Bridging The Gap Between People And Non-profits

MatchBoard, a Capacity Canada partnership with Manulife, links Manulife colleagues with volunteer opportunities on the boards of charitable non-profits across Canada. Through the program, Manulife offers employees a chance to support the causes they care about most while giving back to the community through skills-based volunteering.

Causes that support the vulnerable have always been a priority for Ria Madan, Director, Procurement at Manulife. She is always looking for opportunities to give back to the community and contribute to positive change through her work.

While Ria had previous board experience, she was excited to work with an organization that contributed to the well-being of the most vulnerable in society.

In 2018, Ria was matched with Skills for Change and Kids Kicking Cancer Canada. Skills For Change is a non-profit organization that provides learning and training opportunities to immigrants and refugees so they can access and fully participate in the workplace and the broader community in Canada. Kids Kicking Cancer Canada is an evidence-based, innovative program that merges modern integrative medicine with traditional martial arts. It addresses the overwhelming needs of children with illness.

“I am thankful to Manulife for giving me the opportunity to create a positive impact in our communities. It would have been impossible for me to connect with the non-profit organizations without the support from Capacity Canada’s MatchBoard program. The program bridges the gap between people who have skills and are eager to support non-profits and non-profit organizations that could benefit from these skills,” said Ria.

“It has been a great enriching experience for me. An Executive in Residence took the time to understand what I was looking for and worked with me to find the right match,” says Ria. “The regular training workshops helped me understand how to become a better board member.”

Comprehensive training and one-on-one sessions are critical to MatchBoard’s success. Once matched with their choice of a non-profit organization, participants are encouraged to be part of the governance training to prepare them for their role. “Through the MatchBoard program, I had support at every step, and Capacity Canada was always there anytime I had a question or needed to discuss an issue. The constant support has helped me grow as a board director,” Ria adds.

Since 2012, Capacity Canada has placed over 300 Manulife colleagues on boards across Canada.

Interested in donating your time to impact meaningful change? Visit MatchBaord for more information and contact Andrew Wilding ([email protected]) directly to find your match today!