The Recycling Council of Alberta (RCA) is an Alberta based non-profit who has promoted resource conservation, circular economies and zero waste for 35 years. Until January 2024, the RCA had the same Executive Director. The RCA is governed by an ever-changing board of directors. In the past several years, there have also been significant changes to waste management policies at the federal and provincial levels. With significant change, both internally and externally, the RCA has embarked on a facilitated process to develop a future-focused strategic plan to help sustain, guide, and grow the organization into 2030.
The Anatolian Turkish Islamic Center (ATIC) aims to strengthen its governance and financial management systems through the “Strengthening Foundations: Governance and Financial Management Enhancement for ATIC” project. This initiative will involve a comprehensive audit and assurance review by PKF Antares CPA and targeted training for the treasurer. By enhancing its governance structures and financial transparency, ATIC will be better equipped to manage larger grants, complex projects, and expanded services, ultimately benefiting Calgary’s diverse and multicultural community.
Following the successful launch of EcoCooks School (grades 7-12) in Calgary in 2022/23, demand has consistently outpaced growth. In particular, there is a burgeoning demand from teachers to expand to Elementary grades. This project will address the gap that exists by designing an elementary-level program that is relevant to Calgary students and supports teachers to implement environmental education that is connected to the provincial curriculum.
Building off of the success of the Secondary program, and an initial Elementary pilot in Vancouver, Elements will develop a Calgary-relevant curriculum, which will be piloted in 3-5 classrooms this Fall (2024), prior to evaluating, adapting and launching the program in full in Spring 2025.
Airdrie is one of the fastest growing cities in Alberta, with an estimated population of over 80,000. Studies have demonstrated the correlation between community resilience and personal wellbeing (mental, emotional and physical health) with volunteerism. Increased levels of volunteerism results in social connections and increased social capital that can reduce mental health issues, crime, domestic violence, substance abuse, while increasing employment. This initiative will advance Volunteer Airdrie’s work by assessing the impact of our existing programs and services, relative to the 2017 and 2019 results and identify new opportunities to improve stakeholder outcomes and address any newly identified community needs.
The Poet, The Preacher and The Painter is a Black History Walking Tour, co-presented by Swallow-a-Bicycle Theatre and Esker Foundation, with support from cSPACE Projects. It represents the first time a tour of significant sites in the history of Calgary’s Black communities has been conducted. The goal is to recognize and preserve Black life and culture in Calgary’s past, present and future heritage, and to give this history life through the personal stories of the people who made it.
JFSC is implementing a technology program to support vulnerable seniors in the community with group and one-to-one support to better understand technology, their devices and how to avoid being subject to scams or financial exploitation.
Our goal is to access the broader Calgary autistic community in a timely manner to survey them in three different formats (online surveys, in-person interviews, and feedback forms/questionnaires) to strategically advance the Autism For Life Foundations work by piloting multiple new program ideas, testing an innovative enhancement to current program offerings, and improving outcomes for program participants. We will ensure to target the indigenous, black, and female communities as there are literally no autism services for these demographics within Calgary and/or Alberta. Our goal is to ensure that our services are services that actually autistic adults want, and will willing participate in, to ensure that they get the best we can offer.
Heart Beats is a grassroots volunteer-run charity, and despite each board member being either a patient with CHD or a caregiver to a child with CHD, HB continues to provide consistent emotional, financial and educational support to the community. HB has now outgrown the volunteer working board model and requires support to build capacity by developing key components of an operational framework and modernizing its governance structure, which will guide the organization during this crucial stage of growth and lay the foundation for enhanced operations. Key goals are creating structure and continuity, planning for succession and sustainability, and increasing community involvement.
This workshop will provide training and essential skills building to Spirit North’s coaches and leaders and will include the following:
1. An overview of the child welfare system and obligation to report child protection concerns;
2. Spirit North’s Child Safeguarding Policy and the requirements of the policy and procedure for making reports as set out in policy;
3. The provision of practical tools with respect to how information can be gathered from children and youth in relation to a disclosure as well as how to make a disclosure to child welfare authorities once a disclosure is received. Handouts will be provided to include roleplay scenarios team leaders can use to train their staff on receiving a disclosure and making a disclosure
The Human Resources (HR) Revitalization project is designed to address and enhance the HR framework within Between Friends, as identified during the recent SWOT analysis during strategic planning. This project will target critical areas of Between Friends’ HR operations and will provide improvements for these HR functions. Once completed, Between Friends aims to foster a more cohesive, efficient, and supportive work environment, ultimately driving the organization’s success and sustainability.