September 2023 Edition

Cassie Campbell-Pascall joins the opening night of our Annual Board Governance BootCamp!

Cassie Campbell-Pascall, one of the greatest hockey players in Canadian history, will be our third keynote speaker on the opening night of Capacity Canada’s Board Governance BootCamp! A three-time Olympic champion, eight-time world champion and the only captain of Team Canada to win two Olympic gold medals, Cassie rewrote history and created a pathway for women in sports.

During her 16-year career, Cassie became the first female to be inducted into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. A long-time advocate for professional women’s hockey, Cassie Campbell-Pascall is active in the community. As a member of the Hockey Canada Foundation Board, Cassie represents the organization’s interests. Formerly, she served on the board of the Calgary Olympic Development Association, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame, and the Calgary Police Foundation.

You can register below for the Opening Night Reception and Keynotes only for $200/Person. The opening night is also included in the Full BootCamp registration.

 

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Board Governance BootCamp Registration is still open!

If you haven’t already registered, do so before it’s too late! Applications for Capacity Canada’s highly anticipated annual Board Governance BootCamp are not open. This year the BootCamp will be held on November 28th, 29th and 30th at the Bingemans Conference Centre in Kitchener.

What’s exciting? You will have the flexibility to choose a governance track for the entire three-day BootCamp! Those new to boards and experienced directors will have a choice to take the Advanced Course, while those new to board governance can opt for the Governance Essentials Track!

BootCamp Schedule 

Cybersecurity and Artificial Intelligence in the non-profit world

This year’s Board Governance BootCamp features two keynote speakers – Steven Woods and Eldon Sprickerhoff. Both have a depth of knowledge in Board Governance and are recognized as world leaders in the fields of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence.

Steven Woods Co-founder of three software and services companies based in the United States (Quack.com, Kinitos, NeoEdge Networks), Steven Woods has worked in software development, research and technical leadership for more than 30 years.

Eldon Sprickerhoff is the founder and chief security strategist of eSentire, a leading MDR provider, Eldon has been at the forefront of proactive cybersecurity solutions.

Interested in learning more about our speakers? Visit our website for detailed information.

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Weaving Wisdom: New member joins Capacity Canada

In her role as our new Executive-In-Residence, Kelly Laurila brings to us a wealth of knowledge and nearly three decades of experience working closely with Indigenous communities. Her remarkable journey includes serving as a board member and president of an Indigenous housing board for an impressive 11-year term. She currently holds the position of board chair within a grassroots Indigenous group, where she passionately supports Indigenous youth transitioning out of the child welfare system, offering wraparound permanency and guidance.

Read More About Kelly’s Work

New EIR joins Capacity Canada Team

A mutual friend introduced Bryan Webber, our newest Executive-In-Residence to Cathy Brothers.

Eager to share his experiences and expertise in the charitable sector, Bryan was excited about connecting with her. While there were several factors that drew him to Capacity Canada, he says the first and foremost one was the same desire to build healthier communities. “The commitment to making a positive impact on the health of communities in Canada resonated deeply with me.”

Read More About Bryan and His Work

Mora Olubobokun joins as Accountant

Both a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) and a Fellow of the UK Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), Mora Olubobokun recently joined Capacity Canada as an accountant.

Mora learned about Capacity Canada while she was working at the accelerator centre. “I was introduced to Cathy Brothers as both our organizations had their office in the same building. I was impressed by Cathy and the work that her team was doing.”

Mora brings extensive experience in public accounting as well as working for non-profit organizations. She has had the opportunity to work with clients in a variety of industries.

Learn About Mora and Her Work

Design Collective – Stepstones For Youth creating a change!

Our design team has already met with all the five non-profit organizations selected to be part of Capacity Canada’s Capacity By Design program. The program enables teams to explore problems through an alternative lens – a viewpoint that considers problems on a broader level as part of a diverse network of systems and individuals.

One of the charitable organizations selected this year is StepStones For Youth. The organization, based out of Toronto, is dedicated to addressing the critical and unmet needs of marginalized children and youth aged 10-25 who are involved in Ontario’s Child Protection Services and have significant histories of trauma, abuse, and unstable guardian care.

Learn More About The Stepstones for Youth

15 Diverse Youth Set Off on a Journey to Becoming Board Members.

Calling all non-profit organizations in the Waterloo Region! Are you in search of passionate board members? We are dedicated to bridging the generational gap by addressing the underrepresentation of youth on nonprofit boards. In a region where youth constitute 22% of the population, and 65.8% of local nonprofits serve youth, the median age of board members is 50-54.

With the GenZ on Boards project, funded by the Astley Foundation, we are empowering 15 diverse youth, aged 18-25, with essential governance skills and training, enabling them to approach challenges with a youth-centered perspective. Join us in cultivating a more inclusive and dynamic nonprofit community by welcoming these future leaders into your organization. Together, we can create positive change and embrace the voices of tomorrow!

Watch this space to learn about our 15 passionate, young leaders of tomorrow!

Nominations open for Capacity Canada’s Social Innovation Award

Nominations for Capacity Canada’s Social Innovation Award are now open. The award is intended to recognize a recipient in one of the following categories:

• Individuals (specific person or small group of people)
• Organizations (include for-profit, non-profit or public sector organizations)

• Communities (municipality, ethno-cultural community, etc.)

We have opened this award to businesses and municipalities as well, which allows for greater diversity in range of models and approaches that might be deserving of receiving the award. Letters of Nomination can be submitted to [email protected] by October 23, 2023.

Registration for Modern Board Advanced course OPENS soon!

Serving on a board is both a privilege and a responsibility, but often it isn’t easy to understand where to start and how to become a good board member. Capacity Canada’s Modern Board program equips board directors with the credentials they need to demonstrate their abilities to stakeholders in a concrete way. A great starting place for anyone who has not previously been part of a board, the program is a unique and credible two-course online training module.

Learn more about Capacity Canada’s Advanced Board Governance course that begins in January 2024!

Each year, we help non-profits from all across Canada with Board Governance training. We are always grateful for our non-profit partners, community leaders, and their support. We are also grateful for the ongoing generous support of Suncor Energy Foundation and the Lyle S. Hallman Foundation. Your financial support will help Capacity Canada bring together the ideas, people, and resources that fuel social innovation. To donate, visit our website.

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