How to build a purpose-driven partnership strategy

Strong partnerships, the kind that persevere and flourish have one thing in common: they’re purpose-aligned. I recently spoke at The Partnership Conference which brings together companies and causes to rethink partnerships. My session was all about creating mutually beneficial, lasting partnerships between nonprofits and for-profits (such as sponsorship, community investment, and cause marketing programs). I […]

Choosing a federated non-profit funding model

Our bi-annual Federation Leaders’ Knowledge Exchange brings together senior executives from some of our country’s largest federated charities and non-profits. It’s a forum to discuss and share ideas, collaborate, and exchange best practices to improve capacity in the charitable sector. This time around, we focused on how organizations should choose the best federated non-profit funding […]

How to build a culture of trust in a federated non-profit

A “federated non-profit” organization has national, provincial and/or local offices, each operating as separate legal entities but under one brand mission. Through our work with many federated non-profits and charities over the years, we identified the challenges and successes that occur when attempting to build trust in the federated model. As we carry out our […]

Non-profits: Here’s 3 tips to enhance your corporate partnerships

You may have heard that our president Shelley Mayer hosted a panel, ‘Getting to the heart of successful partnerships in conversation with TELUS and Kids’ Health Links’ at the Corporate Partnerships Conference last month. There were valuable tips and takeaways for non-profits throughout all of the conference sessions. Fundraisers and corporations alike were invited to […]

Toronto The Good with Rookz (Sandbox & Manifesto)

Certified B Corporations @GladstoneHotel and @RampAgencyTO launch an inspiring bi-weekly blog series #TorontoTheGood. The series sparks thoughtful conversations through interviews with influencers, social entrepreneurs, and innovators who are shining a light on the city’s toughest issues and championing change to make Toronto, and the world a better place. Kiana ‘rookz’ Eastmond is the founder of […]

Toronto The Good with Luke Anderson (StopGap)

Certified B Corporations @GladstoneHotel and @RampAgencyTO launch an inspiring bi-weekly blog series #TorontoTheGood. The series sparks thoughtful conversations through interviews with influencers, social entrepreneurs, and innovators who are shining a light on the city’s toughest issues and championing change to make Toronto, and the world a better place. Luke Anderson is a champion for accessibility; […]

5 tech essentials that every non-profit needs

Once upon a time, the good folks at non-profits relied heavily on grassroots marketing tactics like going door-to-door, organizing community rallies, raising their voice through megaphones and touring neighbourhoods with flyers and posters to garner support for a cause. Luckily, times have changed and while meeting people face-to-face is still arguably the best way to […]

Alzheimer’s awareness month: stigma and the need for understanding

Perhaps it’s fear. Perhaps it’s ignorance. Perhaps it’s a bit of both that causes many people to offer up a half-hearted joke about forgetfulness when I tell them about our campaign for the Alzheimer Society of Canada. The campaign is live now, throughout January, which is Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. The jokes are a predictable but […]

Guest blog: Are you in a communications rut?

Non-profits often contact me when their communications efforts no longer produce satisfactory results. They can struggle to evaluate their communications investments, innovate, and improve. A quick communications audit can highlight where teams may have fallen into a communications rut, providing a fresh perspective on how to optimize resource allocations to maximize impact. We can all get […]

How to write more compelling impact stories

Fundraising is about connecting people to a mission and making them part of it. This starts with a story someone gets behind. When people know how your cause, foundation, or charity is making a positive impact, they’re more likely to want to fund more positivity. Sharing your successes in a captivating way can be a […]