New members appointed to the Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector
On April 5, the Honourable Diane Lebouthillier, Minister of National Revenue, announced the appointment of nine new members to the Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS). The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) is a consultative forum for the Government of Canada to engage in meaningful dialogue with the charitable sector, to advance emerging issues relating to charities, and to ensure the regulatory environment supports the important work that charities do.
Government of Alberta Announces Matching Donations for Sport Recreation Programs as part of Creative Partnerships Alberta
The Government of Alberta recently announced a new campaign that will match individual donations up to $1,000 made to “eligible provincial sport, physical activity and recreation programs”. The campaign will run from April 1 to August 30, 2022, or when the maximum matching of $350,000 is reached. Donations can be made through the Sport, Physical Activity and Recreation (SPAR) Donation Fund Program online portal starting April 1.
CCVO Releases Budget 2022 Analysis for Nonprofits
CCVO has recently released their in-depth analysis of Budget 2022 for nonprofits. Under the theme of “moving forward”, this budget outlined a fiscal plan for the next three years, with the focus on economic recovery in Alberta. In this budget, the Government of Alberta announced three key priorities and outlined their objectives for each priority area in the strategic plan. The budget projects total revenue of approximately $62.6 billion while total expenses, including the COVID-19 Recovery fund, will equal approximately $62,096 billion, leaving a surplus of $511 million.
CCVO to Host 2022 Alberta Budget Analysis Event for Nonprofits
With the release of the 2022 Alberta Budget yesterday, CCVO will be working on a detailed budget analysis over the coming weeks (read their initial analysis here). On March 22, CCVO will host a presentation and panel discussion focused on the budget, including a walk-through of their detailed analysis by CCVO Research Manager Kirsten Boda. After the presentation of the analysis, CCVO President & CEO Karen Ball will moderate a panel discussion focused on what Budget 2022 means for the nonprofit sector, followed by audience Q&A.
Alberta Immigrant Mentorship Innovation Grant
The Government of Alberta has announced $1 million in funding meant to “help newcomers access mentorship opportunities to build their careers and further diversify Alberta’s economy”. This funding “supports organizations in delivering career mentorship programs that help newcomers find meaningful employment based on their work experience, education and skills”. To be eligible, projects must fall under one of four grant priority areas.
Alberta Immigrant Mentorship Innovation Grant
The Government of Alberta has announced $1 million in funding meant to “help newcomers access mentorship opportunities to build their careers and further diversify Alberta’s economy”. This funding “supports organizations in delivering career mentorship programs that help newcomers find meaningful employment based on their work experience, education and skills”. To be eligible, projects must fall under one of four grant priority areas.
Government of Alberta Announces new Crowdfunding Platform for Nonprofits
The Government of Alberta has announced a new crowdfunding platform, intended to support organizations to fundraise online. According to their release, the Crowdfunding Alberta platform is meant to “enable organizations to quickly raise money by collecting small, individual contributions from a large pool of donors through an online platform and help donors find local non-profits and causes they care about”. In addition to managing the platform, the government is providing $1 million in “top-up” funding aimed at encouraging donations through the platform.
Women’s Economic Recovery Challenge Grant Program
The Government of Alberta recently announced the Women’s Economic Recovery Challenge Grant Program. The purpose of this new program is to fund, “initiatives led by Alberta nonprofit organizations that help enhance women’s economic opportunities by providing strategies and solutions to address barriers and engage more effectively in the economy”.
Government of Alberta and Federal Government Affordable Childcare Agreement
The Government of Alberta and the Federal Government have reached an agreement regarding affordable childcare in Alberta. Read the Government of Alberta’s announcement here and the Government of Canada’s announcement here. According to the Government of Alberta, “this plan will reduce fees for parents of children aged zero to kindergarten by half in early 2022 and provide an average of $10 per day childcare by 2026”. This agreement brings a total of $3.8 billion to Alberta that will be invested over the next five years. Different tiers of funding based on income will be available for parents of children aged 0 to kindergarten.
Government of Alberta Second Round of Civil Society Funding
The second round of the Civil Society Fund (CSF) through the Government of Alberta is now open for applications. Full updated guidelines regarding eligibility and how to apply have also been released. The CSF was created “to expand civil society capacity” by providing $20 million in funding over three years with the first round of funding released in fall 2020. This second round of funding “will focus on achieving social recovery and inclusive economic participation by building civil society’s capacity to address social challenges impacting Albertans”.
Alberta Public Inquiry into Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns
Last week, Sonya Savage, Minister of Energy, presented the results of Commissioner Steve Allan’s report on the Alberta Public Inquiry into Anti-Alberta Energy Campaigns. CCVO has previously noted our concerns with this public inquiry, including the potential impacts on nonprofit organizations. CCVO and the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) have articulated how essential the nonprofit sector is in public policy discourse.
Restrictions Exemption Program Implementation Grant
The Government of Alberta has announced the new Restrictions Exemption Program Implementation Grant (REPIG). This grant provides a one-time payment of $2,000 to eligible small- and medium-sized businesses that implement the Restrictions Exemption Program (REP) across Alberta. The purpose of this grant is to “offset costs associated with a proof of vaccination program”.
Alberta nonprofits launch new platform for collective advocacy
Nonprofit leaders have expressed the need for a platform that supports a unified voice for the sector and helps address the issues faced by the sector as a whole. Newly launched, The Nonprofit Vote is a nonpartisan platform created to bring light to the strength of Alberta’s nonprofits, while advocating for the support needed to allow them to continue the delivery of key services and community supports throughout the province.
Read the Third Report from The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector
The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) has released its third and final report, which includes 23 recommendations, and continues and builds on the work of the first report released in March 2021 and the second report released in April 2021.