As 2022 comes to a close, it’s a perfect opportunity to reflect on what happened in the nonprofit sector during the past year. With pandemic restrictions coming to end and the return of in-person events, the past year has given us the opportunity to (finally!) reconnect with our peers. But it has also been a year of challenges for our sector: inflation, rising demand, and staff shortages have forced nonprofits - already stretched thin - to do even more with less. On the bright side, 2022 has been a year of positive change, evolution, and innovation. And undoubtedly, it has been a year rich in conversations, with a focus on advancing equity within the sector and society more broadly.
Looking back at 2022 made us realize how busy the year has been for all of us. Since you may not have had the time or opportunity to read all of the stories on our Imagine 360 blog this year, and in the spirit of sharing perspectives about our sector, we’ve compiled a list of 5 insightful posts that you may have missed in 2022. These blogs, which provide snapshots of some of the things that happened in the sector in the past year, are perfect reflections if you’re planning on catching up on reading during the holiday break. We hope that these stories bring you new insights and perspectives about our diverse and mighty sector.
Happy reading!
The BlackNorth Initiative: Learnings on advancing racial equity in Canada
In this blog post, Dahabo Ahmed-Omer, Executive Director of the BlackNorth Initiative - a charity with a mission to end anti-Black systemic racism through a business-first mindset - discusses how nonprofits and companies can collaborate to create systemic change by changing their behaviour and making real progress on racial equity. Read the post to learn how organizations can collaborate to create innovative opportunities to drive change across Canada.
The Current Climate: What is happening in the B3 Sector?
B3 (Black-focused, Black-led, and Black-serving) organizations are disproportionately underfunded and overlooked within the Canadian philanthropic sector and are advocating for ways to rectify this. In this blog, the team at the Centre for Young Black Professionals have identified three ways for this to happen and explain trends and issues impacting B3 organizations. Read on to learn about the barriers to funding for these organizations, the lack of data, and the importance of more Black philanthropic leadership.
In Indigenous nonprofit governance, values matter more than tools
“When I consider the forms of governance currently used in Indigenous organizations, I think less about the process and more about the value system that underpins the process,” explains Rachelle Dallaire, from Indigenous Perspectives Society. In this piece, the author questions the values system and inherited Western governance that is sometimes incompatible with traditional Indigenous value systems, which focus on shared wisdom, protecting the land and preventing harm to others. Read this post to learn more about governance structures in Indigenous organizations and the importance for the sector to incorporate values that are reflective of Indigenous ways of knowing, doing, and being.
8 shifts in the grants landscape that fundraisers need to know about
With rising inflation, a looming recession, and the ongoing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic creating uncertainty, diversifying revenue sources is one of the most important things nonprofits can do to ensure a sustainable future. But there’s good news: things are changing for the better in the philanthropic sector. From historic policy moves to transformative changes in grantmaking practices, this blog highlights eight shifts that could lead to increased returns on organizations’ grantseeking efforts – and to a more equitable and accessible funding landscape for the future. Fundraisers, this one’s for you!
Priorities and challenges for nonprofits in the fourth quarter of 2022
In the final stretch of the year, Canada continues to experience considerable social and economic tumult. Although the pandemic no longer dominates the headlines, its impacts are still being felt in many ways. In this challenging environment, nonprofits continue to do their best to serve their communities. Many also report taking steps to provide better work environments for their staff. The last edition of our blog series for 2022 highlights the latest trends that are impacting Canada’s nonprofit sector in the last quarter of the year.
