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Dr. Ryan Gibson, a researcher from Saint Mary’s University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, will be presenting (via video) the results of two studies investigating where philanthropy, rural development, and public policy come together in rural Canadian. Ryan will share the research findings showing the:

• substantial financial capital held by community foundations in rural Canada;
• creation and influence of local-based funders;
• re-balancing of the relationships with government; and
• disconnect between philanthropy and other local actors with similar local priorities.

We hope you can join us in person or via webinar at this Rural Development KX event.

To RSVP:

Contact Elin Gwyn: elin.gwyn at ontario.ca or Ramona Cameletti: ramona.cameletti at ontario.ca

Session Description

Rural communities are at a critical turning point in Canada. Rural communities and regions have witnessed decades of dramatic changes: the dismantling of rural institutions, the out-migration of young people and skilled labour, economic restructuring, and the continued investment on infrastructure to bring resources out of rural areas. Rural regions, and consequently their development, have largely been viewed as being dependent on external actors and funds. External actors have largely taken many forms, such as provincial agencies, federal agencies, and the private sector. Philanthropy, through the platform of community foundations, provides an opportunity for rural regions to utilize existing local resources to facilitate sustainability and revitalization. Community foundations, as one type of registered charity, can play a substantial role in rural and regional development.

Philanthropy through community foundations is explored as a mechanism to facilitate and sustain rural development. This discussion shares findings from two research initiatives investigating the intersection of philanthropy, rural development, and public policy in the Canadian context. The findings focus on: the substantial financial capital held by community foundations in rural Canada; the creation and influence of local-based funders; the re-balancing of the relationships with government; and the disconnect between philanthropy and other local actors with similar local priorities. The research findings enhance our current understanding of philanthropy and its potential roles in regional development.

About the Facilitator

Ryan Gibson is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Saint Mary’s University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Since 2009, he has served on the board of the Canadian Rural Revitalization Foundation/Fondation canadienne pour la revitalisation rurale (www.crrf.ca), serving as President from 2012-2014. CRRF/FCRR is a national non-profit charity focused on enhancing the lives of rural Canadians. Ryan also serves as an elected board member with the Canadian Community Economic Development Network and holds appointments with the Rural Development Institute (Brandon University), the International Centre for Northern Governance and Development (University of Saskatchewan), and Assiniboine Community College.

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An analysis of Manitoba’s Economic structure suggests:

• 35% of Manitoba’s GDP (Gross Domestic Product) is generated in non-metro areas. At the Canada level, non-metro areas contribute about 30% of the GDP.
• Within non-metro Manitoba, the goods-producing sectors generate about 43% of the GDP, compared to 29% of Manitoba’s overall GDP being generated by the goods-producing sectors.
• The four largest sectors in non-metro Manitoba in terms of employment are: - Health and social assistance; wholesale and retail trade; manufacturing; and agriculture.
• Manitoba’s agricultural GDP ranks 5th among Canadian provinces and Manitoba’s share has been declining slightly which means other provinces are growing slightly faster.

What are the structure and trends of these economic changes in Manitoba and how might they impact the province's economic strategy and your work?

On December 10th, founding editor of Rural and Small Town Canada Analysis Bulletin, retired from Statistics Canada and also past-chair of OECD Working Party on Territorial Indicators, Ray Bollman, will present an online webinar to discuss the significance of Manitoba rural economic structure and trends looking at its national and provincial implications.

Register now

RSVP by December 8, 2014

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Before the glass condominiums that crowd Toronto’s downtown skies rose, the city was already home to a veritable concrete jungle of apartment buildings.

Twelve hundred towers house nearly one million people today – with many providing affordable options in the city’s core, a place that is becoming more and prohibitively expensive. Built following the Second World War, however, these towers are far from beacons of sustainability and certainly not immune to disrepair.

Tower Renewal is a program to drive broad environmental, social, economic, and cultural change by improving Toronto’s concrete apartment towers and the neighbourhoods that surround them. Their vision is to work with residents to reinvigorate these important neighbourhoods, making them more liveable and energy efficient, while bringing new community amenities to the sites.

Toronto’s Tower Renewal program is a great example of the kind of project Cities for People and SiG are interested in exploring for our Social Innovation and Resilience in Cities Series. Using it as a case study, we will explore how communities can identify problems and opportunities together, how they can be part of decision-making processes, and how partnerships and attention to positive social and ecological resilience can bring life and long-term vitality to urban systems.

Register now

About the Presenters

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In this webinar, Towards Employment, a community-based nonprofit organization in Cleveland, OH, will share three innovations in programming developed through WorkAdvance initiative, a regional sector-specific career pathway program in manufacturing led by Towards Employment. Drawing on case studies developed through a Strategic Venture Fund grant from the National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP), Towards Employment will highlight the role that it has played in (1) an industry association partnership that led to accelerated outcomes; (2) a training cohort customization that increased access to training for low-skill individuals; and (3) a partnership with a local business to create a strategy for low-wage incumbent worker up-skilling and backfill with candidates from distressed neighborhoods. Each of the efforts highlighted broadened career pathway access through deeper collaborative partnerships and created additional advancement opportunities for low-wage and low-skill participants, and each case study will present realistic, complex, and contextually rich situations that showcase specific sector partnership opportunities that the WorkAdvance team leveraged to advance programming.

Panelists:

• Rebecca Kusner, Director of Policy and Special Initiatives, Towards Employment

Register now

Or register for the full 2014 NNSP Virtual Conference (more details below)

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The Alliance for Quality Career Pathways, led by the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), has worked with partners in ten leading career pathway states to establish a common understanding of quality career pathways and systems – a framework that explicitly incorporates elements of the sector approach and provides a basis for integration of the two models. In this webinar, representatives of CLASP and the National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP) will share the characteristic strengths of sector initiatives and career pathways, and how these strengths can be combined for the benefit of both workers and their employers. Then, leaders from two participating states – California and Oregon – will share information about policy and practice in their states that support a sector-based career pathways approach in the context of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act and the increasing importance of the sector and career pathways models.

Panelists:

• Judy Mortrude, Director, Alliance for Quality Career Pathways, Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP)
• Shalee Hodgson, Education Division Director, Community Colleges and Workforce Development, State of Oregon
• Van Ton-Quinlivan, Vice Chancellor of Workforce and Economic Development, California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office
• Jim Torrens, Program Manager, National Network of Sector Partners (NNSP), Insight Center for Community Economic Development

Register now

Or register for the full 2014 NNSP Virtual Conference (more details below)

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Well-implemented sector initiatives have been proven through rigorous, random-assignment research to increase the earnings of their participants – including specifically for youth. Young adult participants at Per Scholas, a sector initiative providing IT skills training in the Bronx, NY, earned 45% ($6,625) more than randomly-selected controls during the second year of the two-year study. In Philadelphia, the District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund has developed a model sector initiative to introduce young people to careers in healthcare. In this webinar we will learn from both Per Scholas and the District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund about their youth-serving sector programs, how they work, and the outcomes they have achieved for young people.

Panelists:

• Angie Kamath, Executive Director, Per Scholas
• Cheryl Feldman, Executive Director, District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund
• Makeeda Holley, Director of Workforce Development, District 1199C Training & Upgrading Fund

Register now

Or register for the full 2014 NNSP Virtual Conference (more details below)