Dear Stakeholder:
On June 12, 2007 the Community Spirit Program Consultation Process was launched. This email is a reminder for you to complete the online questionnaire before July 31, 2007. The News Release and accompanying questionnaire can be found on the Community Spirit website – www.communityspiritprogram.ca.
Please complete the workbook/questionnaire online or in a printed format. Please share information about this consultative process with others who might be interested in providing their comments regarding a proposed Community Spirit Program.
Thank you for taking the time to complete this important process.
Project Team
Community Spirit Program
Showing posts with label Alberta. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alberta. Show all posts
Friday, July 13, 2007
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Womb to Tomb
It never ceases to surprise me when I encounter someone in my daily walk or while doing a presentation on child hunger who says something like ” if something is truly important, then government should be doing it and that discharges my duty to privately help others”. I admit that I have embelished the language but this is the sentiment. I can usually explain my position that macro systemic programs don’t solve issues, they at best mitigate and at worst perpetuate the problem. My assumption is that there aren’t a lot of people like this but Arthur C. Brooks “Who Cares: America’s Charity Divide — Who Gives, Who Doesn’t, and Why it Matters” offers a different insight about Canada.
This nanny state mentality has crossed into our philanthropy. In general we are very stingy. Americans give US$900 per person to charitable causes each year, while in Canada, the average is $400. In Quebec, the average is $176, the lowest amount of any province or territory.
I was at a meeting of government and sector leaders last month where many were bemoaning the lack of a private donor culture in our country. I blasphemed when I suggested ” that is our problem, not the donors”. The response was ” the government will/should make up the shortfall”.
In Alberta, the government announced in the throne speech a new initiative called the Community Spirit program where the Alberta charitable tax credit will be increased and a system of matching individual donations will be funded by budgetary surpluses. This type of encouragement will do a lot more build a private donor culture than the entitlement mentality that seems to be pervading society and the sector.
This nanny state mentality has crossed into our philanthropy. In general we are very stingy. Americans give US$900 per person to charitable causes each year, while in Canada, the average is $400. In Quebec, the average is $176, the lowest amount of any province or territory.
I was at a meeting of government and sector leaders last month where many were bemoaning the lack of a private donor culture in our country. I blasphemed when I suggested ” that is our problem, not the donors”. The response was ” the government will/should make up the shortfall”.
In Alberta, the government announced in the throne speech a new initiative called the Community Spirit program where the Alberta charitable tax credit will be increased and a system of matching individual donations will be funded by budgetary surpluses. This type of encouragement will do a lot more build a private donor culture than the entitlement mentality that seems to be pervading society and the sector.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
Governor's Council on Children
Monday, December 4th, 2006
I was encouraged on Friday when I attended a session of the GC in Calgary. About 35 people from 20 ish organizations and groups attended a workshop specifically looking at Child Homelessness in Calgary. The thrust of the breakout sessions was very action oriented using the question ” What are we going to do about it?”
As you might expect, I was branded a ‘rabble rouser’ by two attendees, with no offense intended or taken. The encouragement came when I recognized that a paradigm shift had occurred in two of the small group (15) sessions I participated in. There was some very interesting discussion and disclosure that took place and new initiatives were explored. As in most nonprofit sector meetings some participants immeadiate reaction was to jump to the barriers and reasons why the ideas wouldn’t work. ( Here comes some rabble rousing) I suggested that our best intentions, commitments, endeavors and actions combined with our experience, expertise and resources had left us with a persistent and growing problem. We can’t continue to blame others for these shortcomings without examining our own complicity.
This seemed to shift the dynamic of the discussion a bit and I saw the group shift to solutions to overcome barriers rather than naysaying new ideas. There wasn’t a big ‘AHHA’ but a series of small inroads that may lead to some strategic positioning in the future.
Bravo!
I was encouraged on Friday when I attended a session of the GC in Calgary. About 35 people from 20 ish organizations and groups attended a workshop specifically looking at Child Homelessness in Calgary. The thrust of the breakout sessions was very action oriented using the question ” What are we going to do about it?”
As you might expect, I was branded a ‘rabble rouser’ by two attendees, with no offense intended or taken. The encouragement came when I recognized that a paradigm shift had occurred in two of the small group (15) sessions I participated in. There was some very interesting discussion and disclosure that took place and new initiatives were explored. As in most nonprofit sector meetings some participants immeadiate reaction was to jump to the barriers and reasons why the ideas wouldn’t work. ( Here comes some rabble rousing) I suggested that our best intentions, commitments, endeavors and actions combined with our experience, expertise and resources had left us with a persistent and growing problem. We can’t continue to blame others for these shortcomings without examining our own complicity.
This seemed to shift the dynamic of the discussion a bit and I saw the group shift to solutions to overcome barriers rather than naysaying new ideas. There wasn’t a big ‘AHHA’ but a series of small inroads that may lead to some strategic positioning in the future.
Bravo!
Monday, July 9, 2007
A Promise
Friday, October 13th, 2006
I attended the AGM of the Alberta’s Promise organization this morning. The charity that I work with is a agency partner. The idea for this group of 500 business and nonprofit partners comes from “America’s Promise” founded by Colin Powell. “Alberta’s Promise is a movement. A passion. A spark, to inspire Albertans to direct more resources to benefit our children and youth. Alberta’s Promise helps communities, businesses, service clubs, foundations and agencies to work together to benefit our young people.”
We have benefited from the partnership and association by finding businesses that were willing to come along side us and aide us in fulfilling our mission. There have been some very interesting successes but the meeting focused on six. Everything from direct earmarked funding to donated services to corporate leveraging worked to help impacted and at-risk populations.
They launched a new campaign this week that focuses on the tagline: You only get one chance to be a kid.
But many chances to help a kid.
Alberta’s Promise invites any company, agency or municipality to apply to become an Alberta’s Promise Partner. Approval will be based upon the nature of the commitment to children and how the organization’s corporate philosophy fits with the five promises of Alberta’s Promise.
1. Providing a Healthy Start
2. Safety, Growth and Development
3. Interaction, Mentoring and Inspiration
4. Participation and Volunteering
5. Leadership and Innovation
The formation of Alberta’s Promise was announced in the government’s Throne Speech on Feb. 18, 2003 and was later introduced into the legislature as Bill One - the Premier’s Council on Alberta’s Promise Act.
Take a look at the Alberta’s Promise site and see if there are any promises that you would like to make.
I attended the AGM of the Alberta’s Promise organization this morning. The charity that I work with is a agency partner. The idea for this group of 500 business and nonprofit partners comes from “America’s Promise” founded by Colin Powell. “Alberta’s Promise is a movement. A passion. A spark, to inspire Albertans to direct more resources to benefit our children and youth. Alberta’s Promise helps communities, businesses, service clubs, foundations and agencies to work together to benefit our young people.”
We have benefited from the partnership and association by finding businesses that were willing to come along side us and aide us in fulfilling our mission. There have been some very interesting successes but the meeting focused on six. Everything from direct earmarked funding to donated services to corporate leveraging worked to help impacted and at-risk populations.
They launched a new campaign this week that focuses on the tagline: You only get one chance to be a kid.
But many chances to help a kid.
Alberta’s Promise invites any company, agency or municipality to apply to become an Alberta’s Promise Partner. Approval will be based upon the nature of the commitment to children and how the organization’s corporate philosophy fits with the five promises of Alberta’s Promise.
1. Providing a Healthy Start
2. Safety, Growth and Development
3. Interaction, Mentoring and Inspiration
4. Participation and Volunteering
5. Leadership and Innovation
The formation of Alberta’s Promise was announced in the government’s Throne Speech on Feb. 18, 2003 and was later introduced into the legislature as Bill One - the Premier’s Council on Alberta’s Promise Act.
Take a look at the Alberta’s Promise site and see if there are any promises that you would like to make.
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