Vital Signs attracts media coverage from coast to coast to coast

Along with our national report – Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 – Vital Youth  – community foundations in 14 communities across Canada also released Vital Signs 2012 reports last week.

And they garnered much media attention, as well. Here’s a sampling:

Calgary:

http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Vital+Signs+survey+Calgarians+happy/7329225/story.html

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/story/2012/10/02/calgary-foundation-vital-signs.html

http://www.globaltvcalgary.com/video/kerry+longpre+the+calgary+foundation/video.html?v=2286052831#morningnews/video/special+guests

Toronto:

http://www.thestar.com/specialsections/vitalsigns/article/1264813–toronto-s-vital-signs-report-2012

http://metronews.ca/news/toronto/390444/torontos-vital-signs-report-says-were-doing-not-too-bad/

Clayoquot Sound Region:

http://www2.canada.com/westerly/story.html?id=326c3dea-3930-42f1-9b18-cff568b0f68e

Halifax:

http://thechronicleherald.ca/editorials/143535-halifax-vital-signs-fountain-of-youth-needs-fix

https://charityvillage.com/Content.aspx?topic=Vital_Signs_2012_Halifax

http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/390265/aging-population-reaching-crisis-point-in-halifax-report-suggests/

Victoria:

http://www.ctvvancouverisland.ca/tag/victoria-vital-signs/

http://www.timescolonist.com/Vital+Signs+grade+assessment+Greater+Victoria/7330798/story.html

Medicine Hat:

http://www.google.ca/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=6&ved=0CD4QFjAF&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.medicinehatnews.com%2Flocal-news%2Fmedia-panel-discuss-2012-vital-signs-10052012.html&ei=3L52UJW9KoH68gSVvIDgCQ&usg=AFQjCNETFM30SoOOrecLKvv3GN-KQ59r2Q&sig2=b2qw-wpRIe4lIqYqZeEQ4A

Winkler, MB:

http://www.pembinavalleyonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29286&Itemid=33

London:

http://www.lfpress.com/2012/10/01/vital-signs-study-were-broken-we-need-to-heal

http://www.londoncommunitynews.com/2012/10/child-poverty-in-london-doubled-in-two-years-vital-signs-report/

Waterloo Region:

http://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/vital-signs-report-explores-how-to-improve-waterloo-region-1.980400

http://www.therecord.com/news/local/article/810575–vital-signs-charities-offer-solution-to-decline-in-volunteerism

Hamilton:

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2012/10/03/hamilton-domestic-violence-vital.html

http://www.thespec.com/opinion/editorial/article/810737–hamilton-lags-on-immigration-and-inequity

Burlington:

http://www.insidehalton.com/news/article/1512238–vital-signs-reports-poverty-youth-issues

Sudbury:

http://www.northernlife.ca/news/localNews/2012/10/02-vital-signs-report-sudbury.aspx

Kingston:

http://www.thewhig.com/2012/10/01/vital-signs-diagnosis-on-communitys-health

Montreal:

https://charityvillage.com/Content.aspx?topic=Vital_Signs_2012_Montreal

http://www.west-end-times.com/index.php/montreal-lags-behind/

“Providing communities with the information they need to make critical decisions about their future is just one of the many ways community foundations help to build smart and caring communities,” said Ian Bird, President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada.

Our Vital Signs blog is moving! Check out our new home here…

Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 digs deep into youth issues

Each fall Community Foundations of Canada releases its national Vital Signs report, and youth issues have consistently been flagged every year since its inception in 2006.

We know education, employment, health and technology are among the huge concerns facing Canada’s young people.

That’s why we’re dedicating Canada’s Vital Signs 2012 to youth, making connections between research in various areas to provide a critical snapshot of the issues facing Canadian youth at this point in our history.

On Oct. 2, we will be releasing our youth research along with a YouTube video promo that encapsulates some of the key findings from our Vital Signs research. Our focus on youth is intended to act as a catalyst for candid and creative conversations that will lead to action among Canada’s community foundations and Canadian communities.

To help move from statistics to solutions, we’re also hosting a Vital Youth Dialogue and Design Workshop on Oct. 3, a day for youth and youth advocates to share and build on a variety of perspectives and strategies on sustainability, entrepreneurship, employment, physical and mental health, accessibility, immigration, engagement, inclusion and more.

This highly interactive, solutions-focused day will serve as a prototype for similar discussions at the CFC 2013 Conference in Winnipeg next June, and in communities nationally.

Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks …

Vital Signs comes to the Emerald Isle

2012 will see the release of Ireland’s first ever VitalSigns report, based on the award-winning Canadian Vital Signs.

Produced by The Community Foundation for Ireland, Ireland’s VitalSigns 2012 will help the Community Foundation do what it does best – connecting people who care with causes that matter.

TV partner helps Victoria Foundation spread the word about Vital Signs

By Stephanie Slater

On Sunday, Jan. 22, CHEK TV News aired a special feature story about the 1000 x 5 Children’s Book Recycling Project in Greater Victoria’s Saanich Peninsula.

The next morning, the phones started ringing at The Victoria Foundation, which had sponsored the story – the first in a weekly series called Vital People. 

1000 x 5 is a project supported by the foundation that aims to ensure every child in their region has a minimum of 1,000 books read to them by the time they are five years old. Callers wanted to donate books – and not just a few! Two callers each had collections of hundreds of books. Jim Munro, owner of Munro’s Books, asked for a meeting with the 1000 x 5 project leader. Other callers asked about replicating the program in their communities. One call came from an organization that works with people who have developmental disabilities. They arranged to bring some of their clients to the weekly sessions where the books are cleaned and sorted.

All this from one, three-minute television story! It was an immediate affirmation of the value of the project – a partnership between the foundation and CHEK TV. For a fraction of the regular cost of advertising, Vital People provides a weekly profile of people and organizations working on the vital issues outlined in Victoria’s Vital Signs® report.

“Vital People spreads the messages highlighted in the Vital Signs reports about needs and opportunities to make a difference in our communities,” said Sandra Richardson, CEO of The Victoria Foundation.

The series not only keeps Vital Signs alive throughout the year, it reinforces the community report card as a project of The Victoria Foundation, helping to boost awareness and understanding of the foundation’s breadth of work.

Vital People stories are posted on the foundation’s website and are also available to the organizations profiled for posting on their websites. These stories will also be featured as part of the soon-to-be-launched Community Knowledge Centre – the searchable database that will showcase registered charities that have received grants from the foundation. Stay tuned for more developments!

For another example of bringing the Vital Signs message forward, see the new Vital Signs checklist featured in the January edition of The Victoria Foundation’s Philanthropy page – a monthly newspaper feature sponsored in partnership with Black Press.

Stephanie Slater is Director of Communications with The Victoria Foundation

Foundations explore ways to unite community through True Sport

By Skana Gee

The Community Foundations of Canada True Sport initiative is picking up steam, moving from a successful pilot project into a new phase of development.

“It’s a unique opportunity to bring communities together with a wide range of partners to build community through sport,” says Cindy Lindsay, CFC’s Director of Member Services.

About 15 months ago, Community Foundations of Canada partnered with the True Sport Foundation and the Canadian Centre for Ethics in Sport on a one-year pilot project to strengthen community through sport.

Four community foundations – in Kitchener-Waterloo, Burlington, Winnipeg and Abbotsford – participated in this innovative program, which relied on collaboration, consultation and an asset-based community development approach that connected sport and non-sport organizations to build social capital through sport.

Winnipeg youth play soccer during a tournament funded in part by the CFC True Sport initiative

By early February, Lindsay expects CFC to announce a new slate of potentially four or five community foundation participants.

“We are considering their readiness to embrace the philosophy of the initiative, the ability to nurture community consultation, and the potential to secure matching funds,” says Lindsay.

Indeed, while offering funding from CFC and the McConnell Foundation, the True Sport program also relies on contributions from participating community partners, who can look to the success of the pilot project.

In Winnipeg, for instance, 15 community-led projects received grants, resulting in a baseball festival – led by a coach and students from the University of Winnipeg – as well as a basketball league, a soccer tournament, and other initiatives in the city’s Central Park neighbourhood.

“Each project was unique and was matched by Central Park community resources of volunteer time, donated materials, professional services or cash,” Christina Parsons of True Sport Foundation wrote on The Winnipeg Foundation’s blog.

“By coming together, the community was able to identify its strengths, create connections and build on existing partnerships.”

Let the games begin!

Skana Gee is Communications Coordinator with Community Foundations of Canada

McLean Budden proud to be the Principal Sponsor of the CFC 2013 Conference: Winnipeg. June 6 – 8, 2013

We are pleased to continue our support of the important work of the Community Foundations of Canada. Our two organizations have enjoyed a long relationship and we’re excited to have this opportunity to tell you about some changes. We are pleased to announce that McLean Budden, one of Canada’s oldest and most respected investment managers, has become a subsidiary of MFS Investment Management®, one of the world’s oldest and most respected investment managers.  McLean Budden and MFS have long been a part of the Sun Life Financial family of companies, which proudly serves clients across Canada and around the world. Our new name is MFS McLean Budden, incorporating the proud legacy of McLean Budden in Canada alongside MFS. The organization gives clients access to MFS’ global research platform with its team of analysts and portfolio managers stationed in Boston, London, Mexico City, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, and now Toronto, with the integrated MFS and McLean Budden teams.  This combination will increase the number of investment solutions available to all clients.

MFS McLean Budden is proud to continue our association with the CFC which dates back to 2004. The Community Foundations of Canada has grown by leaps and bounds over the years, increasing its influence, its reach and furthering its mission to build stronger communities. Community and teamwork are key themes at MFS McLean Budden as such we look forward to our continued partnership and building stronger communities together.

Michael Bissonette, CFA, is Assistant Vice President at McLean Budden

We can’t wait to see you in Winnipeg: June 6 -8, 2013

Eva Friesen

By Jane Humphries

The birthplace of Canada’s community foundation movement is already getting ready to welcome us to their hometown. Since announcing in May that the CFC 2013 Conference will take place in Winnipeg, we’ve been working on nailing down some key details to make planning easy for you and your community foundation.

CFC’s next conference will take place June 6-8, 2013 at the Winnipeg Convention Centre in the heart of downtown Winnipeg. The Delta Winnipeg, which is linked to the Convention Centre, will serve as our main hotel.

Rick Frost

The CFC Board has also appointed our CFC 2013 Conference Chair and I’m delighted to announce that Eva Friesen, President and CEO of The Calgary Foundation, has accepted this important assignment. Winnipeg is Eva’s home town, and she’s excited about working with CFC and The Winnipeg Foundation in this key leadership role.

We are also thrilled to have Rick Frost – CEO of The Winnipeg Foundation – as our Conference Host. There’s no doubt he and his team will show us a great time! We’re grateful to have Leanne Hammond Komori, Executive Director of Central Okanagan Foundation, serving as CFC’s Board Conference Liaison.

We’re already working with Eva on building our CFC 2013 Conference Planning Committee, which will be announced shortly.

The evaluations of our last conference, which was held in Vancouver in May 2011, were a goldmine of information for us. Thank you for taking the time to fill them out. We plan to build on our successes, and add in everything we’ve learned to bring you an exciting, inspiring, and innovative learning opportunity.

We are off and running!

Jane Humphries is CFC’s Vice-President, Organization and Professional Development, and CFC 2013 Conference Director

Communities engage global citizenship to respond to disaster in Japan

As its citizens struggle in the aftermath of the horror of the earthquake, tsunami, and potential nuclear crisis, people from around the world are offering help, in the form of volunteers, supplies and, of course, financial contributions to organizations and agencies that can offer direct services.

There are a number of ways community foundations are developing responses to the crises, including setting up disaster relief and recovery funds, or making them available as options to donors.

Here are some examples of the work going on:

The Board of Governors and staff at Madison Community Foundation are extending the normal mid-month distribution deadline to the end of the business day on Monday, March 21, and will expedite distributions to the relief agency of donors’ choice.

The Community Foundation of Orange and Sullivan will help donors make a gift from their funds to relief agencies, and the foundation will also assist those who want to make gifts related to the rescue effort but do not have a charitable fund at the Foundation.

The California Community Foundation has announced a new charitable fund to provide emergency aid and assistance to those affected by the devastating earthquake and subsequent tsunami that hit Japan on March 11. CCF is contributing $100,000, and invites individuals, families, organizations and companies throughout Southern California to make tax-deductible
contributions to The Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Fund.

We want to hear from you!

What ideas does your community foundation have to engage your community’s response to the crises in Japan?

Community foundations occupy unique niche, says Philanthropy Australia chairman

Community Foundations play a vital role in philanthropy, occupying a unique niche that should be cultivated, the Chairman of Philanthropy Australia recently told the 2010 Community Foundations Forum.

In his address, titled Community Foundations in the Australian Philanthropic Landscape, Bruce Bonyhady focuses on positioning community foundations within the broader philanthropic sector and talks about how his organization is helping the sector grow and have greater impact.

The more than 1,400 community foundations around the world represent grassroots philanthropy, Bonyhady says, and provide a structure through which people can start modestly and give regularly.

In pointing out that measuring impact is the number-one concern for Philanthropy Australia members, he speaks at length about Canada’s national Vital Signs program, calling it “a very useful and exciting development in the field of wellbeing measurement.”

Bonyhady talks up the program’s approach: the fact it relies on community involvement, its reports can be understood by a wide range of readers, can be collated to produce a national snapshot, provide valuable information to the media, and useful guidance in grantmaking.

He adds that the success of Vital Signs in Canada may very well pave the way for its introduction within Australia.

His remarks are worth a read. You can find Bruce Bonyhady’s speech here.

The Canadian Task Force on Social Finance releases a new report on Mobilizing Private Capital for Public Good

By Betsy Martin

About 500 people flocked to the MaRS Discovery District last night for the launch of the report of the Canadian Task Force on Social Finance – no mean feat for the launch of a report on a rainy end-of-November Tuesday night in Toronto. A packed auditorium, a good panel discussion, video messages from Paul Martin, Sir Ronald Cohen, and others, dozens of questions, and a humming crowd that stayed and mingled – and stayed.

The task force’s seven recommendations are a call to action to institutional investors, governments, regulators and financial institutions to do the things we need to do in Canada to attract more capital to our social and environmental challenges, recognizing that government and philanthropy can’t do it all. But it’s not just about meeting needs – investors around the world are making money investing in innovative solutions.

In the foundation world we really need to pay attention to this report, not least of all because the first recommendation is for us: “To maximize their impact in fulfilling their mission, Canada’s public and private foundations should invest at least 10% of their capital in mission-related investments (MRI) by 2020 and report annually to the public on their activity.”

Here are two ways to look at this recommendation:
If you’re the task force, and your goal is to increase private capital for public good, foundations make a lot of sense as a place to start. They exist for the public good and accordingly enjoy significant tax benefits, they are mission-based, and in Canada they represent about a $30 billion pool of capital. By virtue of their privileged place in Canada, they have an important leadership role to play in creating the environment and the infrastructure that will enable other investors – most of whom are not mission-based – to come to the table.

If you’re a foundation, and your goal is to help build a vital community or address a set of social and/or environmental challenges in Canada, mission-related investing is a tool you should be looking at. Foundations around the world and increasingly in Canada are making a bigger difference when they use some of their assets and not just their granting dollars. Investments in affordable housing, jobs, manufactured wetlands, and social enterprises of all kinds are just some of the ways foundations are putting their assets in support of their larger goals, earning a return, and being able to recycle the capital over and over again. And by showing that these kinds of investments can work, foundations can leverage a lot more money to the causes and communities they support than grantmaking alone can ever do.

There’s a lot that will need to happen over ten years to get to the Task Force’s goal of 10% of foundation assets in MRI, but much of that is already in motion. And the distance we’ve come since CFC began its responsible investing initiative a few years ago is impressive.

Just one last thing. The task force is a signature project of SIG – Social Innovation Generation – an initiative spearheaded by the J.W. McConnell Family Foundation with other partners. The late, much-loved Katharine Pearson was the early architect of SIG and as I listened and looked around that full auditorium last night, I had a real sense of her presence and delight at what is blossoming from the seeds she helped to plant.

I’ll be blogging more about all of this in the days ahead.