NATIONAL EXPERTS TO DELIVER TRAINING ON SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
TIMMINS– The long-term sustainability of our community’s non-profit organizations depends on their finding stable sources of funding or revenue generation. In fact, as many private- and public-sector donors begin to move away from traditional forms of charity toward strategic social investment, they are seeking organizations that are or can become self-sustaining. They are looking for projects that once started, won’t require long-term dependence on funders.How can local non-profits achieve sustainability in a highly competitive fundraising environment and be fully prepared prior to applying for funding?
The Cochrane District Social Planning Council and Kidd Operations have partnered to deliver Timmins’ first-ever skills development conference on sustainability for the non-profit sector.
By bringing together local and national experts in sustainable development and social enterprise, Kidd Operations’ Working Toward Sustainability Conference and Training will provide participants with an opportunity to define what sustainability means for community-based non-profit organizations, present ways to achieve self-sustainability, and clarify public- and private-sector funding criteria in an effort to help them design programs and projects that will have the greatest potential to succeed at meeting community needs and developing local capacity.
This workshop and training-based conference will be held November 14 and 15, 2013 at the Timmins Native Friendship Center and will feature a number of workshops and training sessions led by national experts in non-profit sector sustainability and social enterprise, including:
Helen Burstyn, a former Chair of the Ontario Trillium Foundation now serving as the Government of Ontario’s Special Advisor, Social Enterprise and Chair of The Partnership Forum (the Government’s advisory group on the not-for-profit sector).
Ethel Côté of the Canadian Center for Community Renewal and leading national expert in social enterprise.
Julien Geremie, Director of Development with the Conseil de la coopération de l’Ontario in Ottawa.
Carmen Robillard, Community Advisor, Ontario Trillium Foundation
“We are pleased to see Kidd Operations leading this type of event in response to needs identified by stakeholders and funders for a greater understanding of sustainability and skills development for our local non-profit sector, “said Mayor Tom Laughren and Vice-President, Cochrane District Social Planning Council. “The Council, in collaboration with partners like the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, Timmins Native Friendship Center, the Leadership Training Network, and Kidd Operations, our major private-sector employer, is supporting strategic social investment in the community.”
“Kidd Operations is proud to partner with the Cochrane District Social Planning Council to deliver this skills development opportunity to the community. In fact, we are doing so in direct response to feedback provided by our stakeholders who have identified the need for training in sustainability for non-profits,” said Tom Semadeni, General Manager, Kidd Operations. “Through our Community Partnership Program, we fund numerous local organizations and projects, and as a major private funder in Timmins, we also feel that in addition to financial support, it is important for us to contribute to local capacity building through the sharing of knowledge and expertise.”
The conference will be of interest to any non-profit organization or group that wishes to explore ways of becoming self-sustainable and to members of the community who would like to further explore sustainability particularly through social enterprise including cooperatives. It will also provide valuable information for organizations who wish to be better prepared when applying for funding.
Registrations are being accepted through the Timmins Chamber of Commerce at timminschamber.on.ca/events.
