Back to All Events

Merging For Good: Are nonprofit amalgamations moving from the margins to the mainstream?

Nonprofits at Two logo, three circular designs overlapping. The large circular asset is dark orange with a white triangle with circular points in the middle. There is a yellow circular asset below and to the right of it, and a smaller, coral circula…

Nonprofits at 2:00 brings nonprofit professionals and other community leaders together in conversation about relevant issues. These gatherings provide you with timely information, meaningful discussions, and actionable insights – and provide the space for nonprofit professionals and leaders from other sectors to come together to discuss important issues in the community.


SESSION DETAILS

At this gathering, James Stauch will discuss a framework for nonprofit mergers produced by MRU's Institute for Community Prosperity, based on a chronicle of the recent Trellis merger. He will moderate a panel discussion with local nonprofits who have recently gone through an amalgamation, as well as perspectives from a board volunteer, funder and capacity builder, reflecting on mergers and amalgamations in the sector. The panel will explore such topics as what kinds of conditions need to be present for mergers to succeed, the roles of boards, funders, and consultants – and the prospects for a widespread wave of nonprofit mergers in the post-COVID era.

SPEAKERS

James Stauch | Director at the Institute for Community Prosperity, Mount Royal University
Angela Clarke | Chief Strategy Officer at Trellis
Ayden Athwal | Vice Chair, Making Changes, and Prior Chair at Dress for Success Calgary
Sara Bateman | Director, Community Investment and Impact at Calgary Arts Development
Sarah Wuntke | Executive Director at Social Venture Partners Calgary

TICKET INFORMATION

CCVO Members: FREE* (using coupon code CCVOMEMBER at checkout)
*Not sure if you're a member? Check the CCVO Member Directory here.

Non-CCVO Members: $17.00 (please note that refunds will not be issued)
Not a member? Become one today! Visit our membership page here.


Nonprofit Industry and Banking Expertise from ATB

From specialized tax rules to board governance, and from provincial grants to private fundraising, there’s nothing simple about the financial side of a nonprofit organization. Nonprofit leaders wear a lot of hats while managing budgeting, staffing, event planning, and more. Financial management is a crucial challenge for every nonprofit. ATB has specialists at divisions like The Branch for Arts & Culture who work with unique organizations in managing their finances.


Speaker Biographies

Picture of James Stauch

James Stauch
Moderator

Director at the Institute for Community Prosperity, Mount Royal University

James is the Director of the Institute for Community Prosperity at Mount Royal University where he has developed or co-created social innovation, leadership, and systems-focused learning programs for both undergraduates and the broader community.  A former foundation executive and philanthropy and social change consultant, James currently serves as a Director on the Board of Alberta Ecotrust, as an Advisor to the Metcalf Foundation and Nonprofit Resilience Lab, and on the Editorial Advisory Board of The Philanthropist.  He is the lead author of an annual scan of trends and emerging issues, produced in partnership with Calgary Foundation, and is a regular contributor to the Future of Good and KCI Philanthropy Trends.  His recent contributions to community-partnered knowledge production include Merging for Good: A Case-Based Framework for Nonprofit Amalgamations, with Trellis, The Problem Solver's Companion: A Practitioners' Guide to Starting a Social Enterprise, co-produced with Shaun Loney and Encompass Co-op; In Search of the Altruithm: AI and the Future of Social Good, co-authored with Alina Turner of Helpseeker; and A Student Guide to Mapping a System, co-produced with Systems-Led Leadership and the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship at the University of Oxford.

Picture of Angela Clarke

Angela Clarke
Panelist

Chief Strategy Officer at Trellis

Angela (she/her) is the Chief Strategy Officer at Trellis and a key member of the integration team that established the organization in 2020. Her bold and innovative leadership style seeks to create intentional impact through a collaborative and always curious approach. She has worked in the Calgary non-profit sector for over 12 years across a variety of leadership roles in both program delivery and agency strategy. Angela holds an Executive MBA from the University of Fredericton and a BA in Development Studies from the University of Calgary.

Picture of Ayden Athwal

Ayden Athwal
Panelist

Vice Chair, Making Changes, and Prior Chair at Dress for Success Calgary

Ayden is the previous Board Chair and Director of Dress for Success Calgary which is now a division of Making Changes as of 2020. She currently serves as the Vice-Chair on the Making Changes Board of Directors. Both of these organizations' mission is to advance the future of women by providing professional attire, a network of support and developmental tools to help them thrive in work and in life. Ayden has been instrumental in the merger between both organizations and is a strong advocate for collaboration in the charity sector. She is currently a CSR professional with Benevity, a self-employed finance and accounting consultant and a mom to a growing family. Ayden holds a Masters in Business Administration from the University of Calgary and is a Chartered Accountant. Ayden has previous experience working in both the non-profit and corporate sector, including the Canadian Cancer Society and Ernst & Young. She brings a wealth of knowledge, innovative thinking and passion to all the initiatives she takes on.

Picture of Sara Bateman

Sara Bateman
Panelist

Director, Community Investment and Impact at Calgary Arts Development

Sara (she/her/hers) is the director for community investment and impact at Calgary Arts Development. With 15 years of experience in corporate community investment, evaluation, and social innovation, she leads the team providing meaningful grants and capacity resources to Calgary’s arts organizations and artists.

Her team also demonstrates the impact of the arts to Calgarians and our city. As a graduate of the Social Innovation Graduate program at the University of Waterloo, Sara brings an adaptive strategy and system-thinking lens to her work.

Picture of Sarah Wuntke

Sarah Wuntke
Panelist

Executive Director at Social Venture Partners Calgary

Sarah is the Executive Director of Social Venture Partners Calgary, a charitable organization that brings together non-profit organizations and high-skill volunteers to work together on capacity-building projects.  Specialized teams of volunteers work on specific-scope projects, bringing together community members from the corporate, for-profit, entrepreneurial, and non-profit sectors to develop strategic partnerships, build financial resiliency, develop marketing and communications strategy, and enhance Boards. 

Sarah is also a Director on the Field of Crosses Memorial Project, and recently finished her term as the Board Chair of the Calgary Military Family Resource Centre.  A military veteran, she served in Canada’s Army as a Health Care Administration Officer for almost 10 years, before completing post-graduate programs in Public Relations and Communications, Non-profit Management, and Healthcare Management. 


Thank you to the supporters of Nonprofits at 2:00!

 

Presenting Sponsor

 
 
 

Event Supporters

 
 
 
 

Media Partner

 
 
 

Core Supporters