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In this issue:
Canadian CED Network News
Alberta CED News
- ACCA unleashes capital in Albertan communities
- Share your co-op story
- Learn to build a social enterprise: Upcoming Workshop
- Social Enterprise Afterhours in Calgary
- Present at the Creating Rural Connections 2012 Conference
CED Tool: Financial Management for CED Organizations
National CED News
- 5 Public policy “tweaks” to support social enterprise
- New research on social enterprises in rural communities
- Disability and Work: Global Strategy for Equity Conference
- i4 Journal discusses real solutions to affordable housing
- North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress
- Our best tweets of the month
Job Postings
Canadian CED Network News
Sustainable Tourism Webinar
Learn how sustainable tourism can improve local economies and environmental outcomes with an upcoming webinar hosted by CCEDNet. Guest speakers Michael Campbell and Clinton Belcher will learn how Indigenous communities in Canada help empower local communities by utilizing an Indigenous approach to tourism.
The free session will begin at 12:00pm ET on May 1st.
>> Register here
Meet our Members
NorQuest College
NorQuest College is the Edmonton region’s community college – providing access to high-calibre post-secondary programs and foundational learning opportunities to thousands of mature, motivated, career-focused students each year. Their programs are designed to meet the needs of students, regardless of where they start from or where they live.
>> Visit their website
PARO Centre for Women's Enterprise seeks to empower women within their communities, strengthen small business and promote community economic development (CED) through integrated and women-centered program delivery. From training and business coaching, to networking events and peer lending circles, their innovative programs and services are designed to increase the self-sufficiency and success of women, families and communities in the North.
>> Visit their website
Alberta CED News
ACCA unleashes capital in Albertan communities
What would you do with $60,000 for economic revitalization in your community? The Alberta Community Co-operative Association's latest project, Unleashing Local Capital, is designed to empower communities to invest locally, direct their own economic development, and reduce dependency on government supports. It will educate rural Albertan community leaders on community investment and facilitate the establishment of their own local Community Investment Fund (CIF).
These CIFs can assist communities and their members to support local businesses. Three pilot communities will be chosen to participate in the pilot project. Application deadline is May 4.
>> Read more
What's your co-op story? ACCA launches co-operative story project
In other co-operative news, ACCA is also launching a new story-sharing initiative to shine a light on activities happening in the province and as part of the International Year of Co-operatives celebration. Starting this month, there will be two news stories created each week that will be posted to the ACCA website and distributed through social networks. ACCA members are encouraged to share the stories within their networks.
>> Read more
Learn to build a social enterprise: Upcoming Workshop
The enp-ab Building Social Enterprise workshop is intended for staff, board members and volunteers of organizations that are considering launching, expanding or strengthening a social enterprise. The workshop covers the definition and reasons for starting a social enterprise as well as the social enterprise development path. There will also be a review of the eno=ab grant requirements and priorities, and the session will qualify participating organizations to apply for enp-ab funding.
The next session is taking place in Edmonton on April 30. In other news, the deadline for enp-ab grant applications is May 24.
>> Read more
Social Enterprise Afterhours in Calgary
The Trico Charitable Foundation has recently grown and so has their programming. They have plans to expand their Social Enterprise Afterhours events, which provides networking opportunities for budding entrepreneurs. The next Social Enterprise Afterhours - Really Big Value Idea Generation for Social Innovation is on May 8th in Calgary.
This experiential workshop helps you design really big value ideas - the kind that can't help but make significant change in the world around us because they're highly impactful, highly feasible, and highly passion-nourishing.
>> Read more
Present at the Creating Rural Connections 2012 Conference
Organizers of the Creating Rural Connections 2012 Conference and Tradeshow are calling for presentation proposals on innovative rural projects, programs, and research. Through keynote speakers, presentations, workshops, and panel sessions, this year's conference will focus on the theme of “Regional Realities and Approaches.” The deadline for presentation proposals is April 27.
The Conference, which is being hosted by the Alberta Rural Development Network (a CCEDNet member) is taking place October 11-13 in Olds, Alberta.
>> Read more
CED Tool: Financial Management for CED Organizations
Unlike a private business, a nonprofit usually incurs expenses after it secures revenue. Without that revenue, even the best ideas can’t go forward. What’s more, most revenue must be used as the terms of a contract prescribe. So what’s the biggest financial challenge that we nonprofits face? To generate undesignated revenue that we can allocate strategically, without first having to convince a funder.
This helpful tool, designed by Momentum for CCCR's i4 Journal, takes CED organizations along a 4-step process to attaining greater performance, independence and financial soundness.
>> Read more
National CED News
5 Public policy “tweaks” to support social enterprise
In a recent article for SEE Change Magazine, David LePage outlined minor policy changes that will have large impacts to move the social enterprise sector forward in Canada. Among his suggestions, David proposes that the government acknowledge non-profit incorporations as a legitimate business model and make existing tax credits available to social enterprises.
David LePage is the program manager of enterprising non-profits and a member of CCEDNet’s policy council.
>> Read more
New research on social enterprises in rural communities
A new report by the Foundation for Rural Living highlights the pent-up demand for social enterprise skills training and capacity-building in rural Canadian communities. The research, which focuses in Ontario, found that there is a lack of capacity-building and knowledge of SE tools, resources, policies and sector supports available to rural nonprofits.
>> Read more
Disability and Work: Global Strategy for Equity Conference
Registration is now open for this unique conference, which will bring together government, business and community leaders from around the globe to discuss innovative strategies to employment outcomes for workers with disabilities. Participants will explore ways to design policies and programs that are effective and can be used across the world.
The Conference is being held in Montreal, starting on May 5.
>> Read more
i4 Journal Discusses Real Solutions to Affordable Housing
Last month, the i4 journal published a special edition focusing on affordable housing issues and solutions in Canada. Mike Lewis writes on the importance of implementing housing strategies that seek to improve affordability by controlling market forces. In another article, Mike explains the opportunities presented by two promising strategies, community land trust and mutual home ownership societies.
Both articles are excerpts from The Resilience Imperative: Co-operative Transitions to a Steady-State Economy, by Michael Lewis and Pat Conaty (forthcoming June 2012).
>> Read more
North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress
While Canada, the United States, and many other OECD countries have grown increasingly unequal in recent years, equality has not been on the political agenda. Yet evidence shows that income inequality is accompanied by a range of significant negative consequences. North American Basic Income Guarantee Congress will examine this growing trend of inequality and consider the option of a basic income to reduce economic disparity. The theme of the conference is: Putting Equality Back on the Agenda: Basic Income and Other Approaches to Economic Security for All.
The Congress is taking place May 3-5 at the University of Toronto.
>> Read more
CED news in 140 characters: Our best tweets of the month
Think of this as our social media highlight reel. Here's where we list our favourite posts from our Facebook, Youtube and Twitter accounts in the past month.
- #Cooperative businesses provide a new-old model for job growth: "A fast-growing way to do business better" >> Click here
- Learn about Wpg’s innovative Social Enterprise Centre. We're proud to be a founding tenant via @themanitoban >> Click here
- 5 big ideas for a #neweconomy - local investment, DIY job creation, and more. Do you have any others? via @FastCoExist >> Click here
- Co-op members outnumber shareholders 3-1. New report shows #coop sector is resilient & growing. via @CooperativesUK >> Click here
Job Postings
For the latest CED postings visit the National and Regional job pages on CCEDNet's website
National | AB | SK | MB |
Positions to post? Send them to breimer@ccednet-rcdec.ca