Three ways COVID response could have been better with (more) disaggregated data

Disaggregated data makes the intersectional nature of the COVID-19 pandemic painfully obvious, but many social purpose organizations don’t have access to critical information – or don’t know what to do with it.

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Full interview: Minister of Families, Children and Social Development Karina Gould shares her priorities for social change

Communities are still devastated by COVID-19, particularly those who were already marginalized and oppressed pre-pandemic. The ministry Gould takes over will be primarily responsible for these communities’ recovery — not to mention building relationships with the social purpose sector to achieve that recovery.

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“Cut through all the BS”: An in-depth conversation with Vu Le of Nonprofit AF about the future of social impact work

Even as COVID cases decline, many vulnerable communities continue to experience the negative impacts of the pandemic on everything from employment to healthcare. Charities and non-profits are vital to a just COVID-19 recovery — but such a recovery will take support, including more philanthropic funding.

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In-depth view: Canada’s largest charities are trying to shape the Community Services Recovery Fund. Here’s what they want.

The Community Services Recovery Fund could be of tremendous value to smaller charities and non-profits who need to modernize their operations, but it isn’t clear whether they have been thoroughly consulted on the Fund’s design.

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A short history of philanthropic perpetuity: tax havens, Catholic corruption and corporate control

The Canadian philanthropic sector is embroiled in a debate about the disbursement quota — the rate at which foundations have to give to charity. Some argue it’s fine where it is — at 3.5 percent. Others argue that this rate is “starving” non-profits across the country. To understand the context for this debate, you need to understand the history.

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There’s a mentorship gap in Canada. Here’s how — and why — to close it.

Young people who are mentored are 53 percent more likely to report good mental health, and more than twice as likely to report a strong sense of belonging in their community. At a time when youths’ mental wellbeing and career prospects are limited by the pandemic, an equitable recovery requires a stronger culture of mentorship across the country.

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Social impact professionals are on the verge of burnout — these organizations radically changed their work culture to help

Canadian Mental Health Week provides an opportunity to practice values and restructure organizational goals, which can ultimately lead to increased performance and better outcomes. While some of these measures are unconventional in the non-profit sector, the stakes are high, as deteriorating mental health may lead to employee burnout.

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Canada’s social safety nets are failing. 12 social impact leaders share bold ideas to reimagine them.

Oppressed communities have been hardest hit — health-wise, economically, and socially — by the pandemic. Many in the world of impact say this fact represents a failure of our social safety nets and an opportunity for a radical reimagination to help Canadians flourish.

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Indigenous lawyer Danika Littlechild doesn’t believe the SDGs are compatible with reconciliation. Here’s why.

Successfully achieving the SDGs may be at odds with the spirit of nation-to-nation reconciliation and Indigenous self-empowerment. And without the consent of Indigenous peoples, the federal government would have a difficult time implementing a robust and credible sustainability agenda of any sort.

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Baby Boomers are retiring. Here’s what Canada should do to put their businesses in employees’ hands — and build community wealth.

In the next decade, nearly three quarters of Canadian small business owners will retire – businesses worth over $1.5 trillion. Most will look to sell. In a country where the gap between the rich and poor is widening, and could do so exponentially in the pandemic’s aftermath, experts say this transition provides a huge opportunity to share wealth with workers.

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This fintech startup is reimagining fundraising — and the timing couldn’t be better

The COVID-19 pandemic has hit the Canadian charitable sector hard. Without the possibility of social gatherings and with event donations down, it’s difficult for non-profits to advance their missions. Charities are being forced to rapidly adopt ‘giving’ technologies to help bridge their fundraising and outreach gaps.

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