Non-Profit Network
The Non-Profit Network is committed to acting as a facilitator and catalyst to help the network access resources for organizational capacity building. The content on this page highlights resources from our workshops. Our goal is to strengthen the Perth-Huron non-profit and charitable sector as a key priority of our community.
The Non-Profit Network is sponsored by:
June 2024 – When Miscommunication Happens: De-escalating Conflict in the Moment
When Miscommunication Happens: De-escalating Conflict in the Moment
Wednesday, June 26, 10:00am-12:00pm
Zoom
Join us on Wednesday, June 26, 10:00am-12:00pm on Zoom for this workshop exploring essential communication skills and concepts to help you handle all sorts of conversations in your organization.
One of the most important communication skills involves recognizing the misunderstandings, assumptions, and conflicts that develop in the space between a speaker’s intentions and the impact of the speaker’s words (or actions) on the receiver.
This session explores a foundational model of communication upon which healthy and effective dialogue can rest.
Space is limited, so register early to secure your spot. Up to 3 participants are welcome per organization — if you are interested in having more participants from your organization attend, please contact us to discuss that possibility.
Register and help us tailor the event to your needs
This session is for: all non-profit staff, leaders, and volunteers who want effective skills to improve interpersonal dynamics in their organization.
Malcolm McKinlay – Credence & Co.
Malcolm has been working with leaders, teams, organizations, and communities across the world for nearly 20 years. His professional background is in Organizational Development, and, beyond that, he has explored a wide range of disciplines in order to expand his ability to work with different types of challenges including Conflict Coaching and Mediation, Complexity Science and Theory U, Facilitation, and Systems Coaching.
Malcolm’s kind and generous approach creates a safe space for people to be vulnerable and consider other’s perspectives. His guidance and wisdom have been deeply helpful to countless groups and organizations. Malcolm holds a Master’s Degree in Public Policy and embraces being a life-long learner. Malcolm’s additional training includes Dialogue for Peaceful Change, Nonviolent Communication, Organization and Relationship Systems Coaching, and a Certificate in Conflict Management and Mediation from Conrad Grebel University College affiliated with the University of Waterloo.
February 2024 – How Non-Profits can work with United Housing
Getting in on the Ground Floor: How Non-Profits can work with United Housing
Thursday, February 22, 10:00am-11:30pm
Zoom
Join us to discuss the new non-profit housing initiatives in our region — United Housing
Non-profits are facing difficulties on many fronts. Workers are harder to find and retain. Demand for services is growing wider and deeper.
There’s a common denominator: the high cost of housing. More affordable housing is crucial for our sector. Join us February 22 to learn more about the problem, United Way’s new non-profit housing initiative, and how your organization might be able to help.
In this webinar:
- The Social Research & Planning Council will share data on affordability in our region;
- Leaders from United Housing, a new non-profit housing developer started by United Way Perth-Huron, will discuss their plans;
- Experts from Tapestry Community Capital will discuss community bonds, and how they might enable non-profits to support new non-profit housing.
Read about United Housing here.
This session is for: senior leaders who make strategic decisions about organizational assets.
Kathy Vassilakos – United Housing
Kathy is a former Stratford city councillor who has worked on various issues within the community, across municipalities, and provincially. She sat on the Association of Municipalities of Ontario’s housing taskforce, and worked closely on the Grand Trunk Master Plan and Britannia Street Housing Project in Stratford.
Kathy has also served on many boards and committees including as co-chair of UWPH’s Social Research & Planning Council and chair of Huron Perth Public Health.
Ryan Erb – United Way Perth-Huron
Ryan is a long-time resident of Stratford, is married and has three beautiful daughters. Ryan has more than 20 years of non-profit management, community development, fundraising and marketing experience, and currently serves as the Executive Director of the United Way Perth-Huron.
Ryan has been, and continues to be, an active volunteer with other not-for-profit organizations, including Rotary, The Foundation for Enriching Education, Block Parent, and his church. In these roles and others, he has amassed more than 30 years of non-profit board experience. With that experience and related education as a board consultant, Ryan often helps not for profit organizations over and above his job. Ryan enjoys hiking, hockey and spending time with friends. He holds an M.A. in Leadership, a B.A. in Social Development/Peace and Conflict, and a B.R.E. in Counselling. He is also a certified Board Governance trainer.
Jennifer Bryan – Tapestry Capital
Jennifer believes that social finance creates healthy, vibrant communities. At Tapestry, she assists organizations in structuring effective community bond campaigns and building a strong investor and supporter base to raise funds for projects that make an impact. She has many years of sales and marketing experience in renewable energy, environment, arts, and the not-for-profit sector, and strives to bring creativity and ingenuity to every campaign.
December 2023 – Quality of Life in Perth and Huron
Quality of Life in Perth and Huron
Thursday, December 14, 11:30am-12:30pm
Zoom
Join Social Research & Planning Council staff on to explore the findings of our 2023 Quality of Life reports.
The Quality of Life reports draw on many sources to present a bird’s-eye-view of life in our region. From our demographic make-up, to our economic foundations, to our environment — it all plays into our quality of life, and Quality of Life covers it all.
Join us to learn what we can celebrate about our region and what challenges we will have to overcome.
Read the reports here.
This session is for: anyone interested in using local data for decision making or advocacy, and anyone interested in understanding our region.
November 2023 – Ontario Non-Profits at a Tipping Point: Exploring Results from the 2023 State of the Sector Survey
Ontario Non-Profits at a Tipping Point: Exploring Results from the 2023 State of the Sector Survey
Tuesday, November 21, 10:30am-12:00pm
Zoom
In this webinar, the Ontario Nonprofit Network’s Pamela Uppal-Sandhu will join us to explore the results of their 2023 sector survey.
The results paint a stark picture of a sector nearing a tipping point. Increased demand. Budgets stretched thin. Workers burning out and no one to replace them.
In this webinar, Pamela will share what ONN heard from non-profits across Ontario this year, where the sector is heading if nothing changes, and what governments and non-profits need to do to correct course.
Learn more about the report here.
This session is for: senior leaders, board members, and anyone working on strategic decisions to improve the long-term sustainability of their organization.
Pamela Uppal-Sandhu (she/her) is Director of Policy at the Ontario Nonprofit Network. She cares deeply about community, allyship, and equity. Over the past 10 years, she has focused on bridging frontline work, research initiatives, and policy advocacy to help build equitable systems. She led a nonprofit organization as a student volunteer, started her career in the nonprofit sector as an intake worker at a multi-service agency, has designed diversity trainings, and collaborated on multiple gender equity research projects. She holds a Masters degree in Women Studies & Feminist Research.
May 2023 – ONCA BYOB: Bring Your Own Bylaws
ONCA BYOB: Bring Your Own Bylaws
Thursday, May 18, 10am-3pm
The Local Community Food Centre (612 Erie Street, Stratford, ON)
THIS WORKSHOP IS NOW FULL AND REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. Please contact wwellington@perthhuron.unitedway.ca with any questions.
Ontario’s Not-for-profit Corporations Act (ONCA) was proclaimed on October 19th, 2021. Nonprofits have until October 18th, 2024 to update their bylaws and letters patent to comply with ONCA.
In this half-day working session, participants will work through their bylaws and letters patent and a special workbook to identify what they might want or need to change in order to comply with ONCA.
Preparation: Participants are advised to review their governing documents ahead of time to be somewhat familiar with the layout and content. Participants must bring a digital or physical copy of their bylaws and (preferably) letters patent.
This session is for: senior leaders, board members, and anyone involved in the corporate governance of organizations already incorporated under Ontario’s Corporations Act or a special Act.
This session is not for:
- Organizations that are not themselves incorporated but part of a larger organization or government,
- Organizations incorporated under Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act,
- Organizations incorporated under Co-operative Corporations Act, or
- Other statutes outside of Ontario
Benjamin Miller (he/him) is a staff lawyer on the Nonprofit Law Ontario project of Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) where he focuses on the legal needs of nonprofits and charities. Over the past 5 years at CLEO, Benjamin has answered hundreds of nonprofit law questions and developed an online interactive bylaw builder for the ONCA. Benjamin also works at the Ontario Nonprofit Network and has worked at the Canada Revenue Agency in the past. Benjamin holds a JD and MPP from the University of Toronto and an MA in political theory from the University of Ottawa.
April 2023 – Understanding Transgender Identities and Gender Diversity
Understanding Transgender Identities and Gender Diversity
Three convenient times via Zoom:
Thursday, April 13, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. (REGISTRATION CLOSED FOR THIS DATE – FULL)
Tuesday, April 18, 1 p.m.–2 p.m. (REGISTRATION CLOSED FOR THIS DATE – FULL)
Wednesday, April 26, 5 p.m.–6 p.m. (REGISTRATION CLOSED FOR THIS DATE – FULL)
Note: All sessions are now full and registration is closed.
This presentation will cover topics such as the history of transgender and nonbinary identities, common terms and symbols that you may encounter, and current issues that gender diverse individuals are facing. The goals of the workshop are to learn how to support people before, during, and after their transitions, and discover how to be inclusive in your every day lives.
This session is for: anyone who is looking to expand their knowledge on gender diversity and learn how to better support their clients, coworkers, and friends.
The Presenter: Rebecca “Beck” Mallozzi
Beck works as a 2SLGBTQ+ Inclusion and Diversity Worker at the YMCA of Three Rivers, where she creates and presents workshops on 2SLGBTQ+ topics. She specifically works on the Immigrant Services team, and also hosts groups for newcomer youth in the community. Beck holds a Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Waterloo, and some of her previous work includes volunteering with the Glow Centre for Sexual and Gender Diversity, and publishing an article on creating inclusive co-operative workplaces.
January 2023 -ONCA 101
Ontario’s Not-for-profit Corporations Act (ONCA) was proclaimed on October 19th, 2021. Nonprofits have until October 18th, 2024 to update their bylaws and letters patent to comply with ONCA. This webinar will walk through what is new in the ONCA, steps nonprofits need to take to transition to the ONCA, and how CLEO’s free resources can help you create ONCA compliant bylaws from scratch or adapt your current bylaws. To learn more about the ONCA visit nonprofitlaw.cleo.on.ca.
Benjamin Miller (he/him) is a staff lawyer on the Nonprofit Law Ontario project of Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO) where he focuses on the legal needs of nonprofits and charities. Over the past 5 years at CLEO, Benjamin has answered hundreds of nonprofit law questions and developed an online interactive bylaw builder for the ONCA. Benjamin also works at the Ontario Nonprofit Network and has worked at the Canada Revenue Agency in the past. Benjamin holds a JD and MPP from the University of Toronto and an MA in political theory from the University of Ottawa.
This session is for: senior leaders, board members, and anyone involved in the corporate governance of organizations already incorporated under Ontario’s Corporations Act or a special Act.
This session is not for:
- Organizations that are not themselves incorporated but part of a larger organization or government,
- Organizations incorporated under Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act,
- Organizations incorporated under Co-operative Corporations Act, or
- Other statutes outside of Ontario
In the presentation, the question of a “director’s consent form” came up. There is not currently a generic director’s consent form template, but this “first director’s consent form” can be adapted for all directors by removing the word “first.”
November 2022 – Unlocking the Power of Planned Giving
Speaker Bio: Paul NazarethOctober 2022 – Making Your Case to Secure Support
Why is fundraising so hard? Fundraising successfully requires us to step outside of our own heads and speak in terms our donors will understand. Because this is so difficult, many of us default to messages based on how our organizations look and sound to us. It’s logical. It’s factual. But it does not motivate donors. If you want to write fundraising material that will create dedicated supporters, you won’t want to miss this workshop! Join the experts from V Formation and learn how to write a two-page, donor-focused letter for foundations, businesses, and individual supporters.
Speaker Bios: Neil Hannam, MA, CEO
Neil has over 25 years of experience in the not-for-profit sector. Before establishing V Formation in 2013, he spent the previous 12 years in healthcare fundraising and was the Executive Director of the Campbellford Memorial Hospital Foundation. Neil then moved to the Ontario Shores Foundation for Mental Health as CEO and served on both hospitals’ senior management teams.
Neil completed a Master’s degree in 2013. His thesis focused on organizational transformation.
Neil is currently on the Board of Directors for the DBIA in the City of Peterborough and was a Rotarian for 20 years. Neil served on the board of the Kawartha Gymnastics Club for four years, completing his term as Board Chair in 2019. Neil was the founding Board Chair of the Peterborough Regional Farmers Network and the treasurer for COSA Canada, a restorative justice organization.
Karen L. Ormerod, MM, Principal Consultant
Karen has worked in the not-for-profit and charitable sector for over 40 years. Described as a visionary leader and organizational change agent, she earned a Master’s of Management Degree for National Voluntary Sector Leaders from McGill University in 2003 and her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) designation in 2015.
In addition to her work experience leading local, provincial and national charities, Karen remains committed to the sector in her role as a volunteer. She currently volunteers as Treasurer for a Sports Club and has held volunteer roles with the Durham Community Foundation, Girl Guides of Canada, Scouts Canada, Pickering Village Soccer Club, and the Migraine Association of Canada.
September 2022 – State of the Sector report
In May 2022, the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) and l’Assemblée de la Francophonie de l’Ontario (l’AFO) engaged nonprofit Community Researchers to conduct a bilingual survey of Ontario nonprofit organizations. The focus was on the experiences of nonprofits between April 2021 and March 2022, with regards to their financial health, staffing and volunteers, and general operations. This followed three previous surveys conducted by ONN and l’AFO in 2020 and 2021.
Nonprofits in Ontario are in the midst of confronting fallout from the pandemic – unprecedented demand for services, a domino effect of record breaking inflation, deepening financial precarity, and a relentless HR and volunteer crisis. It’s clear that current solutions are not working; the sector’s health is worsening. There is an urgent need for a coordinated sector response and long-term public policy solutions to not only mitigate challenges nonprofits are facing now, but also to prepare us for future emergencies. Without action, the erosion of Ontario’s critical social infrastructure will only speed up.
The survey was conducted between May 11 and June 3, 2022 and received approximately 1,500 responses. It was open to all nonprofits, charities, and grassroots groups in Ontario with a mission to serve a public benefit. This includes volunteer-run organizations, nonprofit social enterprises, and nonprofit cooperatives. In an effort to shine a light on the specific impacts on organizations and groups that are often overlooked and underrepresented in policymaking due to systemic racism and colonialism, this year respondents were asked to indicate if they identified as Black-lead, -serving, and/or -focused, and/or Indigenous-led,-informed, -benefitting, or -partnership (B3 and I4 for short). Subsequently, three per cent of respondents identified as B3 organizations and two per cent as I4 organizations. We will continue to build on this data, working with network partners.
Speaker Bio: Candice Zhang
May 2022 – Volunteerism
Volunteers are at the core of what many non-profits do.
- How things have been going from a national perspective
- Specific challenges non-profits are facing, and
- Ideas for expanding on or adapting your current volunteer engagement strategies
VIEW A PDF OF THE PRESENTATION
Research & Data Consortium Webinar – The Future of Small Communities
Over the past three years, rural communities and small cities across Ontario have experienced an influx of change. While there is a tendency to focus on the causes of these disruptions, it is imperative that local opportunities for progress are recognized.
This panel discussion will present expert insights into critical considerations related to wealth, labour and housing. Rural communities and small cities have an unprecedented chance to thrive in a post-COVID Canada.
Moderator & Chair:
Leith Deacon · University of Guelph
Leith Deacon is an Associate Professor at the University of Guelph in the School of Environmental Design and Rural Development and a Registered Professional Planner with the Canadian Institute of Planners. Leith’s primary research interest is focused on resilient communities and the intersectionality of critical social, economic, environmental and legislative considerations. Find out more
Mike Moffatt · Ivey Business School
Mike Moffatt is a Canadian Economist and Professor of International Trade. He will speak about his report, “Baby Needs a New Home” — narrowing in on Perth and Huron Counties. Find out More
Ellen Sinclair & Danielle Letang · Rural Ontario Institute
Ellen Sinclair is the Executive Director of the Rural Ontario Institute which provides leadership development training as well as research and analysis.
Danielle is the Rural Ontario Institute’s Rural Housing Information System Data Analyst.
Ellen and Danielle’s presentation will highlight workforce trends in rural communities across Ontario and identify considerations for a resilient workforce. Find out more
Eddie Matthews · Chamber of Commerce
Eddie Matthews is the General Manager of the Stratford and District Chamber of Commerce. He will discuss the 2022 Ontario Economic Report, focusing on the economic outlook for Perth- Huron.
April 2022 – Conversation Cafe & Elections Canada
Let’s encourage civic engagement by increasing voter accessibility!
Meeting Resources
May 2022 ∙ Volunteerism ∙ Watch the Recording ∙ Volunteer Reengagement Presentation
May 2022 ∙ Research & Data Consortium webinar: Future of Small Communities ∙ Watch the Recording
April 2022 ∙ Conversation Cafe & Elections Canada ∙ View Presentation ∙ Accessible Voting Handout EN ∙ Visit the About Accessibility page of Elections Ontario
March 2022 ∙ Workforce, the Impact of Gender and Mental Health ∙ Watch the Recording
January 2022 ∙ Equity, Diversity & Inclusion in the Workplace -Where to Start ∙ Watch the Recording
November 2021 ∙ Storytelling and the Use of Social Media ∙ Flyer ∙ Download the Presentation ∙ Watch the Recording
October 2021 ∙ Organizational Resiliency: Recovery Through Radical Accountability ∙ Flyer
September 2021 ∙ Ontario Business Registry (OBR) and Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) ∙ Flyer ∙ Download the Presentation
June 2021 ∙ Workplace Diversity & Inclusion ∙ Flyer
May 2021 ∙ Recruiting Volunteers During & After Covid-19 ∙ Flyer
Third Party Resources
- Four County Labour Market Planning Board website: planningboard.ca
- Canada Helps – Canada’s Charities Ready for Digital Transformation? Report: canadahelps.org
- Tech Soup – connects charities to donated and discounted technology, and offers learning resources and courses for non-profits: techsoup.ca
- Canadian Charity Law – free online course to inform about becoming a board member or director of a Canadian charity or non-profit: canadiancharitylaw.ca
- ONN Non-Profit Survey Results: theonn.ca
- Humanizing Our Differences video series – Immigration Partnership of Huron County: huroncounty.ca
- Cyber Seniors – provides free tech support and training for seniors using an intergenerational, volunteer model: cyberseniors.org
- HRintervals (Nonprofit Sector HR Toolkit): hrintervals.ca
- Changing Work: Valuing decent work in the not-for-profit sector: theonn.ca
- The University of Guelph: Vulnerable, Inequitable, and Precarious: Impacts of COVID-19 on Newcomers, Immigrants, And Migrant Workers in Rural Canada – Download the PDF HERE
- Statistics Canada new data on experiences of discrimination among the Black and Indigenous populations in Canada
- The Ontario Nonprofit Network election toolkit includes a detailed section on election rules for non-profits and advocacy, inspiring ways to engage communities, and a list of resources from the sector and beyond. Access the toolkit.
Tell us about your resource needs and suggestions
As you think about your organization’s needs, what additional information or resources might help you feel better equipped?
* Please note that we have made our best effort to vet and review all resources and links shared above but as we are linking to external sites United Way cannot ensure the ongoing quality and reliability of links.
