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 …

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

Poverty Reduction Key to Canada’s Economic Recovery

Campaign 2000 is a cross-Canada public education movement to build Canadian awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000. Jacquie Maund is the Coordinator for the Ontario Campaign 2000.

Canada’s economic recovery hinges on federal leadership to pull recession victims out of the poor house and prevent Canadians from plunging into deeper poverty, hunger and homelessness, says Campaign 2000’s new report card on child and family poverty.

Keep the Promise: Make Canada Poverty-Free looks at the nation’s most recent child and family after-tax poverty rate compared to 20 years ago, when Parliament unanimously resolved to end child poverty by 2000, and finds today’s after-tax rate is 9.5 per cent, a slight budge from 11.9 per cent in 1989.

“If Canada were a student, she would be in danger of dropping out,” says Campaign 2000’s Laurel Rothman. “Following an unprecedented period of growth since 1998, the small change in the rate of child and family poverty is shocking.

“As Canada develops strategies to foster economic growth and recovery, the most strategic decision the federal government could make would be to take leadership and set a target to lower the poverty rate.”

The report card’s key findings, available at www.campaign2000.ca, show Canada has far to go to prevent and reduce poverty:

·         One in 10 children still live in poverty in Canada today. It’s worse for children living in First Nation’s communities: one in four grow up in poverty;

• There are more working poor: 40 per cent of low-income children live in families where at least one parent works full-time year round, up dramatically from 33 per cent in the 1990s;
• Child poverty is persistent across Canada: rates of child and family poverty (LICO before-tax) are in the double digits in most provinces.
• The gap between rich and poor has widened:  On average, for every dollar the families in the poorest 10 per cent had, families in the richest 10 per cent had almost 12 times as much ($11.84) in 2007.

“Canada could succeed if our federal government used public policy resources to improve labour market options and make our tax system more progressive,” says Ed Broadbent, the former New Democratic Party leader who moved the 1989 motion to end child poverty by the year 2000.

“All Canadians will benefit from less poverty,” says Peggy Taillon, President of the Canadian Council on Social Development. “As a society we either share the collective responsibility to prevent child and family poverty or we face rising costs in health care services, criminal justice and education.”

“Now that seven out of 10 provinces have committed to poverty reduction, it’s time for the federal government to exercise leadership and develop a clear plan with targets and timetables,” says Sid Frankel, Social Planning Council of Winnipeg.

Charitable donations dropped 5.3% in 2008: StatsCan

The Canadian Press

Reported charitable donations surpassed $8.1 billion in 2008, down 5.3% from 2007. But Statistics Canada says, based on tax returns, the number of donors increased 1.7% to just under 5.8 million.


The agency says the median donation was $250 in 2008, meaning half of the donors gave more and half less — unchanged from 2007.


Donors in Nunavut reported a median donation of $500, tops in the nation for the ninth straight year.

Donors in Prince Edward Island had the second highest median at $370, followed by those in Alberta with $360.

Donors in Abbotsford-Mission, B.C., had by far the highest median donation among cities at $600, the sixth straight year they have led the way.

Kelowna, B.C., followed with a median of $380, slightly ahead of Calgary with $360.

Community foundations launch toolkit to encourage advisors to ‘Ask the Giving Question’

OTTAWA (Nov. 12, 2009) – As National Philanthropy Day approaches on November 15, Community Foundations of Canada is launching an online toolkit to encourage financial, investment and legal advisors to ‘ask the giving question’ in their discussions with clients over the coming year.

“We know that 21% of Canadians account for 82% of the donations to charity in this country,” said Monica Patten, President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada. “We also know individuals are three times more likely to include charity in their will when the issue is raised by a lawyer, accountant or an investment or financial advisor. We developed this toolkit to share our experience with advisors, in the hopes that it can lead to more giving.”

“Many advisors are eager to start discussing philanthropy with their clients, but it can feel like a daunting exercise when you’re not an expert, said Mathieu Paradis, Certified Financial Planner, Wealth Strategies, Investment and Financial Planning. “This new toolkit provides an easy way for advisors to access the information they need to get started.”

Professional Advisors eResource
The online toolkit, called Professional Advisors eResource, offers advisors a wide range of basic and more technical information about charitable giving including:

•    Adding giving to your practice
•    Talking about charitable giving
•    Detailed information on six common gift options
•    Handouts that advisors can personalize and to share with clients
•    Donor stories that illustrate how giving can be used to help clients meet their financial and personal goals

The toolkit can be found at http://www.cfc-fcc.ca/pa-eresource/. Advisors can also sign up for the site’s RSS feed to keep up to date on the latest news about charitable giving.

Community Foundations exploring responsible investment to leverage assets

OTTAWA (Nov. 2, 2009) – Community Foundations of Canada is today launching www.responsible-investment.ca, the first phase of its new website devoted to sharing its growing collection of Responsible Investment (RI) resources with foundations and other funders.

The website is part of CFC’s Responsible Investing Pilot Project, which is assisting community foundations across the country to: start or advance their journey along the path of mission-based investing; adopt appropriate investment policies and programs; and increase the percentage of their assets that are aligned with their mission.   The pilot project is supported by the U.S.-based Ford Foundation and The Co-operators Group Ltd.

“Responsible Investment offers community foundations and other funders many opportunities to leverage our assets. We’re just beginning our journey but we’re eager to share what we’ve learned to date with others,” said Monica Patten, President and CEO of Community Foundations of Canada (CFC), the membership association for more than 160 community foundations from coast to coast.

Interest in responsible investing (also known as mission-based investing or socially responsible investing) is growing as community foundations consider ways to have an even greater impact on the issues that matter most to their communities.  Community foundations collectively hold more than $2.4 billion in assets and provided $169 million in grants in 2008.

“The market turmoil of the past year has underscored the importance of finding the most effective ways to use foundation assets. Many long-term investors – including foundations – are also re-examining their investment beliefs and philosophies to take into account environmental, social and governance factors,” said Patten.

CFC’s pilot project is guided by an advisory group of experts in the RI field, including Michael Jantzi (Jantzi Research Inc.), Robert Walker (Northwest & Ethical Investments LP ), Peter Chapman, (Shareholder Association for Research and Education), Derek Gent (VanCity Community Foundation), and Tim Draimin, Social Innovation Generation, and Eugene Ellmen (The Social Investment Organization). CFC is also working with other funders such as Philanthropic Foundations of Canada on developing and sharing specific RI resources.
 
“It’s important for foundations to invest their assets in a way that respects their work in social responsibility and sustainability,” said Eugene Ellmen, Executive Director of the Social Investment Organization. “Donors count on it, and local communities expect it. This new resource is the first step in a long-term process to align the investment and granting of foundation assets.”

Community Foundations & Responsible Investment

Although community foundations are relatively new to the field of responsible investing, several foundations have stories to tell about their growing commitment.

Edmonton Community Foundation: The foundation’s $5-million Social Enterprise Fund, launched in partnership with the City of Edmonton and the United Way, is supporting new social enterprises and affordable housing. Its initial loans are all current, returning 5% to 6.5%, or paid in full so the foundation is now adding other financing products to its mix.   

Osprey Community Foundation: Serving the community of Nelson, British Columbia, the Osprey Community Foundation currently has 15% of its capital placed in a Socially Responsible Investment Fund, held by Vancouver Foundation. In addition, all of the foundation’s new donations will be invested in this fund. The foundation says on its home page that its plans to “gradually move all of the foundation’s endowment capital into socially responsible investments.”

Community Foundation of Ottawa: The foundation has established a task force to review their investment policy and incorporate responsible investing.  The foundation is interested in adding ESG factors as well as the potential for community investments. This process will include web-based policy development with a wider group including other community foundations and Canadian RI experts. 

Vancouver Foundation: The largest community foundation in Canada, and one of the oldest, currently has a $12-million Socially Responsible Investment Fund in which donors can opt to place their donation. The foundation is also exploring potential options around community investment funds with economic and social returns. 

Available at www.responsible-investment.ca
CFC’s RI website currently offers visitors an overview of RI approaches and a comprehensive list of RI resources including:
•    Primers on responsible investment
•    Reports on research and trends
•    Information on financial performance and fiduciary issues
•    A directory of consultants and asset managers as well as organizations and websites to follow

This is the first phase of the site’s development and CFC plans to add to it over time.

About Community Foundations
Canada’s 168 community foundations are local charitable foundations that help Canadians invest in building strong and resilient places to live, work, and play. They are one of the largest supporters of Canadian charities, providing $169 million to local organizations in 2008. Find out more at www.cfc-fcc.ca.

Read today’s commentary about the survey results in the Globe and Mail

Today’s Globe & Mail features our two-page Canada’s Vital Signs insert which features Vital Signs stories from across the country and the results of CFC’s new public opinion survey about quality of life in our communities, conducted by Environics Research Group.

Download the PDF version of the insert.

Read today’s commentary about the survey results, featured in the online edition of today’s Globe and Mail, written by Monica Patten, CFC’s President and CEO and Michael Adams of Environics, (below)