NETWORK NEWS
August 12, 2021
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New Blog - Pandemic reflections: Change opens new doors
In this new blog, ONN’s Executive Director, Cathy reflects on the last 16 months and shares updates on our staff team and the new work we find ourselves undertaking. A heartfelt thank you to our network partners, members, and supporters for your support, especially over the last year.
How the future of work is impacting nonprofits
The Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development appointed Ontario’s Workforce Recovery Advisory Committee to hear from Ontarians on how to stimulate economic recovery for the province. The consultation was broad and covered everything from reforming employment standards to addressing precarious gig work and the impact of technological disruption on the nature of work (future of work). In ONN’s submission, we recommended the committee pair employment standards reforms with targeted stimulus in the nonprofit sector and its workforce of tomorrow.
Women’s economic recovery needs both an extensive and targeted approach
ONN and 14 of its partners, including a coalition of YWCAs across Ontario, came together to send a submission to Ontario’s Task Force on Women and the Economy on how to stimulate women’s economic recovery in the province. We highlighted the need to address structural barriers that prevent women's’ labour market entry/re-entry and target investments in expanding and improving the working conditions of women-majority sectors.
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Provincial Policy Updates
What comes after Step 3? The Roadmap Exit Step
Ontario is preparing for the eventual end of Step 3 of the Reopening Framework and released regulations on July 30 for the “Roadmap Exit Step.” Almost all restrictions will be ended at that point (including capacity limits), except for the mask requirements in indoor public spaces. The regulation requires schools (public and private) in the Roadmap Exit Step to follow separate guidance from the Ministry of Education, and requires day camps and overnight camps for children to follow separate guidance provided by the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. The regulation also contains information on allowable exemptions from mask requirements.
Licensed child care and before and after school programs that operate in schools must follow this operational guidance and the guidance for schools notes that Community Use of Schools is once again permitted for the 2021-22 school year.
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Federal Policy Updates
Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act turns 10
The Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act turns 10 this year and the Government of Canada is doing a review of the statute to make sure it is working well. ONN provided analysis on how it could be improved, including by creating a distinction between public benefit and member benefit corporations, simplifying financial reporting rules, allowing for more online decision-making, and more.
New child care bilateral agreements commit to nonprofit and public sector expansion
The federal government is criss-crossing across the country announcing newly signed child care bilateral agreements with their provincial and territorial counterparts. To date, seven agreements have been signed where most, if not all, commit to nonprofit and public sector expansion of new child care spaces. While this is welcome news as we know nonprofit and public sectors provide higher quality of care services, we’re watching to see what happens in Ontario and how both provincial and federal governments create an enabling policy environment for nonprofits to seize this growth opportunity. ONN is asking for three things. The government is also looking for members for its National Advisory Council on early learning and child care.
Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy extended to October
Federal emergency measures, including the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy, the Canada Emergency Rent Subsidy, and benefits for individuals will be extended to October 23, 2021. Benefit levels will not taper off until the period following September 25, 2021. Organizations may still apply to the Canada Recovery Hiring Program, which was intended to help fill the gap as emergency benefits wind down.
Consultation on Employment Insurance Modernization
The federal government has affirmed what workers and employers have been saying for a number of years: Canada’s Employment Insurance (EI) program does not reflect current and future labour market realities and needs to be modernized. Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) have launched consultations to hear from all stakeholders across the country through an online survey and written submissions. ESDC wants to hear how to best cover gig and self-employed workers, support people during the birth of a child or adoption, improve access to EI and simplify rules for workers and employers. ONN’s submission will build on our modernizing maternity and parental leave benefits policy brief, while also speaking to what nonprofits need. For more information and to collaborate, please contact pamela@theonn.ca. The deadline to submit is October 8, 2021.
Long-Term Care Services Standard consultations
The Standards Council of Canada, Health Standards Organization and Canadian Standards Association are working together on developing two new national standards for LTC that will be shaped by the needs of residents, families and Canada’s LTC workforce. They are currently accepting submissions via a consultation workbook with an open deadline.
Elections Canada releases updated guidance for election advocacy
Last fall, ONN participated in an Elections Canada consultation on the regulatory environment for third-party advocacy around federal elections. In the wake of that consultation, Elections Canada has updated its Q&A for Third Parties for a “non-fixed-date general election held before October 2023” (i.e., the one we’re about to enter). Of note to all charities and those nonprofits that remain nonpartisan: “Activities that do not promote or oppose a political party, a party leader or a candidate are not regulated.”
Report #3 of the Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector released
The Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector (ACCS) released its third report, which focuses on two areas: 1) the relationship between the Charities Directorate of the CRA and charities, particularly those serving vulnerable populations; 2) the ability of charities to earn income from activities. Broadly, the ACCS recommends that the CRA:
- Enhance its communications and relationship with charities by improving accessibility to information, simplifying language and seeking client feedback on CRA interactions with charities.
- Recognize work to address and reduce systemic oppression constitutes a charitable purpose.
- Make changes to the ITA to allow for changes in the “direction and control” rules and expansion of the category “Qualified Donee” to help smaller nonprofits access funding without becoming registered charities.
- Create a more supportive environment for earned income activities of charities by expanding and clarifying the guidance CP -019 on “related business”, and considering new guidance documents on all the categories of earned income. Add language to explicitly encourage use of shared platforms as revenue-generating enterprises.
ONN supports efforts to improve the CRA’s relationship to the sector through clearer and more positive communications.
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Federal Budget 2022 consultations (Round 1)
In the recent round of consultations for Federal Budget 2022, great ideas for supporting the nonprofit sector and the social economy were offered by Imagine Canada, the sector’s Equitable Recovery Collective, and the People-Centred Economy Group. ONN encourages nonprofits to engage their MPs and candidates for office on these ideas alongside their local priorities.
Growing social enterprise through social finance
The Table of Impact Investment Practitioners (TIIP) has released a report from the perspective of social finance fund managers on the “impatient” state of impact investing (providing loans and equity for co-operatives, nonprofit social enterprise, and others). The authors note the great wealth in Ontario, the “limited” provincial policy and investment support, and the disparities in capital available to northern and rural communities, as well as BIPOC-led social enterprises. In related news, Trinity Centres Foundation writes about the need for a massive growth in social enterprise activity across Canada (and offers some creative ideas for how it can be done).
Move the Money: Practices and Values for Funding Social Movements
US-based Building Movement Project presents Move The Money: Practices and Values for Funding Social Movements, a set of resources geared towards grantmaking institutions eager to expand and deepen their support of organizations, networks, and leaders involved with social change movements.
Community Benefit Agreements (CBAs) from the builders’ perspectives
There’s lots of attention on CBAs as a way to rebuild inclusive local economies through infrastructure investment. Community groups advocating to enter into such agreements must negotiate a challenging array of partners, including municipalities, labour councils, transit and housing authorities, and the private sector. Cardus has a report from the point-of-view of builders arguing for clarity on what CBAs are and what they aim to achieve.
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Funding Opportunities
The Government of Canada is accepting applications for its Active Transportation Fund. Nonprofits are eligible to apply.
Nonprofits are eligible for the federal Jobs and Growth Fund if they support clean tech, clean economic growth, green regional clusters, and or help businesses transition to a green economy. Apply through the Regional Development Agencies, FedDev Ontario (Southern Ontario) or FedNor (Northern Ontario).
Additional funding opportunities, ranging from grants to advance access to justice to loan financing for nonprofit social enterprises, can be found in the ONN Resource Centre.
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