What If We Strengthened the Social Procurement Ecosystem in Ontario?
Community wealth and community capital is being created throughout Ontario via Social Procurement. Buy Social Canada in partnership with the Ontario Nonprofit Network, Canadian CED Network, Ontario Trillium Foundation and AnchorTO invite you to a webinar series designed to strengthen and connect the social procurement and social enterprise ecosystems across Ontario.

The intention of this series is to enhance organizational and individual capacity, strengthen awareness, share public policy models, and identify and explore the future of social procurement ecosystem opportunities.

The series includes four Webinars and a Wrap Up Dialogue. Sessions will take place weekly, on Wednesdays from 1:00-2:30 pm EDT, starting on May 26.

May 26: Building Supply Side through Social Enterprises

June 2: Building Demand Side through Purchasing of Goods and Services

June 9: Building Demand Side through Construction Projects

June 16: Building Community Wealth and Community Capital

June 23: Wrap Up Dialogue

Learn more and register

What If We Strengthened the Social Procurement Ecosystem in Ontario?
Community wealth and community capital is being created throughout Ontario via Social Procurement. Buy Social Canada in partnership with the Ontario Nonprofit Network, Canadian CED Network, Ontario Trillium Foundation and AnchorTO invite you to a webinar series designed to strengthen and connect the social procurement and social enterprise ecosystems across Ontario.

The intention of this series is to enhance organizational and individual capacity, strengthen awareness, share public policy models, and identify and explore the future of social procurement ecosystem opportunities.

The series includes four Webinars and a Wrap Up Dialogue. Sessions will take place weekly, on Wednesdays from 1:00-2:30 pm EDT, starting on May 26.

May 26: Building Supply Side through Social Enterprises

June 2: Building Demand Side through Purchasing of Goods and Services

June 9: Building Demand Side through Construction Projects

June 16: Building Community Wealth and Community Capital

June 23: Wrap Up Dialogue

Learn more and register

SAVE THE DATE!

Growing inequalities, persistent unemployment and environmental imperatives have come to the fore as priority policy issues. Socio-economic challenges have been exacerbated by COVID-19, making the rethinking of traditional policy approaches more urgent than ever.

The social and solidarity economy, including associations, co-operatives, mutuals, foundations and social enterprises,  has emerged as a fundamental lever to build more inclusive and sustainable economies and societies. Data reveals that in some countries, social economy organisations can account for as much as 10% of total employment, representing a key source of jobs and income.

The OECD has joined forces with the European Union through the Global Action “Promoting Social and Solidarity Economy ecosystems” to scale and further increase awareness on the social and solidarity economy and its role in building back better. The Action targets all EU Member States and six non-EU countries (Brazil, Canada, India, Korea, Mexico and the United States).

This international conference will bring together hundreds of practitioners, experts and policy makers in the social and solidarity economy to:

• Learn more about the issues to consider when designing legal frameworks and measuring social impact, including new OECD research in these fields.
• Discuss brand new OECD evidence on the role of social and solidarity economy organisations in rebuilding better, by achieving social impact, promoting inclusiveness and addressing the impacts of COVID-19.
• Network with other international practitioners, experts and policy makers, during highly interactive roundtables and breakout sessions.

More information on OECD's Global Action “Promoting Social and Solidarity Economy Ecosystems”

2:00pm EDT

NPQ’s latest webinar in their Remaking the Economy series explores a central economic justice organizing question: What does it mean to engage in system change for economic justice? 

This webinar features three practitioners approaching this question from the standpoints of policy and law; communications and culture; and on-the-ground, co-op organizing.

Leading this discussion are three expert panelists:

Camille Kerr is the founder and principal of Upside Down Consulting in Chicago, where she works to build “an economy that liberates us.” One aspect of this work involves support of ChiFresh Kitchen, a worker co-op founded by formerly incarcerated Black women.

Natalia (“Nati”) Linares is the communications organizer for the New Economy Coalition, a national membership group that supports the solidarity economy, and a coauthor of a report published this year by Grantmakers in the Arts on arts and the solidarity economy.

Ricardo Samir Nuñez is the director of economic democracy for the Sustainable Economies Law Center—a nonprofit based in Oakland, California—where he coordinates educational programs, legal services, and policy advocacy that advance systemic change.

This webinar will explore:

• How do law, culture, and politics reinforce the status quo—and what tools can be used to change that dynamic?
• When supporting community-owned businesses, how do you balance nuts-and-bolts small business development and maintaining a vision for systemic change?
• What legal and policy changes have had the greatest positive impact on economic justice? What additional legal and policy changes are most needed?
• What does art that supports a solidarity economy look like?  
• How can philanthropy that supports arts and culture engage in systems-change work that addresses root causes rather than just symptoms of cultural inequity?
• How can popular education support economic system change? What are the fundamentals that we all need to know?
• What role can nonprofits and philanthropy play in supporting systemic change in the economy? And how can they avoid buttressing the status quo?

Whether you’re a nonprofit leader, board member, or engaged in community-based organizing, this webinar will provide you with real-life examples and lessons learned that can inform your work in your own community.

Register to learn how nonprofits and movement activists are advancing strategies to address the economic and social inequalities of our time!

Register for Remaking the Economy: Core Elements of System Change

The moderator for this webinar is NPQ Economic Justice Program Director Steve Dubb. Steve has worked with cooperatives and nonprofits for over two decades and has been both a student and practitioner in the field of community economic development. You can send your questions to editorinchief@npqmag.org to have them answered during the web event.

Questions about registering for this complimentary webinar? Check the FAQ page

*The recording and slides of this webinar will be available on the NPQ website 2-3 days after the live event.