Enterprising Non-Profits is currently recruiting applicants for its 2014 Social Enterprise Heroes competition. The three successful applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their best ideas and biggest opportunities in front of a live audience. The challengers will receive expert advice from enp's panel of judges, and have the chance to receive financial assistance (a combined $40,000 was awarded in 2013). To be eligible, your organization must be located in BC and be an operational social enterprise. The finalists will be selected and notified by mid-February 2014.
Upper Columbia Co-op Council Delivering Co-ops 101 Sessions in Partnership with Community Futures
The
Upper Columbia Co-op Council (UCCC) in Nelson, BC is partnering with the
Community Futures to deliver business development workshops throughout Southeastern B.C. UCCC coordinator Zoë Creighton sees this as a pivotal moment of recognition for co-ops to flow along with the stream of business development work, rather than duplicating one another’s services. “Because we’re involved right from the beginning (of the project) it means that we’ll work with them to educate people around different business models, and co-ops are one of them. And that hasn’t ever happened before (...) as most people teach traditional business models like sole proprietorships,” Creighton explains. She says the commitment for this project is to maintain social enterprise and co-operatives as an essential part of all the marketing and pre-entrepreneurial education.
See the sidebar for links to the session listings >>
New Participatory Research Study on Employment Supports for People with Development Disabilities
The BC Centre for Employment Excellence (CfEE) is launching a new participatory research study to capture and share best practices concerning the employment of people with development disabilities using an interactive online mapping database, The BC Employment Mapping Tool. The study is a partnership between the CfEE, Dr. Rachelle Hole of the
UBC Centre for Inclusion and Citizenship and Dr. Jon Corbett of the
UBC Centre for Social, Spatial and Economic Justice, with financial support from
Community Living BC. For queries about this project or other research activities being undertaken by the BC Centre for Employment Excellence, please contact
Shawn de Raaf, the Centre’s Research Coordinator.
Also, click here to learn about your last chance to submit a research proposal to CfEE for projects that explore youth employment issues (deadline Dec 20).
BC Municipalities Call for Social Housing Support
The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) has passed a resolution calling on the federal government to engage with provincial and municipal counterparts, and other housing stakeholders, to develop a national action plan on housing for Canada. This resolution was adopted, in part, in response to the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' call for action. The full resolution, B54, can be read on page 53 of the document linked below.
Vancity CEO Among Top Canadian Sustainability Leaders
Tamara Vrooman, CEO of Vancouver-based Vancity credit union, was recently announced as one of Canada's top women sustainability leaders by Corporate Knights Magazine. The magazine noted Vancity's status as the first carbon-neutral credit union in North America as a key reason for Tamara's inclusion in the list. Tamara shared the honours with such well-known environmental advocates as Green Party leader Elizabeth May, and Kathy Bardswick, CEO of the Co-operators.
Two Island-Based Credit Unions Plan Merger
Two major British Columbia credit unions,
First West and
Island Savings, have announced merger plans. Under the terms of the agreement, Island Savings will retain its local brand, local leadership, local decision making and its local community focus. The proposal still requires membership and regulatory approval.
"We are excited about the possibilities to enhance our business and to better serve our members on the Islands. Both Island Savings and First West have a strong commitment to our communities, to stay and act local. We look forward to combining the expertise, local knowledge and experience of our teams to better serve all our members," said James McKenzie, board chair of Island Savings. First West is currently the third largest credit union in British Columbia and the fifth largest in Canada. Island Savings is the ninth largest in B.C. and 23rd largest in Canada.
National CED News
Mourning the Loss of a Great Canadian Co-operator
The Canadian CED Network extends our condolences to the family and friends of Ian MacPherson, who passed away this November. Ian was a pillar of the co-operative movement in Canada, having been the founding President of the Canadian Co-operative Association, when it was created by the merger of the Co-operative Union of Canada and the Co-op College in 1987. He led the consultation process and wrote the background documents for the International Co-operative Alliance Statement on the Co-operative Identity. As an eminent historian, he was the author / editor / co-editor of some twenty books and author of over 150 articles, most of them on the Canadian and international co-operative movement. He was also the founder of the BC Institute for Co-operative Studies. As the Academic Co-Director of the
Canadian Social Economy Hub, Ian worked closely with CCEDNet for many years.
In honour of Ian's achievements and contribution to the cooperative landscape, the
Co-operative Development Foundation of Canada (CDF), in collaboration with the Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) and the Canadian Association for Studies in Co-operation (CASC), is creating the Ian MacPherson Legacy Fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide university students with support for conference travel, research and engagement with the co-operative sector. To find out more, go to
http://cdfcanada.coop/. You can click here to make a donation online: under "donation designation", specify Ian MacPherson Legacy Fund. The University of Victoria also has a scholarship fund named after Dr. MacPherson. To donate to that fund, email
cccbe@uvic.ca.
A Little Bird Told Us: Top Tweets of the Month
Here is a brief sampling of some of our most popular tweets from the past 30 days.
Click here to follow us on Twitter.
- Why we should take the co-operative business model more seriously: #coops provide sustainable alternative biz models ow.ly/r5gHD
- "Money does not spend the same." $100 spent in local business leaves $45 in the community. National chains leave $15 ow.ly/rjVEH
- Honouring a co-op legacy: Ian MacPherson Legacy Fund will support students in #coop research and engagement projects ow.ly/rwC3x
- #ShopLocal & give the gift of stronger communities this season. Here's a list of resources to get you started: ow.ly/rBRqy
- Marty Donkervoort talks to @SEEChangemag about the success and challenges of #socent Inner City Renovations ow.ly/rp3WV
- CED Holiday Guide 2013: Check out our list of tips and resources for shopping local this season ow.ly/rtI3O
Let's face it: Demonstrating impact is critical when making the case for community programs to funders, stakeholders and policy makers. To strengthen the evaluation and impact measurement capacity of our members, CCEDNet has partnered with 
Kick start your new year with two upcoming webinars hosted by the Canadian CED Network. The first session, 
Enterprising Non-Profits is currently recruiting applicants for its 2014 Social Enterprise Heroes competition. The three successful applicants will have the opportunity to pitch their best ideas and biggest opportunities in front of a live audience. The challengers will receive expert advice from enp's panel of judges, and have the chance to receive financial assistance (a combined $40,000 was awarded in 2013). To be eligible, your organization must be located in BC and be an operational social enterprise. The finalists will be selected and notified by mid-February 2014.
Where We Live Matters is an exploration into what we already know about neighbourhood development, what successes exist and what challenges continue. This paper presents an approach to neighbourhood work based on best and promising practice. It also acknowledges some of the limitations to and challenges of neighbourhood work that arise from the larger social structures and relationships of power in which neighbourhoods are situated and in which residents seek to build their own futures.
