Impact Conversations – Details, episodes & analysis

In this conversation with Tonya Surman, CEO of the Centre for Social Innovation, or CSI, we hear about the effect of COVID on their core social purpose coworking space and significant strategic changes happening at CSI.  We see the value of CSi (and other nonprofits) owning real estate, unpack SI Canada’s new role, learn about their leadership on an Impact Dashboard with a Common Approach, and a pilot social enterprise in Muskoka for healing, connection and learning for impact leaders…and much more.

Resources 

Tonya Surman : https://socialinnovation.org/team/tonya-surman/  

Centre for Social Innovation (CSI): https://socialinnovation.org/  

Social Innovation Canada (SI Canada): https://sicanada.org/  

CSI Community Living Room, Regent Park: https://socialinnovation.org/space/locations/community-living-room/  

TechSoup Canada : https://socialinnovation.org/about/techsoup-canada/  

Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN): https://theonn.ca/  

Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB): https://vancitycommunityinvestmentbank.ca/  

Climate Ventures : https://climateventures.org/  

Tapestry Community Capital: https://tapestrycapital.ca/  

Wasan Island: http://www.wasan-island.de/  

Breuninger Foundation: http://www.breuninger-stiftung.de/en/  

Community Foundations of Canada (CFC): https://communityfoundations.ca/  

McConnell Foundation: https://mcconnellfoundation.ca  

Common Approach: https://www.commonapproach.org/  

Adopting Common Measures with the Common Approach: https://socialinnovation.org/offering/adopting-common-measures/  

Impact Dashboard: https://impactdashboard.org/  

Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

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Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

How the world has changed!  There are a lot of new challenges and opportunities these days as organizations look to clarify their purpose, strategy, and evaluation of their work to create social impact in these uncertain times.  The work is more complex and challenging than it was say three years ago, the stakes are higher, and success is less certain.  In this podcast, Andrew Taylor, Co-Founder of Taylor Newberry Consulting and Lynn Fergusson, Partner at Social Impact Advisors let you in on some insights from the kind of conversations they often have to better understand the sector and how to support it.

Resources 

Andrew Taylor:  https://taylornewberry.ca/our-team/andrew-taylor/  

Taylor Newberry Consulting: https://taylornewberry.ca  

TNC and Centre for Evaluation Innovation : https://taylornewberry.ca/what-it-takes-to-learn-during-crises-reflections/  

McMaster research – Nonprofit resilience in context of COVID-19: https://resilience.degroote.mcmaster.ca/home/non-profit-resilience-in-the-context-of-covid-19/ 

Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

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Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

Foreseeing COVID negatively impacting women’s ability to stay and thrive in the workforce, Pamela Jeffrey, Founder and lead of The Prosperity Project was concerned about the impact this would have on not just the women themselves, but Canada’s prosperity.  So, she took action, focusing on women, and particularly women of equity-deserving communities, including Black, Indigenous, racialized, LGBTQ2S+, and physically challenged.   

Pamela shares how this project came to be and the unique seed funding approach, with 60+ senior professional women committing to the cause – personally and financially.  She breaks down the 5-point plan laid out from the start, aligned with 5 marketable programs including a goal-focused professional volunteer program supporting charities that focus on women and girls, and a Rosie the Riveter inspired initiative to get more women and girls into skilled trades and STEM for good, well-paying jobs.   We uncover an important adjustment to the plan along the way, after recognizing a better approach to achieve their desired impact through advocacy for affordable childcare. 

Resources 

The Prosperity Project:  https://canadianprosperityproject.ca/  

Volunteer matching program:  https://canadianprosperityproject.ca/matching  

 Rosie Resource Portal https://portal.canadianprosperityproject.ca/  

2022 Annual Report Card on Gender Diversity and Leadership: The Zero Report:  https://canadianprosperityproject.ca/data-tracking  

Pamela Jeffrey : https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamelajeffery  

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Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

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Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

Sally interviews Robin Cory, of Colbeck Strategic Advisors. They talk about how organizations which focus on their impact, and align their financial resources and organizational capabilities to it, can build strong strategy that achieves results. Robin and Sally talk about how to decide what not to do and why that is often difficult in the not-for-profit sector. They also talk about the importance of funding organizational competencies like measurement- so that organizations can adapt and build their impact.

Resources:

• Colbeck Advisors: http://colbeckadvisors.com/
• Robin Cory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robin-cory-6a226b/
• Frances Frei on "When to Disappoint Your Customers" (video): https://hbr.org/2012/07/when-to-disappoint-your-custom
• Dan Pallotta's TED Talk "The Way We Think About Charity is Dead Wrong" (video):  https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong

Let us know what you think. Contact us at Social Impact Advisors: www.socialimpactadvisors.ca

Sally interviews Ryan Conway, Program Director at Innoweave. Innoweave is a project of the McConnell Foundation. Together they discuss the meaning and importance of direct and indirect impact in complex systems. 

Ryan tells us how Innoweave empowers community sector leaders, and how Innoweave’s thinking has evolved. Ryan also praises collaboration, explaining how coaches and consultants act as a mechanism to share issues and experiences across sectors and regions. We talk about a great example of impact strategy work at North York Community House in Toronto. 

Resources:

• The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation: mcconnellfoundation.ca
• Innoweave: innoweave.ca
• North York Community House: www.nych.ca

Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: www.socialimpactadvisors.ca

In this episode, Sally and Lynn discuss what impact is and why it's important in developing strategy. Social impact is the effect an organization's actions has on its community.

With examples, Sally and Lynn show that defining an intended impact makes it easier to develop a great strategy.

Learn more at www.socialimpactadvisors.ca

The Home Depot Canada Foundation has recently revisited their role and plans by developing a Theory of Change and Strategic Plan.  We hear about the journey and results from Amy Bilodeau, Sr. Manager, Community Investment for the Home Depot Canada, a role which includes supporting the Home Depot Canada Foundation's mission to eradicate youth homelessness in Canada. 

This mission has remained intact, and with a renewed commitment, with the Foundation continuing to aim higher on its fundraising goals, and then applying those significant funds for systemic change.  We hear about the importance of engaging all stakeholders in this work, from Home Depot Canada suppliers and vendors, to charities the Foundation supports, to youth who have experienced homelessness.  They’ve taken on a more intentional focus on serving equity-deserving populations.

We also hear that it’s about more than funding, and there’s a great fit for Home Depot Canada to be providing skills trades experience to youth, as an act of preventing homelessness.  

Resources 

The Home Depot Canada Foundation: https://www.homedepot.ca/en/home/corporate-information/our-community/the-home-depot-canada-foundation.html    

Tradeworx: Helping youth experiencing homelessness access careers in the trades: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ptce8Knxzo&t=2s  

Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

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Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

B Corp is a global movement of more than 4800 companies, with almost 400,00 employees in 79 countries around the world, all focused on making business a force for good.  

Together, B Corps are working to shift our global economy from a system that profits few to one that benefits all: advancing a new model that moves from concentrating wealth to ensuring equity, from resource extraction to energy generation, and from individualism to interdependence.  

We are happy to have Ian Kelly and Elaine Adema from PeaceWorks Technology Solutions, a fellow B Corp, on today’s episode. PeaceWorks is an employee- owned social enterprise that provides IT Services and Support, based out of Waterloo, Ontario and Winnipeg, Manitoba. They are a technology company, motivated by the impact their clients are making in the world. 65% of their clients are non-profit. They have been making the benefits of technology affordable and accessible to all organizations, including those with limited resources, for more than twenty years.  

 In today’s episode, Ian Kelly, General Manager, and Elaine Adema, Account Manager at Peaceworks, talk about what motivates them about the B Corp movement, what the certification process is like, and the evolution of new B Corp standards around the world. They talk about how employees and customers respond to and are motivated by the B Corp mission, and the hope it brings.   

Resources:

Peaceworks site: https://peaceworks.ca 
 

Peaceworks B Corp certification: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/find-a-b-corp/company/peaceworks-technology-solutions/ 
 

About B Lab and the B Corporation movement: https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/movement/about-b-lab 

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Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

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Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

Show notes: 

Kara Peck, Senior Director, Strategy + Partnerships, B Lab US & Canada shares their journey to strategic clarity for their organization and for making a real difference in the world.  Leveraging a time of organizational and societal change, they have developed a Theory of Change, creating alignment around a new focus for the B Corp-certifying nonprofit, to support the business sector in taking collective action towards addressing racial equity, climate justice and stakeholder capitalism.  

Resources:

B Lab US/Canada Theory of Change:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=og0iYy52ZjE  

B Lab: https://bcorporation.net/about-b-lab  

B Corp Impact Assessment: https://bcorporation.eu/certification?_ga=2.224228763.1436296932.1624646817-1194428511.1465581593  

Kara Peck: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karapeck   

Sweet Livity: https://www.sweetlivity.com  

Revolution Foods: https://www.revolutionfoods.com  

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Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

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Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca

In this episode, Sally speaks with Shelley Zuckerman, who has been the Executive Director of North York Community House for the past 30 years, about her long career in the non-profit sector, how her organization has navigated the challenges of the past two years, and her advice for the next generation of leaders in the sector.   

Shelley shares what makes her optimistic for the future, both for our sector and more broadly. As she nears retirement this year, Shelley reminds us about how far we have come, and shares her confidence in the next generation to go further on issues of social justice, building on strengths in community and amplifying the voices of the people the sector serves. She advises leaders to be continuously curious and learning, and to support new leaders by giving them opportunities to share and try their ideas.   

North York Community House serves more than 15,000 residents in northwest Toronto every year. The help transform lives by working with people, understanding their needs, and supporting them in achieving their goals. For over 30 years, NYCH has been opening doors for new Canadians; supporting youth, parents and seniors in becoming active, engaged citizens; and creating opportunities for residents to improve their lives and lead positive change in their neighbourhoods. 

Resources

North York Community House: https://www.nych.ca 

NYCH Twitter and Facebook: @nychonline 

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Thank you for listening to Impact Conversations with Lynn Fergusson & Sally Fazal

.

Find out more about our work at Social Impact Advisors: https://socialimpactadvisors.ca