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After nearly a decade of listening, learning, refining, and listening some more, with staff on the ground in small towns in New England and the Rocky Mountain West, the Orton Family Foundation is ready to share their field-tested method that leads to stronger towns.

The Community Heart & Soul™ Field Guide, spells out step-by-step how to inspire residents to shape the future of their communities, based on what matters most to them.

Whether you are a city planner, elected official, or a resident concerned about your town’s future, the Field Guide can help start the conversation about strengthening the social, cultural and economic vibrancy of your town.

In this free webinar, you'll hear from Orton Executive Director David Leckey on how Heart & Soul leads to real, positive change, and Alece Montez-Griego, director of programs, with an overview of the method. Plus Mike Bestor, city manager, Golden, Colorado, and Delilah Poupore, executive director of Heart of Biddeford, Biddeford, Maine, on how Heart & Soul matters in their towns, with time for Q&A!

• Intro to Community Heart & Soul: Orton Family Foundation Executive Director David Leckey on how discovering what matters most in a community leads to real, positive change.
• Get to Know the Field Guide: A brief overview of the field-tested method with Alece Montez-Griego, programs director at Orton.
• Heart & Soul—Steering change: Mike Bestor, city manager, Golden, Colorado and Delilah Poupore, executive director Heart of Biddeford, Biddeford, Maine discuss how Heart & Soul transformed their towns.
• Q&A with questions from the audience.

The first 50 to sign up receive a free, bound copy of the Community Heart & Soul™ Field Guide.

Register now

Can't wait to get started? Download a copy of the Field Guide now!

3:00pm to 5:00pm
212 - 1737 West 3rd Ave

Co-ops 101 is BCCA's introduction to co-operatives and the co-op movement. Designed to be relevant and interesting everyone from new co-operators, employees at co-ops and credit unions, or anyone interested in the co-op movement, it's an excellent way to learn more about co-ops.

Register here

Start co-operating.

Are you interested in starting a co-operative? Do you work for a co-op or a credit union and want to learn more about the co-op sector? Does the idea of co-operation interest you?

That's why we're here. Come and learn all about the co-op sector, co-operatives, how and why to start one, and how the BCCA can help you as you think of ways to build a co-operative economy.

Learn about co-op business basics.

Learn about the history of co-ops, different kinds of co-ops ranging from consumer co-ops to worker co-ops to nonprofit co-ops at this workshop.

Participants will also explore how to take their idea towards the development of a co-op, including:

• The co-op development path
• Assessing a business idea
• Feasibility and business planning
• The nuts and bolts of starting a co-op
• Support and assistance from the BCCA and the co-op sector
• Access co-op development support.

Contact Information

Phone: 6046623906
Email: harding@bcca.coop

10am to 3pm
212 - 1737 West 3rd Ave

This full-day highly interactive workshop will empower you to co-operatively make great decisions for your co-op. You will leave the workshop with a solid understanding of your Rules, what is required of them, and why they are of benefit to your co-op. You'll also have the capacity to update or write your Rules.

Register here

Rules Writing Intensive.

Rules (aka co-op by laws) provide the map for your organization to function and answer important questions such as, How can members join the co-op? Or What is everyone’s responsibilities?.

Drafting rules can be a challenging undertaking to create, revise, and review.

This full-day highly interactive workshop will empower you to co-operatively make great decisions for your co-op. You will leave the workshop with a solid understanding of your Rules, what is required of them, and why they are of benefit to your co-op.

Learn the ropes and plan for success.

To make the most of it you will need to bring:

• An electronic copy of your co-op’s Rules
• If you don’t have current Rules, your co-op’s ideas and action plan towards incorporation
• Questions that you or have about your Rules as they currently exist
• Identified areas that you would like to address, review, or revise.
• Pack a lunch as well!

Please note: This workshop is not legal advice, and the facilitator cannot offer legal advice or provide legal services. If your co-op needs to seek out a lawyer for assistance, the BCCA can connect you with experts in the field.

Attend in-person in Vancouver.

This workshop will be held in-person in Vancouver. If you can't make it to the workshop in person, BCCA training sessions are available by webinar or teleconference. We'll make it happen. Just get in touch.

Date: Thursday, October 30, 2014
Time: 12 - 1 pm Eastern

Speaker: Joe Schaeffer

Understanding community has always been central to Dr. Joe Schaeffer’s work. As an academic and teacher he has engaged thousands of people, from a diversity of backgrounds and experiences, to answer a single question: What would people be like, within and with each other, in a world that you would like to be part of?  Joe has distilled the responses he heard into five qualities of character which are exemplified by people who demonstrate the capacity to create and sustain resilient, strong communities. Joe’s latest book, Living Community, explores these qualities of character and makes an important and unique contribution to the field by moving beyond the "how-to" of community building to focus deliberately and clearly on the attitudes and practices that we must cultivate within ourselves to successfully realize the full benefit and possibility of community.  Join us and learn more about the five qualities of character for effective community-building.

Register now

2pm to 3:30pm Eastern

Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) are agreements between developers and coalitions of community organizations interested in mutually reinforcing goals of community and economic development. CBAs address a broad range of community needs and allow community organizations to play a role in shaping a project, to win benefits that are tailored to their community, and to ensure developer's act in the best interests of the community.

This interactive presentation will look at how the community benefits movement has reframed the new development model.  And we will look at specific community benefit campaigns, what they have accomplished, and how.  Social enterprises are uniquely suited for assisting with CBAs, because of their twin goals of social good and market orientation. We encourage everyone to join us as we learn more about this powerful tool that is emerging as a trend in cities across the country.

Attendees are highly encouraged to review this interactive tool:  www.forworkingfamilies.org/sites/pwf/ASK/

Register now

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Presenters:

Felicia Couts, coordinator of the Winning Goals coalition initiated by the SE/SW Community Benefits Coordinating Council, in Washington, DC

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John Goldstein, Campaign Director, Partnership for Working Families

Find out more here: http://www.forworkingfamilies.org/sites/pwf/ASK/home.html