By Eva Friesen

Conference Chair Eva Friesen

I am thrilled to be serving as Chair of CFC 2013 Conference. It is truly an honour to be asked to preside over such an important, and sure to be invigorating, event.

It feels like a wonderful fit, since Winnipeg – where we will convene June 6-8 – is my hometown. And, of course, the birthplace of the community foundation movement in Canada.

In fact, I’ve just returned from a whirlwind winter trip to the city, where our conference planning committee held its first meeting. It was a fruitful meeting, and I’m excited to welcome the committee members. They are:

- Jane Humphries (Conference Director), VP, Community Foundations of Canada
- Rick Frost (Conference Host), CEO, The Winnipeg Foundation
- Leanne Hammond Komori (CFC Board Liaison), Executive Director, Central Okanagan Foundation
- Annette Aquin, VP, Finance and Administration, Hamilton Community Foundation
- Mike Batchelor, CEO, The Erie Community Foundation (USA)
- Andrea Dicks, Executive Director, Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough
- Sheherazade Hirji, VP, Client Services, Tides Canada
- Trina Prior, Manager, Grants and Community Initiatives, Vancouver Foundation
- Kerry Longpré, VP, Communications, The Calgary Foundation
- LuAnn Lovlin, VP, Communications, The Winnipeg Foundation
- Trevor MacVicar, Blennerhassett Family Foundation (Manitoba)
- Clare Northcott, Executive Director, The Greater Saint John Community Foundation
- Kathy Ritchie, Board Member, Morden Area Foundation Inc.
- Marg Rose, Director of Community Initiatives & Grants, Victoria Foundation
- Rosemary Smith, CEO, The Kitchener and Waterloo Community Foundation
- Brian Toller, Chair, Board of Governors, Community Foundation of Ottawa
- Chantal Vinette, Director of Communications and Marketing, The Foundation of Greater Montreal

They are a talented and energetic group of people who bring diverse skills to the table, all of which we will put to good use in planning and executing CFC 2013 Conference.

Thanks to the members for attending this initial meeting, and for their commitment, ideas and enthusiasm.

CFC’s 2011 Conference was an incredible event that, not surprisingly, was one of the highest rated events CFC has ever held. We have big shoes to fill, but our conference committee is determined to match the success of Vancouver in every way.

In the coming weeks we will be working on finalizing our conference themes and we’d like your input. Tell us about the issues, questions and topics that are top of mind for you, and how you would like to see them addressed during CFC 2013 Conference.

Post your comments here, on our conference blog, and let’s get the discussion percolating!

Eva Friesen is President & CEO of The Calgary Foundation, and Chair of CFC 2013 Conference

We are pleased to continue our support of the important work of the Community Foundations of Canada. Our two organizations have enjoyed a long relationship and we’re excited to have this opportunity to tell you about some changes. We are pleased to announce that McLean Budden, one of Canada’s oldest and most respected investment managers, has become a subsidiary of MFS Investment Management®, one of the world’s oldest and most respected investment managers.  McLean Budden and MFS have long been a part of the Sun Life Financial family of companies, which proudly serves clients across Canada and around the world. Our new name is MFS McLean Budden, incorporating the proud legacy of McLean Budden in Canada alongside MFS. The organization gives clients access to MFS’ global research platform with its team of analysts and portfolio managers stationed in Boston, London, Mexico City, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and now Toronto, with the integrated MFS and McLean Budden teams.  This combination will increase the number of investment solutions available to all clients.

 MFS McLean Budden is proud to continue our association with the CFC which dates back to 2004. The Community Foundations of Canada has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, increasing its influence, its reach and furthering its mission to build stronger communities. Community and teamwork are key themes at MFS McLean Budden as such we look forward to our continued partnership and building stronger communities together.

Michael Bissonette, CFA, is Assistant Vice President at McLean Budden

Our CFC 2013 Conference Chair Eva Friesen

By Jane Humphries

The birthplace of Canada’s community foundation movement is already getting ready to welcome us to their hometown. Since announcing in May that the CFC 2013 Conference will take place in Winnipeg, we’ve been working on nailing down some key details to make planning easy for you and your community foundation.

CFC’s next conference will take place June 6-8, 2013 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. The Delta Winnipeg, which is linked to the Convention Centre, will serve as our main hotel.

The CFC Board has also appointed our CFC 2013 Conference Chair and I’m delighted to announce that Eva Friesen, President and CEO of The Calgary Foundation, has accepted this important assignment. Winnipeg is Eva’s home town, and she’s excited about working with CFC and The Winnipeg Foundation in this key leadership role.

Our host in Winnipeg: Rick Frost

We are also thrilled to have Rick Frost – CEO of The Winnipeg Foundation – as our Conference Host. There’s no doubt he and his team will show us a great time! We’re grateful to have Leanne Hammond Komori, Executive Director of Central Okanagan Foundation, serving as CFC’s Board Conference Liaison.

We’re already working with Eva on building our CFC 2013 Conference Planning Committee, which will be announced shortly.

The evaluations of our last conference, which was held in Vancouver in May 2011, were a goldmine of information for us. Thank you for taking the time to fill them out. We plan to build on our successes, and add in everything we’ve learned to bring you an exciting, inspiring, and innovative learning opportunity.

We are off and running!

Jane Humphries is CFC’s Vice-President, Organization and Professional Development, and CFC 2013 Conference Director

Community Foundations of Canada is one of the partners in the upcoming National Summit for the Charitable and Nonprofit Sector. The Summit is getting ready to assemble its social media crew – and we want you!

Do you have a Facebook page? Do you love to tweet? Do you have lots of fans? Followers? Are you a blogger? Then join us.

We hope to create a team of 15 summit attendees who will participate in social media activities in real-time at the National Summit in Ottawa this November.

We are shaking things up a bit and trying to do things differently when it comes to creating an engaging record of the summit. Through social media-based dialogue we want YOU to encourage and facilitate conversations and connections amongst your peers and other conference attendees.

Download the Interest interest form below and send to amayer@imaginecanada.ca by October 24, 2011.

• MS Word format
• PDF format (you can fill this form in online and save it for emailing)

Here are a few of the social media tools that we currently use, and we look forward to incorporating them in the exchanges, learning, and dialogue at the National Summit. Hope you can join us!

• Stop by the Blog (we will have a Summit blog for event-related posts)
• Connect with us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Watch us on YouTube
• Check us out on Flickr

Should you have questions, don’t hesitate to ask.

Amanda Mayer
Lead, Young Leaders Initiative

The CFC 2011 Conference was such an amazing exchange of learning, story-telling, and network building, and we are tremendously enthusiastic about building on that momentum in our next conference. 

Hosted by The Winnipeg Foundation, the CFC 2013 Conference promises to offer the same energy and knowledge sharing as our time in Vancouver, and you can learn more by keeping an eye on this conference blog.

Enjoy your summer!

"I can’t wait to take my grandkids across Canada so they can appreciate their rich heritage just as I have."

It was wonderful to see so many colleagues at the CFC Conference in Vancouver, and that has made it just a little easier to prepare for next week and my last few days at Community Foundations of Canada.

What does one say at a time like this, after almost 18 years at the helm of an organization that has been part of one of Canada’s most fast-growing and vibrant networks? As I reflect on those years the image of journey keeps popping up.

Of course, for me personally there have been literally hundreds of wonderful journeys by air, land and more than once, by water! But the journey has also been one of exploration and discovery, of climbing to great heights and of reminding ourselves that we really belong on Main Street. It has had twists and turns with unimagined surprises around the corner. I have had the great privilege and honour of journeying in all these ways. And you have been my fellow travelers.

You made it possible for me to explore this great country of Canada from east to west and north to south. You showed me the best of your towns and cities and often invited me into your homes, sharing with me the hopes and dreams you have for your community, and sometime the sorrows and worries too. I can’t wait to take my grandkids across Canada so they can appreciate their rich heritage just as I have.

And every where I went I was awestruck by the generosity and passion for community. I marveled at the respectful conversations I heard, the sharp skills and thoughtful approaches I witnessed as strategies and plans took shape, the creativity borne out of wanting to get it right for the right reasons, and the commitment to being present for the long haul. Those are the characteristics of the people drawn to community foundations as volunteers, donors or staff, and I saw them in spades.

I saw them in other parts of the world too. I was so privileged to be able to take the Canadian story to many parts of the world, talking about our community foundation development here and learning about others. It was always a two-way street: I shared a bit of Canada and absorbed what others wanted me to know. Through my global work I became a well informed global citizen, something I hope in some small and modest way has helped grow Canada’s profile in the world as a caring, just and generous country.

I am so aware that each and every CFC member has somehow been part of the journey, either directly or indirectly. You stand for what has been a period of grace and joy in my life. But now it is time to move on, taking with me your friendship and a host of memories about the journey, and leaving you with my deepest thanks.

Ian Bird, my successor, will travel with you from now on. I wish Ian and each of you a journey that will be as rich and inspiring as mine has been, filled with hope for all our communities.

Hello to the CFC 2011 Conference Participants!

You all played a central role in creating an innovative and forward thinking convening of community foundation leaders from Canada and around the world.

We hope you found the unique variety of plenary presentations, engaging concurrent sessions, interactive Community Learning Forums, and special receptions and events valuable, and we thank you for being such a special part as attendees, presenters, and supporters. A special thanks to the staff of the Vancouver Foundation for hosting our gathering in beautiful downtown Vancouver.

With the learning collected at the conference, we move forward with the challenge of strengthening our communities and making them more resilient. With new and traditional channels of connecting, we look forward to collaborating and partnering in efficient and creative ways to produce positive community impact as we take our work back home. The concurrent session presentations from our many insightful speakers are available on our conference website. We hope you will refer to them often.

Thank you for joining us in Vancouver and we hope to see you at the CFC 2013 Conference in Winnipeg!

Jane Humphries, Conference Director &  Rahul Bhardwaj, Conference Chair

By Taylor Barrie

When the Scotiabank Dance Centre broke ground in 1999, it was met with a collective sigh of relief. After a long struggle to find a location which would be approved by the government, and an expensive agreement to preserve the heritage façade of the historical building, the Dance Centre construction moved forward at a rapid pace and the Centre officially opened its doors in 2001.

A tour of the Scotiabank Dance Centre revealed that the 32,000 square foot Centre would not have been possible without the help of various funders, including over $300,000 in funding from the Vancouver Foundation. The company is proud to announce that they are both debt and mortgage free, although their sole revenue stream comes from rental fees. The Centre is home to both Ballet BC and the Vancouver Ballet Society, and its membership is comprised of over 30 professional companies and 200 artists.

Session participants were treated to a special sneak-preview of “_post”, the latest show by artist-in-residence James Gnam. The private viewing gave a glimpse into the challenge faced by many dancers: the battle between traditional and contemporary forms of dance. 

Scotiabank Dance Centre provides dancers with fundamental amenities that make their jobs easier – from studios and showers, to specialized athletic therapists and video archiving. Thanks to the support of a cross-section of funders, the Scotiabank Dance Centre can make a significant contribution to the dance community.

Takeaways

1. Many organizations must rely on a variety of funders – from Foundations to the National Government.
2. Through collaborative efforts, the Dance Centre can open its doors to artists of all mediums.
3. Dance is one of the most underfunded arts in Canada.

 

Session Presenters Dorothy Bartoszewski and Meriko Kubota of Vancouver Foundation

By Jenette Martens
Session:  Vancouver Foundation’s Gen Green Experiment: Funding and Engaging Youth

Our world is changing. Technology is changing. Our economy is changing. Should our giving change too? Vancouver Foundation is experimenting with new ways to give through their Generation Green Awards where they fund individuals—specifically youth—instead of organizations.

They distribute awards between $1,250 and $12,500 to young people between the ages of 6 and 24 who have ideas for a greener neigbourhood. One project led by 10-year old Keegan will allow 15 neighbourhood families to work together to grow their own food. They’ll plant and care for approximately five fruit trees in their local park, and enjoy the fruit it produces. They’ll share what they learn with other park users.

Another project, organized by five students aged 18 to 24, offers greener courier alternatives for the thousands of small deliveries made in Vancouver’s downtown every day. They will use trikes with cargo bins to deliver packages in and around downtown to decrease pollution and educate others about sustainable transportation.

Learn more about the Generation Green Awards and the great projects being supported at http://www.vancouverfoundationawards.ca/.

 Takeaways

1. Social media is a great tool for communicating with youth.
2. Storytelling is a way to demonstrate the value of a project.
3. Directly investing in individuals creates a ripple effect that is hard to measure.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
www.vancouverfoundation.ca/awards

 PRESENTATION CONTACT
Meriko Kubota and Dorothy Bartoszewski – Vancouver Foundation

By  Kerry Ryan
Session: Community Building Through Collaboration: Issues, Convening and Legacy

Collaboration: why now?
The time is right because there are gaps now that can’t be met by government, and because private, public and non-profit bottom lines are aligning (financial and social mission).

 What are the key ingredients?
Congruence of mission, formal agreement, communication protocol, continual learning, time/trust-building, committed leadership, resolve conflicts early, have courage (be prepared to fail).

 How do we work together?
Cross sector collaborations can be tricky. Engage a convenor that is independent, without entrenched interests (eg. an ideal role for a community foundation). Partners must be willing to set aside individual interests, and share their own connections and capacity, toward a larger end goal.

 What are the risks?
Partners may be concerned about maintaining their identities. Momentum may drain over time; have a sustainability/exit plan. Build long-term funding and ownership into the process.

 How do we fund collaboration?
Collaboration is time consuming, but funders often don’t invest in that time. Community foundations love supporting new ideas, but what about the next phase when a project is still in its infancy? CFs aren’t project funders — is this an opportunity for funders to collaborate?

 Resources are limited; as funders, community foundations like to see results. But, collaboration isn’t always tangible and measurable. Can community foundations view collaboration as a form of investment, where potential benefit outweighs the risk?

 What’s next?
The philanthropic and non-profit sector needs to find ways to reward collaboration and get out of the competitive mindset.

 Takeaways

1. Collaboration is the new innovation.
2. How do we change our mindset from competition to collaboration?
3. Collaboration is the how, not the end result.

 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Toronto Community Foundation’s Toronto Dialogues: Convening creative minds to develop innovative solutions   

PRESENTATION CONTACT
Rosalyn Morrison and Rahul Bhardwaj, Toronto Community Foundation
Tim Broadhead, The J.W. McConnell Family Foundation
Robin Cardozo, Ontario Trillium Foundation
Faye Wightman, Vancouver Foundation