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Capacity Canada and Manulife are the perfect match.
For nearly a decade, Capacity Canada’s MatchBoard program has received valuable support from Manulife and its dedicated employees in assisting non-profit organizations and their boards achieve heightened levels of governance.
That dedication was celebrated at the kickoff of Capacity Canada’s 10th anniversary Manulife Board Governance BootCamp held Nov. 15 at the Walper Hotel in Kitchener.
The event featured nearly 200 guests and several speakers, including Manulife Canada President and CEO Michael Doughty who spoke about the company’s close ties with Capacity Canada’s mission of fuelling social innovation.
“It’s really been a terrific partnership,” he said, explaining how the company was first approached by its Manager of Community Engagement, Judy Blasutti, after she and Capacity Canada began talking about ‘matching’ employees with non-profit boards.
Doughty said that kind of community involvement is valued by Manulife.
“One of the things we’re very proud of is our business is helping Canadians live betters lives and our ability to do that through our products and services is wonderful,” he said. “And when we’re able to actually help do that through our community involvement is even better.”
To add to what he referred to as a ‘milestone’ moment, an award was presented to Amanda Coade, director of presale marketing at Manulife, to acknowledge her as the 200th Manulife employee to be ‘matched’ through the MatchBoard program to a non-profit board.
Coade recently joined the board of the Family and Children’s Services of the Waterloo Region.
Joking that he is a ‘numbers guy’, Doughty outlined how Manulife’s $1.5 million commitment to Capacity Canada has resulted in approximately 2,000 non-profit representatives taking part in 75 governance training programs.
The latest was the Manulife Board Governance BootCamp, which took place Nov. 16-17 at the Holiday Inn Kitchener-Waterloo Conference Centre and was attended by more than 80 non-profit representatives.
In terms of MatchBoard specifically, he said Manulife employees have contributed more than 35,000 volunteer hours to various boards.
“What a massive milestone,” Doughty said, noting that 96% of Manulife employees said their networks have expanded thanks to the MatchBoard program. About 92% said they’ve gained transferable skills through MatchBoard and the boards they serve on.
“It’s really a win-win,” he said. “We’re actually developing our people through this work.”
Among them is Donna Lowe Carbell, senior vice-president of group benefits, who spoke passionately about her ongoing work on the board of Special Olympics Canada.
“To say this has been a life-changing experience for me probably minimizes the impact it’s had,” she told the crowd.
After years of playing sports and coaching her own sons, Lowe Carbell spoke how she was looking for something to do after her children had left for university.
“My kids were moving on and I really wanted to do something that fulfilled me the same way sports and coaching had fulfilled me,” she said. “I didn’t know what to do with my time when I wasn’t sitting in a gym.”
However, from the outset of joining the MatchBoard program, Lowe Carbell knew she wanted to volunteer in the sports world and picked Special Olympics because her nephew – who is the same age as her sons – was a Special Olympian.
“I’ve always enjoyed watching him compete and watching him participate,” she said.
Lowe Carbell, who has served on the national board for several years, said the organization has more than 90,000 athletes participating in grassroot organizations.
“That’s the part that is really inspiring,” she said, noting the athletes compete in friendly competitions. “I love that smaller group because it’s all about what I grew up with in terms of playing sports.”
Lowe Carbell said her continued work with Special Olympics Canada has also carried over to her work life in terms of providing and promoting better health care.
“In the employee benefits business we are very focused on employee health and our aim is to make organizations healthier through various programming and benefit programs we offer.”
Lowe Carbell said being involved in the MatchBoard program and Special Olympics Canada is a great way to get motivated. She encouraged those who are serving on boards to ‘jump in’ and really get involved with their organization.
“I think you will be amazed by the impact and difference you can make,” she said. “Don’t make this about putting something on your resume.”
It’s this kind of dedication and commitment that inspired Capacity Canada to present its inaugural Social Innovation Award to Manulife.
“I’m so pleased Capacity Canada’s mission has been consistent for 10 years and it really is just one sentence: to fuel social innovation,” said Steve Farlow, founding executive director of the Schlegel Centre for Entrepreneurship at Wilfrid Laurier University and one of the founders of Capacity Canada.
Farlow said Capacity Canada is inspired by the commitment Manulife has had on the non-profit sector which is exactly what this new award is all about.
“You (Manulife) live and breathe it,” he said. “Your employees live and breathe it.”
In an interview, Capacity Canada CEO Cathy Brothers said the organization appreciates its relationship with Manulife and its commitment to board governance.
“The MatchBoard program has become one of our core programs thanks to the dedication of Manulife and its employees to make a difference in their communities,” she said.
