Dahabo Ahmed Omer became the inaugural executive director of the BlackNorth Initiative last fall. Founded by the Canadian Council of Business Leaders Against Anti-Black Systemic Racism, BlackNorth challenges senior Canadian business leaders to commit their companies to specific actions and targets designed to end anti-Black systemic racism and create opportunities for members of the BIPOC…
Statistics Canada is launching its first, targeted attempt to measure diversity on governing boards in the charitable and non-profit sector. It will release the voluntary, crowdsourced survey – designed collaboratively with sector representatives, academics, and StatsCan staff – on December 4. The survey will be available online until the end of the month. It asks…
Statistique Canada fait une première tentative ciblée pour mesurer la diversité des conseils d’administration du secteur sans but lucratif et de bienfaisance. Le 4 décembre, cet organisme lancera une enquête participative, sur une base volontaire (une enquête conçue en collaboration avec des représentants du secteur, des universitaires et le personnel de StatCan). L’enquête sera menée en…
L’an dernier, Beisan Zubi a reçu au moins dix invitations à siéger au CA d’organismes à but non lucratif (OBNL). Elle les a toutes déclinées. Cette entrepreneure de Waterloo est déjà membre de trois CA, et elle craignait d’être invitée parce qu’elle est une femme de couleur, pas nécessairement à cause de sa qualification. « Je…
Over the past year, Beisan Zubi has received at least 10 invitations to sit on boards of non-profit organizations. She’s turned them all down. The Waterloo-based entrepreneur already serves on three and was worried she was being invited because she’s a woman of colour, and not necessarily because of her qualifications. “I think I’m a…
This seems to be a year of reckoning on systemic discrimination for Canadian society, including in non-profit and charitable workplaces. Over the summer, I watched as many organizations responded to mass protests in Canada against systemic anti-Black racism through solidarity statements, equity and inclusion trainings, and hiring racialized and equity and inclusion staff. I also…

In the fall of 2018, during a plenary session she hosted at a philanthropy conference, Sharon Avery asked about 300 leaders of private Canadian foundations to raise their hands if their organizations considered gender equity in their granting or investing. Only three or four hands went up. It was one of several “aha” moments Avery…

Later this year, Canadians will vote in the 43rd federal election. Many non-profit organizations, networks, and coalitions see elections as a critical opportunity to raise relevant public policy issues. Recently, the rules for charities engaging in public policy have become a prominent source of debate and discussion in government and the sector. As we countdown…
While 47% of Canada’s labour force consists of women workers, they make up an estimated 80% of those working in the non-profit sector across Ontario and Canada (Zizys 2011, HR Council 2008). Women in the sector, especially racialized and immigrant women, and women with disabilities, experience unequal outcomes.[1] Canada needs to build a stronger women’s…

Later this year, Canadians will vote in the 43rd federal election. Many non-profit organizations, networks, and coalitions see elections as a critical opportunity to raise relevant public policy issues. Recently, the rules for charities engaging in public policy have become a prominent source of debate and discussion in government and the sector. As we countdown…