Quite quickly, these stories of generosity and optimism downgrade my quibble with winter driving.  They put back into perspective the reason why I do this work and the reasons why we need more people to do this work.

This Christmas, let yourself be overcome by the stories and ask yourself how you can become involved.  Leave the ole’ evaluation and metrics hat for January.

“How can we help?”

I’m still mulling over my ‘helpful’ theme from my last blog post – we all (usually) have good intentions to be helpful.  In my last post, I was asking donors to be helpful – and after two philanthropic conference in one week, I am turning the tables to ask “how can SVP Calgary help?”

On one side of the coin, we are a funder – and we continue to be proud of our model of capacity building.  Especially during this economic downturn, we are hearing the same chant from non-profits and experts alike, “Fund capacity building”.  We know there is room for improvement in our execution, but we can proudly say we’ve been building capacity for the past nine years.

“How can we help?” our nonprofits survive and grow stronger through these uncertain times?  As funders, by getting down from the balcony and getting into the mix.  By walking side-by-side our Investees – asking what training and support we can provide.  And just as important, by helping to educate government on what happens when they pull back funding and informing them of other options.

On the other side of the coin, we are a non-profit charitable organization – who believes that philanthropy is made up of individual actions.  The individual action of a Partner to contribute $5000 a year, which turns into $120,000 in grants disbursed to local Calgary charities.  The individual action of a Partner to spend as much time as it takes to help coach a non-profit in a capacity building area – leading to organizational sufficiency.  The individual action of a Partner to advocate for the issue they feel the greatest passion.

I smiled this morning as I read the results of the 2007 Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating:

Indeed, the CSGVP shows that a small group of 14% of Canadians provided 59% of all donated dollars and 40% of all volunteer hours to charitable and non profit organizations.

I smiled because when the average annual donation in Alberta was $596 in 2007 and the average annual number of hours volunteered was 172 hours, I knew our Partners are part of that top 14%.  And I smiled because I know SVP Calgary can help to raise the numbers.

“How can we help?” Calgary citizens to build strong charities in our community?  As a charity ourselves, by sharing the results that have occured over the past nine years of capacity building.  By showing the benefits of venture philanthropy, engaged philanthropy, and pushing for new innovations.  By telling the stories of how our Partners have contributed to the community – and in such, become part of the top 14% of Canadians.   As just as importantly, by inspiring others to take their own action – and inviting you to join us.

We’re always looking for ways to help.
Let us know how we can help you…help our community.

Don’t beware, Be aware.

Greeting me this morning was a Twitter post from Imagine Canada – forwarding an article from the National Post titled, “Let the Donor Beware“.   Reading through the article, I quickly asked, “is this helpful?”  

Life in the non-profit sector looks a little something like this:  Demand for services is high – perhaps higher than ever.  Funding is cut, and being cut further.  Non-profits know cuts are coming but funders aren’t necessarily telling them when, where, or how. 

In a landscape like this, is it helpful to scare off private donors?

In Canada, charities are overseen by the Canadian Revenue Service & governed by the Income Tax Act.  When an organization’s work is fraudulent they should be stripped of their charitable privileges.  But it’s easier to scapegoat an organization, so we don’t ask whether the system is the problem.

The system is faulty when the sector, the CRA, and the media have the ease to report bad behavior, but have developed little to no good infrastructure to report good behavior.  (Good behavior is more than % of donation that goes to program v. admin.) 

As long as the system’s feedback loop is broken – where the government sees the non-profit sector as a service delivery agency and holds its funding hostage – organizations will have their hands tied, fester low expectations and deliver mediocre results. 

Private donors hold a key roll in innovation -  if they don’t allow themselves to be tied to a donor-beware mentality. 

Rather than simply writing a check, reading the National Post, and fretting away whether you’ll receive a tax receipt – get out there and learn what it will take to resolve the issue.  Learn about the cause, the urgency of solving the issue, the barriers – find your passion.  It’s called catalytic philanthropy.

Private donors, foundations, and corporations have the clout, connections and capacity to make things happen in a way that most non profits do not.  By becoming directly involved and taking personal responsibility for their results, these donors can leverage their personal and professional relationships, initiate public-private partnerships, import projects that have proved successful elsewhere, create new business models, influence government, draw public attention to an issue, coordinate the activities of different non profits, and attract fellow funders from around the globe.

All of these powerful means for social change are left behind when donors confine themselves to simply writing checks. Stanford Social Innovation Review, Fall 2009

Instilling fear in donors is not the way to do better work; it is not helpful.  Encouraging donor’s to understand systematic constraints that non-profits face is helpful, encouraging donors to get off the sidelines is helpful.

Be helpful.

Okay, okay, I’m getting off my box.  

Time is Money?

A recent report commissioned by Volunteer Alberta presents questionable impact on an idea of volunteer tax credits. The idea is to create a new non-refundable tax credit that would allow individuals to deduct tax for time volunteered for non-profit charities.

Read the full News Release here: http://www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca/uploaded_files/TaxCreditNewsReleaseFINAL.pdf

So many question marks pop up above my head after reading it…
“How do you put a value on people’s time?”…
“Who gets to make that decision?”…
“How effective will it be?”…
“Is this the right kind of incentive to encourage volunteerism?”

What do you think?

Clean-up and Karma

SVP Kids and Families participated in the 42nd Annual Calgary Pathway and River Clean-up last weekend.  Our group spent the morning cleaning in the Edgemont area of Calgary.  Among some of our more interesting finds, including a baseball glove & ball, a $20.00 bill, and a parking sign, the Kids found this page out of a student planner:

We found it a wonderful (and eeire) coinsidence that this particular page appeared in our clean-up area, on the exact day we were there…with a Philanthropy header.

Volunteer or bust?

Back in March, the Montreal Gazette ran “Let’s face it, we should give and volunteer more” and included a few stats on Canadian giving.

• The median gift in Canada is $100.
• Most charity comes from only 10 per cent of Canadians. They give 60 per cent of all dollars, and 52 per cent of all volunteered hours.
• Only one in four Revenue Canada tax returns claimed a charitable deduction.
• Only one in four Canadians volunteer more than one hour a week.
• Lower income groups give a higher proportion of their income (1.7 per cent) than the higher income groups (0.5 per cent).

Highlighted in the article, Giv3 is asking Canadians to “Dare to Care” by encouraging us to give 3% of our income and volunteering three hours a month to charitable causes.

We’re hearing a lot about the benefit of volunteering – particularly during hard economic times.  Deloitte’s Pro Bono as Currency talks about the benefits – and the challenges to bringing pro-bono volunteers to the non-profit sector.  Ultimately, “skilled volunteerism must be managed on both ends in order to maximize its effectiveness for the nonprofits as well as the donor”. 

From this side, if we’re asking folks to give more time and money – we’d better have a system for managing both.  There are huge benefits for both non-profits and volunteers, if there is a system in place to both bring in volunteers, train them on the sector and their role, and increase a non-profit’s volunteer management capabilities. 

While many may cite the recession as an excellent time to return to volunteering – it is not always as easy as a good intention.  Good systems and communication are key.  It’s a tricky balance, but SVP is happy to be working on our part of the solution.