As we mark the 150th anniversary of confederation, The Philanthropist is profiling Canadians from across the non-profit sector and putting a face to 150 individuals who work or volunteer in Canada’s social sector.
Name: Andrea Clarke
Current role in the sector: Director at À deux mains/Head & Hands, an organization providing medical, social and legal services and recreational activities to youth of diverse communities in Montreal, Quebec.
Years working and/or volunteering in the non-profit sector: Three years.
What was your first job in the sector or a defining moment?
This is my first job in the sector, and every day brings a myriad of opportunities to learn, teach and share with my colleagues, and our partners and clients. My defining moment was realizing that I could invest so much of myself into a job and feel energized by it day after day.
Describe your desk/workspace.
I try to not leave too many papers on my desk. Entropy undermines this goal. My digital workspace is carefully curated to ensure that I have access to what I need at all times, whether using an office desktop computer, my personal laptop, or my ever present LG.
What are you reading or following that has expanded your understanding of the non-profit sector?
The Revolution Will Not Be Funded – Beyond the Non-Profit Industrial Complex was a powerful book for me because it was so unabashedly critical of the sector and continues to challenge my understanding of the intent vs. the impact of our work. I also cherry pick articles from the Harvard Business Review because there are management concerns that are universal like burnout, over-committed teams and scope creep.
What do you think our sector needs to be thinking about?
I want the sector to be thinking about how to take the approaches and values that we use in our client work and apply them with each other (e.g., harm reduction). Also, how can we use our social capital to get institutions to stop their isolating and stigmatizing practices (e.g., racial and social profiling)?
Do you know someone we should profile as part of this series? Email us at philanthropistprofiles@gmail.com
