2023 Platform Priorities Update May 11 - May 18
By Alexa Briggs, CCVO Director, Policy & Research
Your Weekly Update on The Nonprofit Vote 2023 Platform Priorities
Our 2023 Election Priorities
The NDP responded formally to The Nonprofit Vote’s Platform Priorities this week, acknowledging the strain the sector has experienced and committing to incorporate all five requests. Details are emerging about their financial commitments to the sector. So far this party has pledged to: 1) Increase the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) and Family and Community Safety (FCS) programs by $80 million, from $160 million currently to $240 million; and 2) Increasing the Community Facility Enhancement Program funding from $50 million currently to $75 million annually, with an additional $100 million annual capital investment fund. Read the NDP’s full response here.
This positive response is encouraging, and we will keep you posted when we receive a response from the UCP. We look forward to seeing the details of these commitments, and will release an analysis of the NDP and UCP platforms once both are released.
The Nonprofit Vote made the cover of the Lethbridge Herald this week with a candidate forum hosted by NPV Director Volunteer Lethbridge. Supportive statements about the nonprofit sector were made by the UCP and NDP candidates in attendance. Read the story here!
Election Advocacy
Don’t forget to check out The Women’s Health Coalition candidates forum in Edmonton on May 13. Sign up here!
Spar Matters launched a fancy new website that includes election asks and election resources. Keep Alberta Moving calls for increased investment in Sports, Physical Activity and Recreation (SPAR) to reverse historically low funding, and as a proven strategy to reduce health care costs and improve quality of life. They call for recognition in all party platforms, representation in government through an Associate Minister or Ministry of Wellness focused on upstream programs. To support this, check out their online letter template here.
Condo Owners Forum has released four priorities for this election that include: Energy Rebates, Dispute Resolution, Energy Efficiency and a Condo Database, to better meet the needs of condo owners. They post about these issues in this blog, and a pdf of their priorities and candidate questions is available here.
VoteArtsAB is a campaign courtesy of fellow The Nonprofit Vote Director, the Rozsa Foundation, to double funding to the Alberta Foundation for the Arts over 3 years. Check it out here.
Support the Priorities and Share
Let your community and your party leaders know you support nonprofits! Here’s a start:
The #nonprofit sector includes nearly 300,000 workers, applying their skills to diverse issues. So what binds us?
Our desire to support our communities. Our legal framework. Our funding strategies. The @nonprofitvote’s Platform Priorities takes aim at our common ground so we can continue to provide our #essential services. We are #strongertogether! https://www.calgarycvo.org/2023platformpriorities #nonprofitsvote
Take a moment to let your party leaders know you prioritize the #nonprofit sector – its benefits to 4.4M Albertans, $5.5B contribution to the GDP, and contribution to making Alberta a great place to live, work and play. Ask party leaders to incorporate The Nonprofit Priorities with this letter: https://www.thenonprofitvote.ca/platform_priorities #nonprofitsvote #tooessentialtofail
Do you prioritize a strong #nonprofitarts sector? #Voteartsab with this letter calling for a doubling of Alberta Foundation for the Arts funding over 3 years: https://www.thenonprofitvote.ca/votearts
Send us Election Advocacy Efforts to Share
Election season is underway and we’d love to promote the advocacy efforts of your nonprofit. Send them our way so we can share here and on our socials!