NEWS
1. Read All About It! How Will the HST Affect Your Organization? Let Us Tell You!
In June 2010, the Province of Ontario will do away with its Provincial Sales Tax (PST) and the Harmonized Sales Tax (HST) will come into effect. The stated intent of the Ontario Government is that the impact of HST on our nonprofit sector is revenue neutral. Indeed, the provincial government made a significant effort to ensure this was so by establishing an 82% rebate rate for the PST portion of the HST. The government, however, did not have all the information to truly understand the full impact of HST on the sector.
As a result, the Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN), an incubated project of CSI, convened a cross-sectoral work group, which included a tax expert and lawyer, to examine the potential impact of the harmonization of the PST/GST on the sector and its public. Our HST Constellation wrote a detailed brief as well as a guide to help nonprofits assess what the impact will be to their organizations. If you are interested, these documents can be downloaded from: http://bit.ly/3GD90R.
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2. Ontario Amends Legislation So Charities Can Own Businesses and Hold Property for Charitable Purposes
In the spring of 2009, the Ontario Nonprofit Network became aware of two acts that were restricting the activities of nonprofits in Ontario. We took up the cause and called for changes to the Charitable Gifts Act and the Charities Accounting Act. Fortunately, the Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration and the Public Trustee heard us and took action. Bill 212, The Good Government Act, a government omnibus bill, has now received second reading. It repeals the Charitable Gifts Act and amends the Charities Accounting Act. These changes have important implications for Ontario charities and to learn more, vist: http://bit.ly/5vRtdq.
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3. The Bird Nest Press: a Local e-newsletter to Make City Living with Young Kids Easier
Hurray! Mukodu has just launched The Bird Nest Press, a local e-newsletter specifically tailored for families with young children. Click here to read our first issue: H1N1 tips, Tea with Tots, Baby on the Town.
The Bird Nest Press is an interactive newsletter. Readers can contribute to content via 5 Blocks Out - our free online community where people share local knowledge about neighbourhoods in their city.
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4. Options for Green Energy
Options for Homes, is one of the most successful social enterprises in Toronto. Options' provides cost-effective ownership homes to people across the income spectrum. Options' has built 8 condominiums in the GTA over the past 15 years including the first three buildings in the Distillery.
Options for Green Energy is based upon the successful Options for Homes model and adapts it to offer secure, affordable, green energy. It offers a way for interested people to help build green energy developments on a co-operative model. As such, Options is seeking new members to become a part of this. Members will fund, and, if they wish, help plan a development in return for a guaranteed rate of return on their loan plus the rate of inflation for the price of electricity in Toronto. We are hosting a session to explain our model on Dec. 1 in the Distillery District. Please call 416 867-1501 x 221 to register or visit our website to learn more.
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5. Invest in East Toronto Neighbourhood Church's Solar Power Debentures
We live in a time of global warming and are witnessing the beginnings of environmental changes which may soon be irreversible. As members of the Neighbourhood Unitarian Universalist Congregation in East Toronto, we have a responsibility to help resolve these problems, as we are able. Fortunately, the government of Ontario has recently increased its subsidies for power generated from renewable sources. This makes it feasible for us to generate electricity from solar panels on the roof of our church.
You can Invest in Solar Power! Here's how: We will be installing a photovoltaic (PV) system with a total power capacity of 20.91 kW on the south-facing roof of our building. Half of the $220,000 cost of the installation will be covered by an interest-free loan from the City of Toronto. The other half will be raised through donations and the issuing of debentures to friends and supporters. We are issuing 110 debentures for $1000 each at 5% interest paid annually. They can be held for up to 20 years, but NUUC reserves the right to redeem them at any time prior to maturity by paying the principal back to the holder, together with any interest owing.
To make a donation, purchase debentures or get more information, contact the church office at 79 Hiawatha Road, Toronto ON M4L 2X7, (416) 686-6809 or office@nuuc.ca; or talk with the Chair of our Greening Committee, Rick Salay, at (416) 686-4173 or rsalay@sympatico.ca.
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EVENTS
6. The Edible City: Book Launch, Panel Presentations and Discussion
Wednesday, December 2nd
5:30pm - 7:00pm
1st Floor Boardroom
215 Spadina Avenue
Toronto (between Queen and Dundas)
$15 in advance/$20 at the door
Register at www.sustainabilitynetwork.ca
If a city is its people, and its people are what they eat, then shouldn’t food play a larger role in our dialogue about how and where we live? Native plants, proximity to farmland, the locations of supermarkets, immigration, food-security concerns, how chefs are trained: how a city nourishes itself might say more than anything else about what kind of city it is. With a cornucopia of essays on comestibles, The Edible City considers how one city eats. It includes dishes on peaches and poverty, on processing plants and public gardens, on rats and bees and bad restaurant service, on schnitzel and school lunches, and so much more!
Please join the Sustainability Network and Coach House Books as we host a lively conversation between three key contributors of The Edible City. Wayne Roberts (Contributor, NOW Magazine and Coordinator of the Toronto Food Policy Council), Lorraine Johnson (Author of over 10 environmental and gardening books), and Shawn Micallef (Senior Editor of Spacing, co-founder of [murmur] and OCAD instructor).
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7. Authentic Facilitation: Learning to Facilitate with Presence and Ease
Dec. 4th, 2009
9:30am- 5:00pm
Center for Social Innovation
215 Spadina Ave., Toronto
Alterna Boardroom
Set yourself up for the New Year with this one-day facilitation intensive using Anima Leadership's trademark process. Effective facilitation is all about finding your own unique style and being yourself in front of a group, thereby encouraging others to authentically bring forward all of what they have to offer. At its core, it is about being deeply present. Each group, each situation calls for something different and the best facilitators know how to listen for, and serve this emerging truth.
Great for new facilitators, and those looking to brush up their skills! Topics explored include being present, directing group energy, handling differences and conflict, and how to let the process unfold without controlling it. Group learning styles and process theory, emotional intelligence research and mindfulness techniques are also covered. As well, lots of practical techniques and tips to make the job of facilitation easy. Join us for an enriching day of learning how to serve group intelligence more intelligently! Limited space due to experiential nature of training. Contact: Kate Bowers @ kate@animaleadership.com or 416-462-9512
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8. Sandbox Series: The Constellation Model of Governance
December 11, 2009
9:30am - 12:30pm
215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 400
Centre for Social Innovation
Alterna Boardroom
$100 ($50 CSI Members) - incl. breakfast
Inspired by complexity theory and open source thinking, the Constellation Model provides a framework to help organizations collaborate. The organizing model emphasizes the role of small, self-selecting action teams that operate interdependently, supported by a Stewardship Group. Leadership rotates fluidly among partners, where each partner has the freedom to lead a constellation that matches its profile and skills. The result is a shift from strained partnerships to open and effective collaborations. Join Tonya Surman, creator of the model, as she explains the model and takes on your collaboration challenge!
Register Now!
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9. Bestseller Bootcamp
Full year program - Starts January 19, 2010 6:00pm
215 Spadina Ave., Suite 400
Alterna Boardroom
Program Coach: Rebecca Doll (rebeccadoll@bestseller-bootcamp.com)
Program Fee: $1200+tax includes 12 monthly sessions, books and materials
Gotta write a book? Bestseller Bootcamp is a professional development program designed to help you write, market and submit your manuscript to agents and publishers. It provides the tools, techniques and training to enable you to manage your own literary career. The program combines working at home at your own speed with structured workshop activities. Regular deadlines, peer support and practical exercises will help you stay on track. Suitable for non-fiction, literary fiction, tv/film scripts, teen fiction, kids books and more. Register early to ensure your place in the program. Visit the website for schedule and program details. Your book is the best calling card you will ever invest in!
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JOBS
10. Two Ontario Nonprofit Network Job Openings
The Ontario Nonprofit Network now has two job openings for an Administrative Coordinator and an Communications and Outreach Youth Intern (paid position). For more information, visit: www.ontariononprofitnetwork.ca.
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