The Ontario Nonprofit Network and The Philanthropist Journal are thrilled to partner for Nonprofit Driven 2022 with a curated reading list designed just for conference attendees. These articles connect to a variety of conference session topics, and some are written by speakers who will be at the event. We hope the content and diverse perspectives provoke, nudge, and inspire you to start conversations with other attendees, dive further into critical topics, and be part of solutions-building. Start your pre-conference reading journey here.
Shifting the conversation: How the sector is using narrative change to advance social change
Changing the way people think about an issue is a precondition to mobilizing action on it. But which organizations have institutionalized narrative change practices as a strategic priority, and how is that playing out day-to-day? How many non-profits are doing the deep listening necessary to understand how audiences perceive their issues, and developing strategic messaging that can shift the conversation?
The future of work
Ready or not, the future of work is already here. For those who make the world of work their business, there’s reason for both optimism and concern.
Moving from theory to implementation on human rights and poverty
Using a human rights approach means reconceptualizing what our systems do, what they aim for, and who they serve. It is the ultimate in systems change. Elizabeth McIsaac, president of Maytree, reflects on the foundation’s work and role in implementing a human rights approach to poverty.
More articles From the Archives
Putting data in the hands of clients: Data portability in the social sector
Data collected by the sector is rarely accessible to those who provide it, but giving clients a right to data portability – and recognizing them as data owners rather than simply data subjects – would empower them to choose how it is shared and reused.
Investing in Indigenous philanthropy through reciprocity
Trust-based philanthropy seeks to transform the relationships between philanthropic organizations and non-profits by identifying systemic inequalities and addressing inherent power imbalances. In an Indigenous context, a trust-based approach centres Indigenous leadership, knowledge, and expertise.
Over-scrutinized, underfunded, and unsupported: How systemic anti-Blackness affects who gets grants and sector workers’ well-being
While many charities and foundations have made commitments to anti-racism, this insider’s look at the sector tells a different story of how systemic anti-Blackness, along with gender, religious, and other forms of discrimination, affects who gets funded and the well-being of the sector’s workers.
The non-profit sector and the Ontario election
With the Ontario provincial election just a couple of weeks away, a number of issues are top of mind for the non-profit sector, including long-term care, the healthcare workforce, housing, education, and the environment.
How non-profit executives can build their digital leadership skills
Non-profit leaders are increasingly called on to act as their organizations’ chief technology officers. Contributor Katie Gibson, co-founder of the soon-to-launch Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience, offers some advice on building digital capacity.
Scrutinizing “archaic” governance structures in a year marked by crisis and calls for greater inclusion
In what has been an unprecedented year for non-profit and charitable organizations across Canada because of the dramatic financial and operational impacts of COVID-19, both the make-up and effectiveness of boards have come under scrutiny.
Constrained or enabled? The changing role of Canada’s social sector in promoting civic discourse
Civic discourse and participation are two of the most important indicators of a healthy, vibrant democratic society. In an increasingly polarized political environment, social sector organizations have a critical role to play in fostering social cohesion, facilitating meaningful political dialogue, and mediating citizens’ participation in the democratic process.
Network-based advocacy and the challenge of navigating pandemic politics
With the survival of thousands of small charitable and non-profit organizations at stake, some provincial network officials have reasoned that the pandemic poses a now-or-never opportunity to press government for a new relationship that goes well beyond the old dance of grants and transfer agreements.