Introduction and Grant Information Request

Good day everyone,

My name is David Riek, and I am honored to serve as the President of the Sudanese-Canadian Youth Talent Association of Alberta (SCYTA). Our organization is dedicated to empowering youth and strengthening our community through sports, education, leadership development, and cultural programs.

As a relatively new organization, we would greatly appreciate any suggestions regarding grants or funding opportunities that may be a good fit for our work. We are seeking support to help provide sports equipment, educational resources, mentorship programs, and community activities that create positive opportunities for young people.

We are passionate about investing in the next generation and building a stronger, healthier community. Together, we can inspire hope, develop future leaders, and make a lasting difference in the lives of youth.

Thank you for your time, consideration, and support.

Hi folks,

I just wanted to take a moment to introduce myself on here.

My name is Heather Roy, and I am the Executive Director of RadFlix, a nonprofit program dedicated to making radiation treatment less frightening for children with cancer through innovative video-distraction technology. My passion for this work is deeply personal. After losing my daughter, Evelyn, to cancer, I became committed to improving the treatment experience for children and their families so that no child has to face cancer treatment with unnecessary fear or trauma.

I hold a Master of Social Work from the University of Calgary, where my work focused on pediatric oncology, grief, trauma-informed care, and health equity. I enjoy bringing together healthcare providers, researchers, community organizations, and donors to create meaningful, family-centered change in pediatric cancer care.

If you ever want to connect via a coffee or virtually please reach out!

Sharing on behalf of Sara Stepa (Circles of Impact) and Mina Demian (grants-ease.ai/Business Path):

Grant Training for Nonprofit Innovation & Sustainability — Cohort 2 (starts October 6, 2026)

You’ve found the funders. The harder part is winning them, consistently. This six-week, live online program helps Canadian fundraising and grants staff pair sound grant strategy with practical AI workflows, so AI sharpens your proposals instead of just producing more of them. Across six weekly sessions, you’ll strengthen your funding systems, improve proposal quality, and build internal capacity that stays with your team. It’s hands-on and collaborative, led by Sara Stepa, a former funder, and Mina Demian of grants-ease.ai. Spring 2026 participants came from Alberta Bike Swap, Radiance Society, and ViTreo.

CKC members: use code CKC50 at checkout.

Register: https://sarastepa.thrivecart.com/grantsystems/?coupon=CKC50

Hi all,

I wanted to highlight a few great posts that the Nonprofit Chamber has recently shared about the upcoming Alberta Referendum.   I found Rules for Nonprofits Engaging in the Referendum — the Nonprofit Chamber an especially helpful summary and overview of all the intricacies involved.    Take note of the disclaimer that this is not legal advice, but it does help to understand what’s happening and how you might be able to be involved.

While you’re on their site, also check out
Before You Vote: What is a Referendum — the Nonprofit Chamber

and

Before You Vote: the Separation Question — the Nonprofit Chamber

You can also take a read of a recent Calgary Herald article written by two Calgary Nonprofit sector leaders here: Alberta separatism? Engage fully on the question | Calgary Herald  (free account required).

I hope that everyone can find the right and meaningful ways for yourself and your organizations to engage in this important conversation!

Alyssa

I thought I’d use this avenue to amplify the recently released Unaddressed Report. The Women’s Centre is leading a multi-year Unaddressed project with Inn from the Cold, YW Calgary, Vibrant Communities Calgary, Miskanawah, and the Women’s National Housing and Homelessness Network. The report looks at how Women and gender diverse people experience housing precarity and homelessness in unique ways through “overlapping experiences of violence, poverty, racialization, disability, and colonialism. This report aims to make those experiences visible, positioning them within the broader social, political, and economic landscape of Calgary’s housing crisis.”

https://www.unaddressed.ca/report-resources

Two opportunities to gather this spring for Exploring Supports and Locating Impact within Community Development Work – virtual sessions (morning June 24) or in-person (afternoon June 26) Calgary Community Development Learning Initiative

Community Development Practitioner’s Mini Summit 2026 Virtual Sessions

Join us on Wednesday, June 24 from 9:00 am – 12:30 pm MST for our annual virtual Mini Summit!

Info here: Community Development Practitioner’s Mini Summit 2026 Tickets, Wednesday, June 24  •  9 AM – 12 PM MDT | Eventbrite

Community Development Practitioner’s Mini Summit 2026 In-Person Sessions at Carya Village Commons

Join us on Friday, June 26, 2026 from 11:30 a.m. (Doors Open) to 5:00 p.m. at the Carya Village Commons for our annual Mini Summit – this Eventbrite listing is for In Person Only in Calgary!

Info here: Community Development Practitioner’s Mini Summit 2026 *In Person* Tickets, Friday, June 26  •  11:30 AM – 5 PM | Eventbrite

Sharing on behalf of Easter Seals Alberta

Bragg Creek, Alberta

Don’t miss the Horizon Disability Summit, taking place just outside beautiful Bragg Creek, Alberta. Join us for an inspiring day of connection, meaningful conversation, and real progress.

About the Summit
The summit brings together sector partners to:

Spots are filling quickly—secure yours today. Let’s come together to share ideas, elevate voices, and create lasting change.

Register here: https://host.nxt.blackbaud.com/registration-form/?formId=f540137c-552f-49f1-8ad2-b97083be1c77&envId=p–PAVxmNM3UulRm9VAmtj1A&zone=can

Sponsorship & Exhibitor Opportunities
We are still seeking sponsors and exhibitors to help make this event impactful and inclusive.

Opportunities include:

This is an opportunity to connect, learn, and help shape a more inclusive community.
If you’re interested in attending or securing a sponsorship or booth, we’d love to hear from you.

Contact:
Stephanie MacNeil
[email protected]

Summit Program
9:00 am — Registration & coffee
9:30 am — Welcome & opening remarks
9:45 am — Keynote: From Community to Collective Action

10:10 am — Panel: Breaking Down Barriers to Inclusion Across Alberta

11:10 am — Booths & networking
12:00 pm — Lunch (Sponsored by Calgary Foundation)
12:45 pm — Keynote: From Intention to Impact

1:10 pm — Working groups

These insights will inform a post-summit summary shared with all participants.
2:20 pm — Closing remarks
2:25 pm — Booths & networking
3:00 pm — Event close (optional camp tours)

Sharing on behalf of The Burns Memorial Fund:

You’re invited to a free 30-minute live webinar introducing the new OY Works Toolkit, a practical resource co-designed with employers & HR professionals to support hiring, onboarding, and retention of young people facing barriers to employment.

This session focuses on real-world application of the OY Works Toolkit. You’ll be guided through the toolkit and see how its tools and insights help remove common hiring and onboarding barriers, support young people once they’re hired, and build a stronger, more sustainable team over time, without adding complexity to your operations.

This webinar will be delivered by Lisa Watson – an Executive HR consultant and leadership coach with over 25 years of HR and legal experience in public, private and not-for-profit companies. Lisa was also a member of the Steering Committee involved in creating the OY Works toolkit, bringing her HR expertise to ensure the toolkit was relevant, practical and easy to apply for business leaders.

If you’re looking for practical hiring and retention support you can apply right away, this session is for you.

Business Leaders Webinar:

Date: June 16, 2026

Time: 12:00–12:30 AM (MDT)

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/3017781792732/WN_3M1xl9QyQLSSPkrSa9W8Jw 

 

HR Professionals Webinar:

Date: June 8, 2026

Time: 10:00–10:30 AM (MDT)

Register here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/2917781792182/WN_Pi1cxeyGQJSZDqi0q-vYvg

 

Start exploring the new toolkit now at https://oyworks.ca/

Have questions? Email us at [email protected]

 

Cait here from CF’s grants team!

I know many nonprofit leaders were not able to attend The  Nonprofit Chamber’s Connections 2026 conference on April 23, so I wanted to share a few takeaways from economist and keynote speaker Armine Yalnizyan that stuck with me.

I am sharing this because I think that her insights are especially useful when you are talking with other funders, partners, boards, and decision makers right now.

Non profits are not on the sidelines

One of Armine’s central messages was that non profit and community organizations are no longer operating on the edges of the economy. They are holding key parts of it together. Care and community services such as childcare, eldercare, housing, health, and social supports allow people to work, businesses to function, and communities to stay stable. This work is not supplemental, it’s core economic infrastructure!

That framing feels important, especially in funding conversations.

Why demand is not easing

Many households in Alberta are already under real financial pressure. Costs for basics continue to rise faster than incomes, and even without a formal recession, slow growth means more people need support and for longer periods of time.

At the same time, Alberta and Canada are facing long term workforce constraints. There are fewer working age people, more retirements, and ongoing staffing challenges across care and community services. This is structural, not temporary.

For non profits, this helps explain why demand remains high and capacity feels so stretched.

Care gaps affect everyone

Another point that really stayed with me was this: care is the work that makes all other work possible.

When childcare, eldercare, housing, or community supports are missing or underfunded, the effects ripple outward. People struggle to stay in the workforce. Employers lose productivity. Families absorb the stress. Non profits often see these impacts first.

This context can be helpful when funders are thinking about impact beyond individual programs.

A useful shift for funder conversations

Armine encouraged non profit leaders to speak confidently about their role in discussion with funders. That includes:

  • Connecting the services they offer to workforce stability and economic outcomes
  • Showing the cost of unmet need through waitlists and service gaps
  • Using both stories and numbers
  • Working collaboratively when challenges are bigger than any one organization

The message: be clearer about why this work matters.

I hope this short reflection is helpful for those who could not attend the conference and are preparing for funding or partnership conversations this year.

Cheers!

Jason Bates, Vice-President, Grants and Community Initiatives, was recently quoted in the Calgary Herald alongside other sector experts on the impacts of Calgary’s rapid population growth and its impact on social support organizations. Read the full story here: Population surge leaves Calgary’s social support agencies stretched | Calgary Herald