Social Innovation Monthly
Effective Board Support for Executive Assistants
Capacity Canada Presents Effective Board Support for Executive Assistants. The workshop is led by Marion Thomson Howell, Catherine Heal, and Andrew Jardine. They will share information and best practices, facilitate discussions with our e
xperts, engage you through polls, and groups discussions in breakout rooms.
The two-sessions online workshop is being held on the following dates:
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Tuesday, March 1st, 2022 between 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm ET
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Friday, March 4th, 2022 between 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm ET
To learn more and to register visit https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/245941727327
You will learn the following:
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Governance basics that board assistants need to know
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Meetings – preparation, organization, minutes
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Ways in which board assistants can be a valuable resource to the board
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Learn more about regulatory requirements and governing documents
The course fee is $300 for both sessions. The class is limited to 25 people.
Capacity By Design: Wilmot Family Resource Centre Aims to Bring the Community Together
Our Capacity by Design team has concluded its design sprint with 
the Wilmot Family Resource Centre (WFRC). As a result of the sprint, two prototypes have been created by the non-profit that will help support our diverse communities in the Wilmot and Wellesley Townships. One explores the notion of a community ambassadorship program that would educate and inform residents about the good work happening in the townships. The second prototype is the development of a new community-wide art installation tentatively called The Path. It will include living or movable art made by local artists to share their story, history, and vision for the future.
A leading provider of social support services for families and individuals living with low-income and food-insecurity, the WFRC has served communities in the Wilmot and Wellesley Townships for over four decades. Lately, however, the WFRC has recognized that their community is divided around issues of racism and discrimination, and the current political atmosphere has contributed negatively to the situation. The two prototypes will aim to address the issue.
Read more here.
Our Post-BootCamp Survey is Out!
Our 2021 Post-BootCamp Survey results are out now! Our BootCamp, sponsored by Manulife, was held in December last year and was led by an incredible roster of Indigenous, Black, and Muslim experts. The theme of the BootCamp was Transforming Governance: Preparing Your Board for Diversity. Here’s a glance at what our participants had to say:
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“I have been buzzing these past few days, and I have been brought to tears. I’m grateful to be part of this event as this BootCamp is speaking directly to the humanity of our work.”
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“I believe it’s easier to say you want to be an ally than to actually practice it. A lot of training will be required for individuals to truly understand what being an ally means.”
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“I will do my part in educating myself and make sure my voice is heard.”
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“We each have to reflect, seek to understand and be willing to have uncomfortable discussions, and only then do we move forward to build new relationships and change how we do things. My ultimate vision is that having to talk about Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) purposefully becomes a thing of the past as it becomes the way we do things. Everyone is welcome, feels included, and contributes equally.”
Going by what the participants had to say, our 2021 BootCamp was impactful!
In conclusion, the BootCamp raised personal awareness of the depth of impact that racial inequality plays in the local community and across Canada as a national issue. The attendees are committed to being more intentional about introducing DEI concerns to their boards and being more aware of the micro-aggressions that happen in the governing process. Additionally, they are aware that there is a need for a greater commitment to stand with our diverse communities.
Registration Open For Modern Board
Registration for course 1 for Capacity Canada’s Modern Board 
program – Essentials of Governing – is now open. The course is offered twice this year, beginning March 1, 2022, and September 12, 2022.
The micro-credential program, offered in partnership with Conestoga College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning, equips you with the knowledge that allows you to modernize your approach and have a positive impact in your community. It offers a unique and credible, two-course online training module. Board directors and executives are provided with the tools they need to drive their boards. It includes multi-media guidance through video lectures, reading materials, and journaling opportunities to reflect on your personal experience with board roles, responsibilities, and more. The multiple courses in the program can be completed in your own time.
To learn more about Modern Board and to register, visit our website.
New Module Added to Modern Board’s Advanced Board Governance Course
The reality of working in the social sector is that a positive change in society cannot rely solely on philanthropic and government grants to tackle today’s challenges. The Modern Board curriculum developers have taken this reality seriously, and as a result, Capacity Canada has added a new module to its Advanced Board Governance Course.
‘Impact Investment’ is an innovation in funding emerging in Canada that may hold the key to a non-profit organization’s ability to scale up. This module’s development was initiated and sponsored by Kitchener-Waterloo Community Foundation. The three video content presentations include KWCF’s very own Tim Jackson in his role as a Board Member and the Chair of their Investment Committee and John Neufeld, Executive Director of House of Friendship, a recipient of an Impact Investment.
If you had taken our Advanced Course before the new module was added, please reach out to Alison at [email protected]. We will give you access to the updated material.
Capacity Canada Launches New Project
Capacity Canada is launching a new project this month – Makeover: Women’s Leadership Co-Creation Studio: Advancing Equitable Nonprofit Sector Change. The 15-month project will support a feminist response and recovery from the current impacts of COVID-19 through systemic change. Capacity Canada will achieve this by addressing systemic barriers to women’s underrepresented participation within both services’ delivery leadership and governance roles of non-profit organizations.
At the end of the project, Capacity Canada will have contributed to addressing systemic barriers by advancing inclusive policies and practices, encouraging more equitable and effective sharing of resources, increasing networks and collaboration to accelerate systemic change, supporting positive distribution of authority, voices, and decision-making power, and finally addressing persistent harmful gender norms and attitudes to support women’s equality.
Participate in Pilot Study on Everyday Well-being
We are delighted to invite you to participate in an exciting new project. Statistics Canada is conducting the Pilot Study on Everyday Well-being in collaboration with Canada Council for the Arts and Canadian Heritage. The survey will run from January 10 to March 31, 2022. This project uses a new mobile-phone application called Vitali-T-Stat to test a new way of collecting data.
This pilot study asks Canadians in-the-moment questions about their activities and feelings. The goal is to better understand the factors that influence well-being, particularly arts and culture activities, which are the main focus of this pilot. The data will provide insight into the connections between activities and well-being and could be used to develop programs that enhance people’s lives.
Learn more about the study and to download the app, visit StatCan’s website.
