March 2011

In this Issue

Profile: Inuvik Community Greenhouse
Canadian CED Network News
Alberta CED News
CED Tool: Resources for Non Profit Financial Reporting
National CED News
Job Postings

Profile: Inuvik Community Greenhouse

In 1998, an underused arena and adjacent school were slated for demolition in Inuvik, North West Territories. The buildings still stand today, but have been converted into a greenhouse, which is now home to the Inuvik Community Garden Association (ICGA). While temperatures may be frigid, the ICGA Greenhouse is one of the hottest local gathering places in Inuvik. The Greenhouse is so popular, in fact, that there is a waiting list to use the gardening facilities.

Located 200 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle and 70 kilometres south of the tree line, the Greenhouse is the most northern on the continent. The Greenhouse boasts over 1000 square-metres of gardening space with 74 plots, carefully tended to and maintained by nearly 100 local green thumbs. On the facility’s second level, a 4000 square foot commercial greenhouse produces bedding plants and hydroponic vegetables, which are sold to the community to cover operation and management costs.

A model of sustainability, the unique Greenhouse was constructed with $61,000 worth of recycled building materials salvaged from a nearby demolished structure. The Greenhouse also hosts the community’s largest composting facilities. Vermicomposting, or composting with worms, has also been introduced as an effective way to turn kitchen scraps into rich fertilizer, while reducing landfill waste.

What this northern town lacks in growing season (it only lasts from mid-May to early September), it makes up for in sunshine. From June to July, the sun doesn’t set and gardeners rush to grow as much they can. Many gardeners can the produce they don’t use during the summer, so they can enjoy fresh-tasting fruits and vegetables when the snow and shorter days set in. In a region where fresh produce is difficult to come by, the Greenhouse is a vital source of healthy and affordable food. The production of local fruits and vegetables is helping to reduce food miles and the use of chemical preservatives in the community’s food supply chain.

The Greenhouse is also stimulating the local economy in Inuvik. Garden Markets are held each week during the growing season, where shoppers can purchase fresh produce, fudge, fresh baking. In addition to helping people save on their grocery bills, the Greenhouse has also become surprisingly popular among visitors, who bring much appreciated tourist dollars into the community. To accommodate visitors, ICGA organizers now offer two tours a day during the growing season.

Community outreach and education are key components of the greenhouse. Seasoned gardeners host up to ten workshops and gardening classes a year, where participants learn everything from making fruitful soil to preparing healthy foods they might only see canned or frozen. The ICGA also reserves at least a dozen plots each year for elders and various community groups, including a local elementary school, a youth centre, and a food bank. Planting seeds of economic opportunity, sustainability, and education, the ICGA Greenhouse is helping the community of Inuvik grow and prosper.

More information at: www.inuvikgreenhouse.com

(With information from Raising vegetables in Canada's midnight sun and Strawberries and corn thrive under the midnight sun)

(Photo Credit: inuvikgreenhouse.com)

Canadian CED Network News

Meet our Members

The Alberta Rural Development Network

The Alberta Rural Development Network (ARDN) is a partnership of Alberta’s 21 publicly-funded, publicly-governed post-secondary institutions, working together to support and enhance rural development. These institutions have combined their expertise, ideas and resources to strengthen Alberta’s rural way of life. The value of this network is that it draws on the strengths of diverse organizations, gathers and conducts extensive research, and perhaps most importantly, has deep connections in all regions of the province.

Visit ARDN's website

CCEDNet on Facebook & YouTube

Looking for more information? Want to stay in the CED loop in between CCEDNet newsletters? Visit CCEDNet's Facebook Fan Page for all the latest updates on CED events, news, and reports from around the country!

You can also subscribe to our growing YouTube Channel for great profiles on CED initiatives and informative talks with CCEDNet staff on community development issues.

Meet a Create Action Intern

Each year, CCEDNet member organizations hire emerging CED leaders for six month internships with the help of the CCEDNet's Create Action Internship Program. There are currently 40 interns working across the country with various CED initiatives, organizations, and programs.

Amanda Doreen Hachey has a Bachelor of Business Administration from Canada (2004) and a Master’s in Strategic Leadership towards Sustainability from Sweden (2010). With economic and community development agencies she has worked with small-to-medium sized enterprises in strategic business planning and capacity building. She gained a global perspective and passion for developing economies during business development projects in Panama and with co-operatives in Vietnam. She has created strategic plans and process improvement recommendations for organizations in the financial industry and for various levels of government.

Amanda is now in New Brunswick working with the Co-operative Enterprise Council, co-designing and co-facilitating a Co-operative Business Development program for women and is working to help businesses, organizations, and communities move strategically towards sustainability.

Alberta CED News

Canada’s Cities Reducing Poverty Teleconference

Edmonton's Social Enterprise Fund will be hosting a free conference call workshop titled Canada’s Cities Reducing Poverty as part of the Vibrant Communities Seminar Series. Join speakers Jenny Kain and Liz Weaver on March 31, 2011 for a discussion on the Social Enterprise Fund and the City's role in development, implementation and capitalization of the Fund.

More information

ACCA to Receive Federal Funding for Internship Program

The Alberta Community and Co-operative Association (ACCA) will receive more than $415,000 in federal government funding to give 32 young post-secondary graduates job experience over the next three years as part of the Career Focus Internship Program.

ACCA will organize workshops which will allow participants to develop skills such as goal setting, time management and leadership. Following the workshops, the participants will apply their new skills through internships in the co-operative sector across Alberta.

For more information on the internship program, contact Dianne Schoepp at dschoepp@acca.coop.

Momentum 2011: A Celebration of Community Action

Celebrate the growing momentum for building strong and inclusive communities at the 2011 United Way of Canada - Centraide Canada National Conference, being held April 11-14th in Calgary. A series of Promising Practices sessions will allow participants to explore in more detail key aspects of our work in building communities, learning about new ideas and innovation from colleagues across the country.

Click here for more information

Seeking Construction Industry Employers to Advise on New Training Program

Momentum will soon begin training programs for underemployed Albertans to develop entry-level construction skills required for both new green building construction and the retrofit of existing buildings for energy efficiency.

To ensure that the curriculum is comprehensive and effective, Momentum is seeking key construction industry stakeholders to act in an advisory capacity. These employers will have the opportunity to inform program development, review training curriculum, and be possible employers for the future program participants.

If interested, kindly contact Jeff Loomis (Programs Director) at jeffl@momentum.org or 403.204.2662

Trico Charitable Foundation in Alberta

Trico Charitable Foundation recently announced three major initiatives to encourage and promote social entrepreneurship in Calgary and across Canada.

The Foundation will provide $500 thousand over five years to the Canadian Youth Business Foundation's "socialpreneur" Alberta initiative. This program will assist young, socially-minded Alberta entrepreneurs in the establishment of new businesses.

The Foundation has also launched an Enterprising Non-Profits (enp) program in Alberta. enp-Alberta's objective will be to empower and support Alberta non-profit organizations by providing grants and technical assistance.

The third initiative is the establishment of the Trico Charitable Foundation Social EnterPrize. Every year two individuals and two organizations working in social enterprise in the non-profit sector will be awarded a cash prize to assist them in personal and organizational development and the advancement of their important work.

Intro to Social Enterprise Workshop hosted by enp - Alberta

The enp-ab Introduction to 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. The workshop typically runs from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. The workshop will be held on five dates with the first taking place on May 5.

More information

Momentum Celebrating 20 Years

In celebration of its 20 year anniversary, Momentum created a short video titled ‘Momentum Moments,’ which is now available on YouTube. The video features interviews with representatives from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce, Western Financial Group, and United Way Calgary who wish Momentum a happy birthday. Those interviewed also discuss the complex issues of poverty and the importance CED-oriented capacity building and skill development programming that Momentum offers.

Thrive's New Strategic Map

Thrive Calgary launched the Network's new Strategic Map on February 3, 2011! The map outlines what Thrive is about and what it aspires to achieve with the goal of inviting as much involvement as possible in network activities.

Download the full report

CED Tool

Resources for Non Profit Financial Reporting

With tax and audit season here, many nonprofit organizations have questions about financial reporting and accounting. While these resources are from the United States, they are also very useful for Canadian non-profits:

Not-for-profit Audit Committee Handbook, from Grant Thornton: Guides, tools and thought leadership geared to helping audit committee members understand the latest financial standards while highlighting the overall implications for public companies.
Seven Ways to Reduce Your Audit Costs, from Blue Avocado: Ways to reduce nonprofit audit expense, including negotiating with auditor, having a different kind of audit, changing auditors, and challenging legal thresholds for audits.

Having consistent, thorough internal controls and policies is key to making financial reporting go smoothly. Check out these sample document retention and internal control policies:

Model Document Retention Policy for Nonprofits, from Blue Avocado: This model document retention policy was developed specifically to comply with one of the two provisions in Sarbanes-Oxley that are applicable to nonprofits.

Tracking how each employee spends his or her time is essential to making sure you recover (and report) all costs from your funding sources. Also check out tools for tracking volunteer time:

Activity Based Timesheet, Strand and Associates: A time-sheet template that measures percentage of time spent by employees in each area, useful for cost allocation and funder reports.
Tracking Volunteer Time to Boost Your Bottom Line: A Complete Accounting Guide, from Blue Avocado: This article explains why and how to include volunteer time in your budgets and financials, including sample financial statements and notes to the audit

(Compiled by the United Way of Winnipeg)

National CED News

List of Postsecondary and Academic Opportunities in CED

This handy list of Postsecondary and Academic Opportunities in CED is a great resource for anyone considering an education in the CED sector. From Masters to Certificate programs, this list can help you find the right school and faculty. It includes a links to program websites and contact information. If you have any questions or suggestions for other academic to programs, contact Matthew Thompson at mthompson@ccednet-rcdec.ca

Download the list (pdf)

Research of Economic Impact of U.S. Co-operatives

The REIC was established to identify, and collect basic economic data on, all cooperative firms in the U.S. When completed in 2009, the REIC identified 29,284 cooperatives operating at 73,000 businesses throughout the U.S. economy. These co-operatives own more than $3 trillion in assets, and generate greater than $654 billion in revenue, create over 2 million and spend more than $75 billion in wages.

Read the full report

CWCF Urges Government Support for Conversions to Worker Co-ops

The Canadian Worker Co-operative Federation (CWCF) has called on the federal government to provide funding to support conversions to worker co-ops. Appearing before the Standing Committee on Finance on February 15, CWCF representatives said worker co-ops could meet the challenge posed by the imminent retirements of large numbers of "baby boomers".

In its submission to the committee, CWCF also reiterated the Canadian Co-operative Association's call for a Co-operative Investment Strategy that would provide co-ops with much-needed access to financing. They also called for a permanent Co-operative Development Initiative program, as the current program is scheduled to end in 2013. CWCF also suggested that the CDI program include support for conversions to worker co-ops.

INS Research Funds Available

The Institute for Nonprofit Studies at Mount Royal University has opened applications to its semi-annual applied research fund. The fund grants two applied research awards with a maximum value of $7,500 each to research projects in three areas: Governance within the non-profit and social economy sector; Sustainability of the non-profit sector/ non-profit organizations; and Policy modelling, analysis, design, or critique

Awards are open to any full-time student or faculty member of a Canadian post-secondary institution. Letters of intent are due on April 8, with full proposals are due on May 9.