When you think about non-profits, you might immediately think about organizations that support those experiencing homelessness, food banks, or social services.
But have you ever considered just how much of an outsized impact that non-profits have on our individual and collective wellbeing?
Whether you’ve participated in a sports league, visited a museum or library, attended a performance at the theater, or even accessed support services, you’ve likely benefited from a non-profit organization in your community. In fact, these organizations are vital to creating an inclusive and thriving province.
On this episode, we dive into the purpose and evolution of non-profits in Alberta, from the role they play in making life better for Albertans, the impact of COVID and their response, and how the non-profit sector is evolving to ensure that its collective impact is sustained for generations.
This episode is a two-part conversation. In the first part, you’ll hear from Eva Friesen, President & CEO of Calgary Foundation. Eva discusses the investment strategy of the Calgary Foundation, how non-profits innovated and collaborated during COVID to ensure the survivability of organizational missions.
In the second part, you’ll hear from Jeff Dyer, CEO of the newly created Trellis. Jeff discusses the drivers and lessons of the recent merger of Boys & Girls Club of Calgary and Aspen Family & Community Network and building trust and collaboration between business and non-profits to deliver value and prosperity for Albertans.
In This Episode:
- How the non-profit/charitable sector enables a high quality of life for all Albertans
- Responding to COVID and current state and health of the sector
- Shifting from “survival of the organization” to “survival of the mission”
- Funding and investment strategies of Calgary Foundation
- Lessons and tools the sector has gained as a result of COVID
- Story of the merger of Boys and Girls Club of Calgary and Aspen Family & Community Network to form Trellis
- How lessons from the Trellis merger can pave the pathway to future mergers in the sector
- Thinking differently about the sector for innovation, better service delivery, and value add to society
- Building trust between business and non-profit sectors
- How we can make life better for Albertans
Resources Mentioned:
- Calgary Foundation
- Trellis
- Calgary Foundation’s 2020 Vital Signs Report
- CCVO Report: From Emergency to Opportunity: Building a Resilient Alberta Nonprofit Sector After COVID-19
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