SPRING TRAINING SERIES

The first part of this session will provide participants with an overview of their common law and statutory duties, as well as the liabilities and risks they face, as directors and officers of charitable organizations. Whether you are interested in taking on a board position, or you are already on a board of directors, or you are paid senior staff of a charitable organization, this session will lead you through the key issues that you will need to be aware of in order to maximize your effectiveness as a charitable director or officer, and to manage the risk associated with your role.  The second part of the session will address key governance concepts, deal with some real-life governance risks and issues that are frequently faced by directors and officers – such as the roles of directors vs. management, handling conflicts of interest and breaches of confidentiality and when and how to hold in camera meetings – and provide some practical tips for how to address and manage them.

Presenter: Esther Shainblum, B.A., LL.B., LL.M., CRM, Carters

Click here to access the recording. You can find the handout of Esther’s presentation here.

SPRING TRAINING SERIES

This session will introduce the work of Art+Feminism, an international non profit which aims to reduce knowledge gaps on Wikipedia by both training a larger diversity of editors and adding content about historically marginalized groups. It will also use Wikipedia editathons as a case study for engaging the public in activism and conversations around bias and discrimination, and explore where else this work can be done.

Learning objectives:

• Understanding information activism and the importance of multiple narratives and perspectives
• Using Wikipedia as a site of intervention and engagement
• Recognizing bias and connecting it to larger themes in the world

Presenter: Sofia Stancioff

Click here to access the recording.

FOR ONTARIO MAs ONLY

The Ontario Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (“ONCA”) was proclaimed into force on October 19, 2021. The ONCA now applies to all Ontario membership-based/not-for-profit corporations incorporated under Part III of Ontario Corporations Act (“OCA”), which will have three years to transition into compliance with the ONCA. In conjunction with the ONCA, the new online Ontario Business Registry (OBR) was also launched on October 19, 2021. This session will cover the following ONCA-related topics:

• Implications of the ONCA’s proclamation
• Overview of the ONCA framework
• New governance rules under the ONCA, including: membership structure, membership rights and remedies, board election, appointment and removal, duties and defences for directors and officers, implications of being a “public benefit corporation” and different levels of audit requirements
• Steps to get ready to transition under the ONCA
• Transition documents to be prepared
• Challenges of the transition process and how to deal with them

Presenter: Jacqueline Demczur

Click here to access the recording. You can find the handout of Jackie’s presentation here.

SPRING TRAINING SERIES

The stories we tell literally make the world. If you want to change the world, you need to change your story. ~ Michael Marglois

Story-telling is the power behind fundraising success. This is how we fund our organization’s pursuit of justice. As the “traditional” donor pool shrinks, our leadership teams continue to be majority white and we insist on excluding the solutions and thought-leadership of oppressed communities, we must ask ourselves some tough questions. Especially if we hope to manifest change through our missions in the future. What stories are you telling? Whose stories are you telling and from who’s perspective?

The avalanche of stories emerging regularly from the charitable sector is often expressing a singular white voice with one perspective and a narrow experience. This erases the abundance of solution-filled stories in the world and if we continue telling this one story, Nneka Allen believes our sector will continue its descent into irrelevance. As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie says, telling a singular story is dangerous. Sharing multi-racial, multi-ethnic stories is more honest, more accurate and inspires greater philanthropic investment. Exposure and relationship with these narratives have the power to transform us, our community and our work. How can we open ourselves to these stories so we can truly transform our world?

Presenter: Nneka Allen

Click here to access the recording.

Do you work with First Nations people?

Have you considered how you are interacting with First Nations Data?

The First Nations principles of OCAP® offer a framework for how First Nations’ data and information should be collected, protected, used, and shared. Standing for ownership, control, access, and possession, OCAP® is a tool to support strong information governance on the path to First Nations data sovereignty.

YWCA Canada has partnered with The First Nations Information Governance Centre (FNIGC) to provide the full OCAP training course to 20 YWCA MA staff members.

Join us for an introduction to the OCAP principles and learn more about the fuller course. This is an incredible professional development opportunity.

Presenter: Kristine Neglia

Click here to register. You can find more information about the information session here.

SPRING TRAINING SERIES

Coming out of the pandemic, we have an opportunity to create a truly digitally-enabled nonprofit sector, where Canada’s nonprofits use data and tech to advance their mission and multiply their impact. Katie Gibson, cofounder of the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience, will discuss how to build our digital resilience as organizations and as a sector.

Attendees will learn:

• The trends and drivers creating urgency for digital transformation
• What a digitally-enabled nonprofit organization looks like and the enablers of transformation
• How to work as individuals, organizations, and collectively to advance a vision of a digitally-enabled nonprofit sector

Presenter: Katie Gibson

Click here to access the recording.

Jessica Gordon, (Senior Director of Indigenous Relations, YWCA Regina) has been seconded to YWCA Canada as the new Cultural Liaison Director. In this role Jessica will take on the role of YWCA’s accountability partner. She will provide technical support to embedding Indigenous ways of knowing and practices within YWCA Canada’s operations. She will help to build a virtual community across Turtle Island at YWCA that is reflective of Indigenous understandings of care and kinship, with the constant goal of best supporting both staff and the children and families we serve.

Join Jessica to learn more and ask questions about the work ahead.

Click here to access the recording. You can access Jessica’s presentation here.

This session is a continuation of the first Moving Towards Meaningful Inclusion session that occurred on Feb. 3, 2022. If you missed the first part, you can watch the recording below.

Join Aline Nizigama to learn from her lived and acquired expertise on the considerations and tools that make a difference in helping create work environments that are welcoming, truly inclusive and where people want to stay to fulfill their aspirations. In this session, you will learn through various media:
– The various dimensions of diversity and how that impacts inclusion efforts
– The value of diversity from multiple perspectives
– The potential grounds for discrimination/exclusion
– The behaviours that promote diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging in the workplace

Learning Outcomes:
-Authentic ways to enact inclusion
– Deepened understanding of diversity, equality, and equity
– How to be an agent of change in fostering belonging

Presenter: Aline Nizigama

Click here to access the recording.

Canada has a long history of knowing about the inequities Indigenous children and their families face, yet choosing not to act. This pattern continues today, and meaningful reconciliation requires we work together to end contemporary injustices. In this spirit, Jennifer will introduce you to Spirit Bear, a cherished friend of the Caring Society and bearrister for First Nations kids, and discuss a philosophy for reconciliation known as the Touchstones of Hope.

A member of the Carrier Sekani Tribal Council, Spirit Bear represents the 165,000 First Nations children impacted by the landmark case for First Nations kids at the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, as well as the thousands of other children who have learned about the case and taken action for reconciliation and equity. Touchstones of Hope is a philosophy that weaves together fundamental principles – principles that Indigenous Elders, young people and families have been talking about for centuries – into the work of reconciliation in various settings and contexts.

Learning Objectives

• What is meant by the statement “Reconciliation means not saying sorry twice”?
• Do you think the Touchstones of Hope philosophy is a good fit for the YWCA?
• Identify one thing you will do with the information from this session.

Presenter: Jennifer King

Click here to access the recording.

As the world and employers reckon with the continued ramifications of racism and discrimination, diversity, inclusion and equity have become trendy terms that get thrown around without proper understanding, nor meaningful individual and collective commitment to action to actually bring about change. What is our responsibility to do the homework and plan out how we will contribute to making a world and places of work where people bring their whole selves and feel like they belong, especially for folks who have been pushed to the margins for far too long?

Join Aline Nizigama to learn from her lived and acquired expertise on the considerations and tools that make a difference in helping create work environments that are welcoming, truly inclusive and where people want to stay to fulfill their aspirations. In this session, you will learn through various media

• The various dimensions of diversity and how that impacts inclusion efforts
• The value of diversity from multiple perspectives
• The potential grounds for discrimination/exclusion
• The behaviours that promote diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging in the workplace

Learning Outcomes:

• Authentic ways to enact inclusion
• Deepened understanding of diversity, equality, and equity
• How to be an agent of change in fostering belonging

Presenter: Aline Nizigama

Click here to access the recording.

DESCRIPTION

Many employers still hold the view that disability is a limitation that is ongoing and more-or-less permanent. This may not be the case for those living with episodic disabilities who experience periods of good health between periods of limitations or illness. In addition, these periods of wellness and disability are unpredictable. As a consequence, a person may need workplace accommodations from an inclusive and disability-confident employer.

The Episodic Disabilities and Work training is designed for the workplace to provide an overview of episodic disabilities, information that promotes inclusion, best practices for becoming disability-confident employers, and an opportunity to hear from someone with lived experience of working with an episodic disability.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

After the training, participants will be able to:

• Understand the basics of episodic disabilities and the impact these conditions may have on the lives of their staff and co-workers
• Integrate common workplace accommodation requests into day-to-day activities
• Articulate ways employers can be inclusive of employees with episodic disabilities

Click here to access the recording.

Presenter: Melissa Egan

Melissa is the National Lead, Episodic Disabilities at Realize. She has worked in the field of health and HIV for over 15 years as an educator and facilitator, developing and delivering trainings to diverse audiences across Canada. Melissa brings a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility to her work and she has worked extensively with marginalized, LGBTQ, and Indigenous people. Melissa holds a BA and a BEd from Simon Fraser University in BC, and is currently pursuing an MEd at OISE – University of Toronto.

Description: The workshop is designed to help participants understand how biases play out at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Participants will gain practical tools for addressing biases within each of these levels and have the opportunity to practice inclusion through interactive components. Focus Areas: Culture of Inclusion Modeling; Awareness of Bias & Valuing of D&I Dialogue & Bias Interruption; Trust, Safety, Fairness & Innovation; People Development.

Learning Outcomes:
• Understand unconscious bias and its impact
• Understand the importance of inclusion and the role of an inclusive leader
• Become aware of and begin to address internal, interpersonal and organizational biases
• Identify and commit to actions to create a more inclusive culture

All participants will be required to complete a pre-survey by September 17 and to review a workbook. Space is limited (50), please register to reserve your spot. Your registration will be confirmed by September 16. If you are no longer able to attend the session in person, please notify us as we anticipate a waiting list.

See the poster for more information on the session.

Presenters:

Vandana Juneja, Executive Director, Canada, Catalyst; Joanna Harper, Director, Corporate Engagement, Canada, Catalyst

Why should non-profits invest in multimedia content creation?
Storytelling through multimedia is a meaningful way to boost visibility, especially in a sector where the work is not often seen.

We all know that video production and graphic design can cost a pretty penny, however, there are many affordable and easy-to-use resources available to create high quality content within a budget.

Join us for a workshop on how to utilize user-friendly multimedia software to enhance your organization’s visibility within your community.

Learning Outcomes:

1. To understand the benefits of media creation in the nonprofit sector
2. To learn about affordable and accessible software
3. To gain access to free multimedia training programs

Click here to access the recording.

Click here for a list of resources on how to navigate the multimedia tools that were shared during the session.

For more details, please see the poster

Presenter: Natasha Stephens, Project Coordinator, YWCA Canada

Description:

Drawing on over 25 years of consulting and coaching with thousands of leaders in over 300 organizations, this practical and interactive session will support participants to identify and explore:

What currently works in organizational change and transformation, and what doesn’t;
What the next major shift may be in thinking and approaches for organizational change and transformation;
How your organization currently works with change and transformation, and how it might best change its approach to change.

Presenter: Jan Campbell, Founder and CEO of Strategisense Consulting

Click here to access the recording.

S’appuyant sur plus de 25 ans de conseil et de coaching auprès de milliers dedirigeant.e.s dans plus de 300 organisations, cette session pratique et interactive aidera les participant.e.s à identifier et à explorer:

Ce qui fonctionne actuellement dans le changement et la transformation organisationnels, et ce qui ne fonctionne pas;
Ce que pourrait être le prochain changement majeur dans la pensée et lesapproches du changement et de la transformation organisationnels;
Comment votre organisation travaille actuellement avec le changement et la transformation, et comment elle pourrait modifier au mieux son approche du changement.

Présentatrice: Jan Campbell, Fondatrice et PDG de Strategisense Consulting

Cliquez ici pour accéder à l’enregistrement.

Top Fives for Securing Grant Money and more is a ninety minute session detailing the top five reasons for rejections, top five grant writing tips, and the top five best practices for building your organization’s capacity to seek and secure grants. This workshop includes an introduction to logic models and program development, key proposal sections and the attention they deserve, persuasive proposal language, and identifying the best funding opportunities for your organization.

Presenter: Anne Morais

Click here for more information about this workshop and to access the recording.

Top 5 pour obtenir des subventions et plus encore est une session de quatre-vingt-dix minutes détaillant les cinq principales raisons des refus, les cinq principaux conseils pour la rédaction de subventions et les cinq meilleures pratiques pour renforcer la capacité de votre organisation à rechercher et à obtenir des subventions. Cet atelier comprend une introduction aux modèles logiques et à l’élaboration de programmes, les principales sections de la proposition et l’attention qu’elles méritent, un langage de proposition convaincant et l’identification des meilleures opportunités de financement pour votre organisation.

Présentatrice: Anne Morais

Cliquez ici plus d’informations sur cet atelier et pour accéder à l’enregistrement.

Through this session, participants will learn the basics of a selection of key governance issues, including fiduciary duties of directors, responsibilities between governance and management roles, proper corporate procedures at the board and membership levels, effective decision-making, tips on virtual meetings, proper record keeping … and more. It will also provide an opportunity for participants to address common governance questions, and discuss real life scenarios.

Presenter: Theresa Man

Click here for more information about this workshop and to register.

Simultaneous French interpretation will be available.

Au cours de cette session, les participant.e.s apprendront les bases d’une sélection de questions clés en matière de gouvernance, y compris les obligations fiduciaires des administrateurs et administratrices, les responsabilités entre les rôles de gouvernance et de gestion, les procédures d’entreprise appropriées au niveau du conseil d’administration et des membres, la prise de décision efficace, les conseils sur les réunions virtuelles, la tenue de dossiers appropriés, et plus encore. Les participant.e.s auront également l’occasion d’aborder des questions de gouvernance courantes et de discuter de scénarios réels.

Présentatrice: Theresa Man

Cliquez ici plus d’informations sur cet atelier.

YWCA Canada, FAFIA, LEAF, NAWL and Westcoast LEAF are hosting an event to unpack what human rights means for the future of gender equity and COVID-19 recovery.

Read the FAFIA and YWCA Canada Human Rights Chapter.

Click here to access the recording.

For more details, please see the poster

• Angela Marie MacDougall, Co-Chair of Feminists Deliver, Executive Director of Battered Women’s Support  Services
• Fay Faraday, Co-Chair of the Equal Pay Coalition, Board Member with Atkinson Foundation – Panelist
• Kasari Govender, British Columbia’s First Independent Human Rights Commissioner – Panelist
• Michele Biss, Project Manager, National Right to Housing Network at Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness – Panelist
• Anjum Sultana, National Director of Public Policy & Strategic Communications at YWCA Canada – Moderator

Description:

YWCAs across the country support women and
children who are survivors of domestic violence.
Learn more about two programs that support
children and their mothers through the healing
process. Presenters will share resources, tools and
emerging practices.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Understand the Here to Help and PEACE programs and their goals in working with
   women and their children exposed to intimate partner violence
2. Get familiar with activities used in the programs
3. Learn how expressive arts programming supports the journey towards healing

See the poster for more information on the session

Presenters:

Maria Palma, Here to Help Coordinator, YWCA Toronto
Wendy Gruneberg, Director of the PEACE program, Kamloops Community YMCA-YWCA

• Define community-based research and participatory research
• Understand how to apply community-based research practices in the YWCA context
• Incorporate participatory research tools into research design and practice
• Understand the constraints and benefits of using community-based research practices for program monitoring and evaluation

Click here to access the recording

See the poster for more information on the session.

Presenters:

Shiva Mazrouei, Research Officer and Jenny Cloutier, Bilingual Project Coordinator, YWCA Canada

Who should attend?
This session is for Board volunteers. This webinar would be good for anyone who is new to a YWCA board or as a refresher for those who have been engaged at the local level for some time.

Learning Outcomes:
After completing this webinar, participants will:
• Have basic understanding of responsibilities and duties as a board member
• Increase their understanding of the federated YWCA model
• Increase knowledge on when and why to connect with the National Office and National Board

Click here to access the recording

Presenter: Pam Jolliffe

Description:

Join Shaya MacDonald, who is supporting YWCA Canada’s work on the Truth and Reconciliation Committee, in a
conversation on gender equity, Indigenous women and the pandemic.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Learn how Indigenous Womxn and gender diverse people are being impacted by the pandemic
2. Become familiar with the MMIWG2S+ Calls to Justice
3. Learn how we can imagine a post-pandemic new world

Click here to access the recording

See the poster for more information on the session.

Presenter:

Shaya MacDonald, Indigenous Clinical Case Management, Consultant on Truth & Reconciliation Calls to Action

Led by the long time CEO of YWCA Lethbridge & District, Kristine Cassie will deliver an updated session on risk
management for board members. As part of this interactive session, Kristine will use case studies and touch on
potential COVID-19 pandemic risks.

Click here to access the recording

See the poster for more information on the session.

Description:

Join us for a thought provoking panel of YWCA staff and partners who are leading advocacy to advance gender
equity and a feminist economic recovery in Canada.

Click here to access the recording.

See the poster for more information on the session.

Presenters:

Moderator: Amber Niemeyer
Keynote: Jessica Ketwaroo-Green
Panelists: Amy Juschka, Isabelle Gélinas, Jasmine Rezaee, Nesreen Ali & Peggy Chen

This webinar is co-hosted by Western University’s Learning Network and the Knowledge Hub on gender-based violence, sexual violence, trauma-and violence-informed practice, health promotion and child maltreatment.

The information below and the speaker bios can be found on www.vawlearningnetwork.ca:

Description:
This webinar will offer insights into one of the panelist’s experiences of being targeted by digital hate groups in order to describe experiences of violence, doxing, the precarity of being visible in online spaces, and the importance of fostering a feminist security culture. It will provide an overview of key privacy, safety and security tips and resources and offer participants tools to create safer spaces for themselves and others. It will also provide an overview of key laws that apply to online platform-facilitated violence, abuse, and harassment, including privacy law, tort law, criminal law, and the developing law on platform regulation.

Learning Objectives:

• To understand how the visibility afforded to us by a social media saturated society fosters opportunities for new forms of risk and gendered violence and how to resist visibility through feminist security culture.
• To have a better understanding of digital literacy and the consequences of what we disclose and consume in order to better support women in the context of shelters, transition housing and beyond experiencing tech facilitated violence.
• To understand the various major types of legal strategies available to address platform-facilitated abuse, including what specific issues they can address and their limitations.

Click here to access the recording on www.vawlearningnetwork.ca. 

Presenters:

Abigail Curlew, Raine Liliefeldt, and Cynthia Khoo

Description:

As a social worker by training, Black Canadian feminist, mental health advocate, and survivor of sexual violence, Kharoll-Ann Souffrant’s doctoral research focuses on the #MeToo and #BeenRapedNeverReported social movements within the province of Quebec with an intersectional lens that applies to Canada from coast to coast to coast. This webinar stems from the presenter’s expertise and experiences at the personal, advocacy, research and professional levels concerning sexual violence against Black women.

Learning Outcomes:

1. Learn about some of the dilemmas and challenges that may arise for Black
   women and girls who wish to report or disclose sexual violence experiences;
2. Become aware of examples of different initiatives, led by and for Black
   women and girls, in various settings, aiming at filling the gaps in research,
   prevention, advocacy and psycho-social interventions when it comes to
   sexual violence;
3. Discuss potential intervention tools/strategies on how to better respond to
   the needs of Black women and girls who have experienced sexual violence.

See the poster for more information on the session.

Click here to access the recording  and the resources.

Presenter:

Born in Montreal and of Haitian origin, Kharoll-Ann Souffrant is a social worker and speaker. She is a
doctoral student at the University of Ottawa and a Vanier scholarship recipient. Her thesis focuses on
sexual violence experienced by Black women in Quebec in connection with the #MoiAussi (#MeToo)
movement of 2017 and #AgressionNonDénoncée (#BeenRapedNeverReported) movement of 2014.
She has worked as a volunteer, counselor and social worker with populations with a variety of psychosocial
difficulties as well as in the health and social services network.

In recent years, Kharoll-Ann has become particularly known for her activism against sexual violence
against women and for promotion of mental health. She has been a sought after speaker since 2015.
Kharoll-Ann is regularly called upon to participate in the media on themes related to her areas of
expertise, in English and French, and across Canada.

For her commitment, Kharoll-Ann has received numerous awards including the Young Woman of
Distinction award from the YWCA of Montreal, the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award and the Relève
award from the Order of Social Workers of Québec. She is now an Action Canada Fellow for 2020/21.
Kharoll-Ann has been recently selected as a 2020 United Nations Fellow for People of African Descent
by the Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights in the context of the UN International Decade for
People of African Descent (2015-2024).

Description:

Micro-aggressions are an everyday reality for us as staff, leaders, volunteers. It impacts those who are marginalized and who experience anti-Black racism, anti-Indigeneity, racism, misogyny to homophobia, transphobia, ableism etc. Clapping back is an effective tool to combat micro-aggressions.

Join alicia sanchez gill as she shares tools that respond to the myriad of microaggressions.
In this session, you will learn how to make strategic decisions about when and how to shut down everyday slights in ways that won’t compromise safety or livelihood. This session will also help you to be a better ally and bystander, to identify micro-aggressions and support your friends, colleagues, and program participants.

Click here to access the resources and the recording 

See the poster for more information on the session.

Presenter: alicia sanchez gill

Contemporary research in VAW increasingly recognizes the need for gender-transformative approaches across a range of settings and populations. This webinar will provide an overview of what is meant by the term “gender-transformative approach,” and summarize theory and research supporting gender-transformative work. Presenters will share key principles for implementing these types of approaches, and discuss several specific gender-transformative practices that attendees can implement in their own practice and organizations.

Click here to register.

See the poster for learning outcomes and other information, and help spread the word to your networks.

Presenters: Dr. Deinera Exner-Cortens and Dr. Debb Hurlock

Description:

In this session, Anjum Sultana, YWCA Canada’s Director of Public Policy & Strategic Communications will facilitate a presentation on the need for a national action plan on gender-based violence in Canada. Highlighting lessons learned from other countries, the session will identify potential opportunities for advocacy. A special guest will join to discuss why a national action plan and whole of government approach is needed to create a violence-free future in Canada.

Click here to access the recording.

See the poster for more information on the session.

Description:

Join our webinar with Lo Fine, Director of Finance & Information Technology for YWCA Toronto, who will
take participants through financial fundamentals including reviewing balance sheets, income statements, variance reporting, an audit and the 8 point process.

Learning Outcomes:

1. To build a foundation of financial fundamentals
2. To increase skills in financial oversight
3. Understand what a charity’s greatest assets are
   and how to protect them

Click here to access the recording.

See the poster for more information on the session.

Presenter: Lo Fine

Description: The workshop is designed to help participants understand how biases play out at the individual, interpersonal, and organizational levels. Participants will gain practical tools for addressing biases within each of these levels and have the opportunity to practice inclusion through interactive components. Focus Areas: Culture of Inclusion Modeling; Awareness of Bias & Valuing of D&I Dialogue & Bias Interruption; Trust, Safety, Fairness & Innovation; People Development.

Learning Outcomes:
• Understand unconscious bias and its impact
• Understand the importance of inclusion and the role of an inclusive leader
• Become aware of and begin to address internal, interpersonal and organizational biases
• Identify and commit to actions to create a more inclusive culture

All participants will be required to complete a pre-survey by July 17 and to review a workbook. Space is limited (30), please register to reserve your spot. Your registration will be confirmed by July 6th, 2020. If you are no longer able to attend the session in person, please notify us as we anticipate a waiting list.

See the poster for more information on the session.

Presenters:

Tanya van Biesen, Executive Director, Canada, Catalyst; Joanna Harper, Director, Corporate Engagement, Canada, Catalyst

Description:

Join seasoned board leaders as they share what they have learned about supporting CEOs/EDs through a crisis. Hear from CEOs/EDs who have led organizations through critical times and what helped and what hindered.

Presenters:

Yaso Mathu, Marie-José Ouellet, Maya Roy, Yulena Wan and Lynn Zimmer.

Learning Outcomes:

Participants will have increased knowledge on supporting CEOs/EDs through critical incidents, ensuring responsive governance while not increasing reporting.

Click here to access the recording