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In this issue:
Canadian CED Network News
- Gain Momentum With Upcoming Classes
- Alberta Co-ops are Survivors
- Homelessness Declining in Calgary
- Thrive Sets Direction for 2012
- ACCA Co-operative Career Internship Program
- Creating Community Options for Financial Services Conference
- Governing for Sustainable Rural Futures: Summer School Opportunity
- The Business Savvy Behind Non-Profit Success
- 44th National Congress on Housing and Homelessness
- Top 50 Co-operatives in Canada
- Submit Your Nonprofit Research for ANSER Awards
- Upcoming Food Events
CED Job Postings
Canadian CED Network News
Meet Our Members
Cochrane Family & Community Support Services
The FCSS mission is to encourage, strengthen and stabilize family and community life. They deliver a wide variety of programs and activities for children, youth, parents, adults, seniors and for professional development. The Cochrane Resource Centre, Parent Link Centre, Volunteer Cochrane and the Cochrane Society for Housing Options are all under the umbrella of FCSS.
Canadian Worker Co-op Federation
The Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation is a national, bilingual grassroots membership organization of and for worker co-operatives, related types of co-operatives (multi-stakeholder co-ops and worker-shareholder co-ops), and organizations that support the growth and development of worker co-operatives.
Alberta CED News
Alberta Co-ops Are Survivors
A third study has been released showing that co-ops have a higher survival rate than other types of businesses. Co-op Survival Rates in Alberta, written by Richard Stringham for the BC-Alberta Social Economy Research Alliance, found that 92% of the co-ops incorporated between 2000 and 2004 were still operating after five years; 85% incorporated in 2005 were still operating after three years and 79% incorporated in 2006 were still operating after three years.
In comparison, the study found that other businesses incorporated in Alberta between 2005 and 2008 had a three-year survival rate of 48%.
>> Read more
(Source: CCA News Brief)
Gain Momentum With Upcoming Classes
Momentum is offering a series of training and education opportunities in Calgary this spring. Click on the titles to learn more.
- Pipefitting Trades Training: Training for Immigrants and Aboriginals. Begins April 9.
- Self Employment Program: Full time program for unemployed individuals who want to start a business to become self-sufficient. Begins March 12
- Monday Night Money Management: Workshops on a variety of Money Management topics.
- StartSmart: Learn how to get money from the government for your kids’ education after high school.
Homelessness Declining in Calgary
Good news from Calgary last month. The city's annual 2012 homeless count shows an 11% decrease in the number of people experiencing homelessness since 2008. If the historical trend since 1992 had continued, Calgary would have as many as 4,200 people homeless in 2012. Instead, the 2012 homeless count enumerated 3,190 people experiencing homelessness, compared with 3,601 people in 2008.
(Source: The HomelessHub.ca)
>> Read more
Thrive Sets Direction for 2012
Thrive, Calgary's CED organization, has recently updated their strategic map, which sets the direction for their work in the coming year. Thrive initiated the strategic mapping process in 2011, which led to several exciting new partnerships, projects and opportunities in 2011. The 2012 Map identifies the next steps Thrive will need to take to foster these emerging opportunities and partnerships. Thrive has also developed an Evaluation Framework was created to provide specific indicators to measure the overall health of the network and the impact on the community.
>> Read more
ACCA Co-operative Career Internship Program
If you credit union or co-op needs an additional set of capable and eager hands, look into the Alberta Community Co-operative Association's internship program. ACCA is currently seeking Expressions of Interest from co-operative and credit unions (and other community-based enterprises) to become host of a Co-operative Career Intern.
The program is designed to provide career and co-op knowledge development opportunities for young people, while building the capacity of local community organizations.
>> Read more
CED Tool: How to Start a Buy Local Campaign
Many people give little consideration to the choice between a locally owned store and a chain when deciding where to shop. They do not know the benefits to their city's economy of choosing local businesses and are unaware of the many hidden costs of opting for the big boxes. Broadening awareness of the consequences of our shopping choices is therefore an essential strategy in turning the tide of chain retail expansion and rebuilding our local economies.
Created by the Institute for Local Self Reliance in 2007, this fact sheet provides a step-by-step guide to starting a buy local campaign in your community.
>> Read more
National CED News
Creating Community Options for Financial Services Conference
This June, community leaders and financial service professionals are coming to Winnipeg to host panel discussions and workshops at the Creating Community Options for Financial Services Conference. Participants will explore community alternatives to traditional banking and credit services for consumers who may experience challenges in accessing financial services and institutions.
The Conference is being held June 13-14 at the Centre culturel franco-manitobain.
>> Read more
Governing for Sustainable Rural Futures: Summer School Opportunity
Graduate students, researchers, and rural development experts from around the world are invited to attend a two-week learning opportunity in Quebec this summer. This summer school program, hosted by the International Comparative Rural Policy Studies, is an opportunity to exchange insights and knowledge regarding rural and northern policy using a comparative perspective.
The ICRPS program introduces the skills to analyze and compare policies at the international, national, state, regional, and local levels. It also provides the opportunity to study the nature and implications of new forms of governance in rural contexts.
>> Read more
The Business Savvy Behind Nonprofit Success
Just to survive, many of us nonprofits end up driven not by our own mission, but instead by the expectations of our assorted funders. That's why it's so important for us to take money seriously. Only by piling on the financial skills, staff, and organizational capacity essential to good money management can we stay in the driver's seat, and take strategic risks when opportunities arise. David LePage calls that "business savvy."
>> Read more
(Source: CCCR's Insight ebulletin)
The 44th National Congress on Housing and Homelessness
Registration is now open for the National Congress on Housing and Homelessness, which is being held in St. John's, NL from May 1 - 4. This annual event is hosted by the Canadian Housing and Renewal Association.
Help kick-off the event at the Pre-Congress 2012 on May 1. The theme of this all-day 'mini-conference' is Finding the Money, Renewing the Mission: Social Finance, Social Enterprise & Affordable Housing. Don’t miss this exciting opportunity to be part of the global re-think on how investment and enterprise can be harnessed to support social missions, including that which is at the heart of our communities - housing.
>> Read more
Upcoming Food Events
Good Food For All: The Evolution of The Stop's Food Bank
Staff members of The Stop Community Food Centre (based out of Toronto) are hosting a free webinar on March 1 (12-1pm EST). The panelists will discuss their Food of the Month Program, the importance of community-based volunteers, how to attract donations of healthy food, and more. >> Register here
Food Hub Research
On March 13 (1:30pm EST) the Community Food Security Coalition is hosting a teleconference featuring the new USDA study covering Food Hubs across the U.S. The presenter will be James Barham, author of the food hub study, and agricultural economist for the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service. >> Contact Katherine Pigott or Ken Meter to register
Submit Your Nonprofit Research for ANSER Awards
The Association for Nonprofit and Social Economy Research (ANSER) is accepting applications for two thesis awards: one at the Master's level and one at the PhD. The awards are intended to foster and acknowledge graduate research excellence in the field of nonprofits and the social economy in Canada.
Any full-time graduate student who is focusing on non-profit and social economy research can apply. Applications may be submitted in French or English. The deadline for submissions is March 1.
>> Read more
Top 50 Co-operatives in Canada
The Rural and Co-operatives Secretariat has recently published the 2010 Top 50 Co-operatives in Canada report. This list is compiled every year to showcase the importance of co-operatives to the Canadian economy. Key findings in the report include: In 2010, the "Top 50" co-operatives generated $24.8 billion CDN in revenue and had 38,700 employees. Together, they represent 4.8 million members and manage $11 billion in assets. Also, "Top 50" revenues grew 3.4% over the last year, to $24.8 billion in 2010.
>> Read more
Job Postings
For the latest CED postings visit the National and Regional job pages on CCEDNet's website
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