Community Recovery Now
Our communities need your help.
Recovery begins at home, on your street, and in your neighbourhood. A strong Alberta recovery is one with a plan to support the essential services we rely on every day while making sure that no one is left behind. We are Alberta’s nonprofits, your partners in community recovery. The Community Recovery Now campaign calls for the Government of Alberta to invest 3.5% of the Alberta Recovery Plan or $350 million into a Community Recovery Fund targeted to support Mental Health; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion; Youth Engagement; and Digital Transformation. This is an investment in lives and livelihoods that will create 4,500 jobs in communities across Alberta. Nearly 3x more jobs than similar investments in capital infrastructure, jobs for women and racialized people.
Alberta’s nonprofits need a seat at the table as supported partners in the government’s recovery plan. When emergency supports are gone and when the dust finally settles on this pandemic, Albertans will be relying on our nonprofits to provide the critical services and support to ensure our communities continue to a full recovery and remain a strong and vibrant part of our future.
Join the campaign and sign the petition to tell the Premier, the Leader of the Official Opposition, and your local MLA to ensure that they include community in the provincial government’s pandemic recovery plans.
Latest Community Recovery Posts from CCVO
Community Recovery Now Resources
COMMUNITY PROSPERITY NOW: A BLUEPRINT FOR COMMUNITY RECOVERY
Community prosperity goes beyond economic prosperity – it centres community in recovery plans for a more resilient and equitable future – one where we reject a return to the status quo and emerge stronger and more robust.
The nonprofit sector has been front and centre of this pandemic, and this is a chance to further focus our efforts on the impacts on vulnerable populations, the health of our environment, and the vibrancy of our communities. Community Prosperity Now includes:
recommendations for the nonprofit sector;
a call for the private sector, the nonprofit sector and governments to work together; and
a strong recommendation for an investment in Social Infrastructure in Alberta.
This blueprint is for all of us – nonprofits and community champions – who want to see a community-centred approach to recovery. We hope you’ll enjoy the report and join CCVO in advocating for Community Prosperity Now. Let’s find our collective voice, do more of what is already working, and recover together, now.
AN ALBERTA COMMUNITY PROSPERITY STRATEGY: DISCUSSION PAPER
The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on all sectors, including the nonprofit sector in Alberta. Despite their challenges, nonprofits and charities have worked together to support communities experiencing difficulties across the province. The pandemic has taught us that nonprofits and charities, governments, and businesses can respond quickly in times of emergency and provide support for our communities – and that we are more effective when we work in collaboration with one another.
This discussion paper provides context for building a Community Prosperity Strategy – a plan for a more resilient and equitable community – one where we reject a return to the status quo and emerge stronger and more robust.
CCVO has drafted recommendations for the nonprofit sector, the provincial government, funders and other stakeholders, and the private sector to build a multi-sectoral Community Prosperity Strategy.
Build Back Better: Resources for Your Organization
EVERYDAY ADVOCACY FOR NONPROFITS
image of cover page of everyday advocacy guide, a guide to help nonprofit organizations advocate for their important issues and needs outside of election periods.
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic and public events such as the WE Charity controversy, organizations are likely to reflect on their advocacy efforts in order to share their priorities with the public, represent communities, advance policies, and promote funding of meaningful objectives. During this time, it’s important to understand the context, rules, and strategies that are part of nonprofit advocacy, so organizations can engage with clarity and confidence.
Everyday Advocacy for Nonprofits is a practical guide for nonprofits wishing to engage in advocacy and is intended to help inform a range of nonprofit stakeholders, including executive directors, staff, board members, and volunteers, about nonprofit contributions to public policy dialogue and development.
No matter how you use this guide, our intent is that it contributes to a healthy and participatory democratic process through the invaluable contributions of nonprofits across Alberta.
EMERGENCY PLANNING FOR NONPROFITS: RESOURCES FOR RESPONSE AND PREPARATION
While the immediacy of the COVID-19 emergency has dissipated, epidemiologists do not rule out a second wave.1 Nonprofits will need to prepare for a pandemic in order to reduce the impact on their organization and prepare for disruptions. Emergency preparedness is flexible and nimble, and meant to be catered to an organization’s operations and programs. It provides nonprofits with tools to respond appropriately during times of uncertainty.
Emergency Planning for Nonprofits provides practical emergency planning and preparations considerations to assist nonprofits in the event of a second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. The guide is intended to be used as a planning tool which identifies issues and critical elements of emergency preparedness that organizations should consider in planning for a pandemic.
CCVO REPORT: FROM EMERGENCY TO OPPORTUNITY
From Emergency to Opportunity: Building a Resilient Alberta Nonprofit Sector After COVID-19 addresses the numerous, detrimental impacts of COVID-19 on the nonprofit sector and the subsequent consequences for communities in Alberta. The report also identifies opportunities in which other sectors can work to build Alberta’s community prosperity, including specific recommendations for the private sector, the provincial government, and foundations and other funders.
REFERENCE
The budget projects total revenue of approximately $62.6 billion while total expenses, including the COVID-19 Recovery fund, will equal approximately $62,096 billion, leaving a surplus of $511 million. While this budget represents a projected surplus, it does not recognize the importance of community recovery or identify the nonprofit sector as a leader in that effort with any major new investments to support community recovery. In terms of the sector, the focus is on debt elimination and maintaining status quo, stating “until the debt is eliminated, resources will continue to be used to pay interest costs rather than being directed to delivering the important government programs and services that Albertans rely on”.