ONN鈥檚 early story began in 2007 when a creative and intrepid group of cross-sectoral nonprofit leaders recognized that there was a gap in 91视频鈥檚 nonprofit sector. It appeared no-one was paying attention to public policy issues affecting all nonprofits across the province – and decisions were being made that affected how the sector operated, was governed, funded, and provided services without input from the sector.

The 91视频 Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) became our 鈥渇ounding and forever鈥� issue, and was the platform that created ONN – a cross-sectoral issue that affected all nonprofits incorporated in 91视频. 

After a successful number of years incubated by the Centre for Social Innovation, ONN incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation on February 11, 2014.

As I reflect on this process, I am full of pride, and also admiration, for how far we have come in evolving and expanding our work. Over the last ten years we have picked up a few (a lot!) of other public policy issues to work on, and our team and network has grown exponentially. Of the many strides we鈥檝e made as a network, here are some I鈥檓 exceptionally proud of:

• ONCA – advocating for an improved Not-for-Profit Corporations Act and ensuring there was support for the sector to transition to the new rules.
• Pension plan – launching Canada鈥檚 first portable defined pension plan for nonprofit workers, the majority of which identify as women.
• Decent work – building a movement to create a culture of decent work and encourage decent work practices in 91视频鈥檚 nonprofit sector.
• Reimagining governance – building a learning lab through thought leadership, tools, resources, and dialogues on how we can reimagine governance in the sector.
• Participating in, supporting, and leading sector advocacy such as COVID supports including liability insurance coverage and stabilization funding.
• Building network connections through our Nonprofit Driven conference and regional gatherings.

As a network, the work we do is influenced by input from other nonprofit networks and organizations, our members, and what the data on our sector reveals. I am incredibly grateful for the support we have received from our network and generous funders and partners that have made these strides possible over the last ten years. 

ONN鈥檚 strategic path moving ahead

Our most recent strategic plan, released back in 2017, was a guiding document to steward ONN over the following three years. In early 2020, we started preparing for a new strategic planning process but in March 2020 those plans unraveled. 

Part of being a nimble and emergent network meant that, as the pandemic progressed, ONN pivoted to continually address high priority needs and advocacy for nonprofits and charities. What became a temporary 鈥渉old鈥� on our strategic planning process kept getting extended, and we found ourselves in 2022 still telling ourselves that we would start when the time was right. 

The delay was positive in many ways – it allowed us to stop and think, reflect on the pandemic period, identify what questions we had about ONN鈥檚 future, and intentionally plan ahead. 

Instead of jumping into a traditional strategic planning process, we adopted an emergent strategy approach, and decided to do a strategic thinking process. The outcome would be less focused on a single document (a 鈥減lan鈥�) and rather focus on ensuring we had the organizational foundations in place to keep us on track.

Throughout 2023, we worked with facilitators to consider, review, and rethink our culture, values, vision, mission, intended impacts, and strategic initiatives. With spaciousness and intentionality, and through a cross-team working group, staff retreats and sessions, and board discussions, we deliberated on the key issues and opportunities ahead of us.

By September 2023, we presented a strategic framework to our board that was approved for implementation this year.

The future we envision will be both familiar to our network and new – our focus on creating an enabling public policy environment for nonprofits and charities to thrive remains unchanged. But, our experiences have helped us further hone into what ONN鈥檚 unique role is. Our new strategic framework will guide us over the next three years – coinciding with the next provincial election in 2026. This feels like the natural moment to re-think and strategize depending on the political and sector environment.

A teaser – our updated mission and vision

Our ultimate vision is that communities are thriving because people are connected, well-resourced, and effecting change for the public good. This is the vision of the world we want to contribute to, and is intentionally very 鈥渂ig picture鈥� and not about the sector alone. Our mission is how ONN contributes to this vision directly: To connect, strengthen and advocate with and for the nonprofit sector in 91视频.聽

Through the spring, we will be rolling out our new strategic framework including our beliefs and values in how we work, our intended impacts, strategic initiatives, revitalized policy agenda and network engagement activities, and how we are embedding equity throughout all we do. This new strategic framework will provide ONN with the scaffolding that will continue to strengthen the nonprofit sector for years to come. Through this preview document, we are pleased to share some highlights of what is to come, including how we are embedding equity in our work, and the beliefs that anchor our work.

ONN is a strong voice for the nonprofit sector, and a network that鈥檚 guided by those it serves – nonprofits and charities in 91视频. We look forward to sharing more with you, and working with you to ensure communities across the province are thriving.

This story begins when the 91视频 Not-for-Profit Corporations Act (ONCA) was first introduced. We often refer to it as our 鈥渇ounding and forever鈥� issue. ONCA was the burning platform that created the spark for ONN – a cross-sectoral issue that affected all nonprofits incorporated in 91视频 and had the potential to truly impact how we worked.

Our priority when ONCA was passed into law was to ensure ONCA would meet the needs of the sector, and that there would be support for the sector to transition to the new law. It was clear that as a small emerging network, ONN did not have the legal expertise to support the transition to ONCA. We also wanted to make sure that we were able to continue to advocate for improvements to ONCA and its regulations by staying at arms-length from provincial funding for ONCA transition support. 

With our first grant from the Law Foundation of 91视频, ONN focused on policy improvements and began considering how to support the sector in implementing the new law. 

Beginnings of a long-lasting partnership

In 2013, we developed a partnership with Community Legal Education 91视频 (CLEO) that has been one of our longest standing relationships! CLEO led the 鈥淕et Ready for ONCA鈥� project that lasted more than ten years as a result of the delay in proclamation of ONCA. Finally proclaimed in October 2021, CLEO kicked into high gear with workshops and webinars, template bylaws, and FAQs now branded as 鈥淣onprofit Law 91视频.鈥� This helped the sector navigate the new law and provided them with as much plain language information as possible to understand the implications and opportunities ONCA presented.

Recently, both ONN and CLEO entered a period of internal strategizing and planning, and, with ONCA鈥檚 transition period coming to a close later this year, it was clear that it was time to re-think our roles. We are thrilled to take on Nonprofit Law 91视频 as an ONN project, and both steward and grow it as a social enterprise initiative! 

We are incredibly grateful to CLEO for their stewardship of this amazing project and its vital resources, as well as for their leadership in supporting the nonprofit sector for more than a decade, and for their continued partnership. ONN is committed to growing the educational mission and innovative approaches to continue serving the legal needs of the sector. 

We are also grateful to the funders of Get Ready for ONCA and Nonprofit Law 91视频 that made this project possible, including: 91视频 Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery, Law Foundation of 91视频, and the Lawson Foundation.

What the future holds with Nonprofit Law 91视频

Our network can look forward to more ONCA related support, as well as legal education on other topical and priority issues facing the sector, such as advocacy rules, employment law, funding agreements, and more. 

Bookmark our new Nonprofit Law 91视频 webpage, which includes vital links and a list to the training sessions available to network groups. And, minor updates to the main site will also be made to reflect ONN鈥檚 leadership.

I am personally so grateful for the remarkable partnership ONN has enjoyed with CLEO and a special thanks to Julie Matthews, Brenda Doner, and Benjamin Miller for their commitment, leadership and camaraderie along the way.

I can鈥檛 think of a better way to celebrate our ten-year anniversary!

It continues to amaze me both how fast the last year went by and how slow and repetitive it seemed at times. I am finding it hard to tell the last three years apart! 

• Still reeling from a worldwide pandemic? Check. 
• Facing economic crises and uncertainty? Check.
• Worried about climate change? Check. 
• Dealing with a staffing crisis and volunteer shortage? Check. 
• Revenue still down? Check. 

Looking back, 2022 seemed much like 2020 and 2021, with some exceptions. When the pandemic started, it was scary but communities really banded together, to help and protect each other. Decision-makers were doing things quickly and differently – opening up possibilities of creating a new world and 鈥渂uilding back better鈥�. As the pandemic set in through 2021 and 2022, this collectivity seemed to diminish while polarization in our communities, in our politics and in the media increased. The new reality became rife with pandemic fatigue and a pressure to return back to “normal”. 

ONN鈥檚 fourth pandemic State of the Sector Survey released in August 2022 reinforced what we learned in 2020 and 2021 about how our sector was faring. Frankly, the new data painted an even grimmer picture of the challenges facing nonprofits and charities. 

Leading during turbulent times

Like many nonprofits in 91视频, we experienced similar challenges this past year 鈥� staffing turnover, increased demand, increased costs due to inflation, difficulty getting our messages amplified and heard by decision makers, unending to-do lists and overwhelming email inboxes. Leading during this tumultuous time continues to be difficult. I have struggled with trying to spend the right amount of time on the right things. I continue to struggle with my white privilege and how to truly contribute to building a network that embeds a deep commitment to, and action on equity and spaciousness in all we do. I know I鈥檓 not alone in wondering at times how much more energy I have for all of this work.

And yet, I am finding optimism and hope in the year that was 2022, and as I look towards 2023. I鈥檓 not exactly sure why but I think a big part of it was the vibe (my teen would be both delighted and horrified that I am using that word!) at our recent conference, Nonprofit Driven. Over 550 folks joined us over two days in early November, the first face-to-face gathering since 2019. I won鈥檛 deny that our team was downright anxious about the risk of illness and becoming a super-spreader event, whether we would build an agenda and no-one would come, how to ensure we welcomed everyone respectfully and meet them where they were at, and whether the tone would be depressing or inspiring.

Thankfully, it was inspiring! We were thrilled by:

• Engagement of folks new to our network.
• Younger generation of nonprofit leaders committed to making our sector the best it can be.
• Willingness to talk about challenging topics and address issues openly.
• Tone of disruption that was so clear in every conversation.

It felt that we, as a sector, had an opportunity to transform, not just tinker around the edges. It felt that our sector was ready to truly build back better.

I still get goosebumps thinking about some of the conversations and insights I gathered from those days. And as someone who has been working from home a lot these last three years, I so enjoyed being together with people!

This gathering 鈥� now six weeks ago 鈥� is still motivating me to ask deeper questions, challenge assumptions, identify new opportunities to advocate together, and ensure that the nonprofit way remains community driven and led, and is supported so it can thrive in 91视频.

A new strategic journey begins

I don鈥檛 know what 2023 will hold for our sector but I do know that it feels like a new beginning. I know that ONN will be embarking on a strategic thinking journey which will help guide our network in the future. Our team and board will do everything they can to ensure that nonprofit sector issues and priorities are top of mind in all that we do. I know there will be tough slogging ahead and I know that I personally will learn, make mistakes, and then learn some more.  

More than anything, I am grateful as I reflect on 2022. Grateful for the good health of our team and our families, grateful for the wisdom and support of those in our network, grateful for the commitment to continuous learning that is so strongly embedded in our culture, grateful for the opportunity to advocate with, for and alongside the amazing nonprofits and charities that serve Ontarians each and every day.

I wish all our network members, supporters, staff and volunteers a restful and joyful season and look forward to engaging in 2023!

Our key message then: 鈥淲e have your back.鈥�

So much has happened in these last two years. They have felt like a lifetime, and at the same time, like they happened in the blink of an eye. Initially we thought our offices would be closed for a three-week lockdown, but that turned into two years of restrictions, stay-at-home orders, new waves, and more. In my email to the ONN team, I said that our office would reopen April 4, 2020 – how naive! During the pandemic, nonprofits we cared about closed, shifted, pivoted, and excelled. We individually faced illness, fear, grief, and a constant up and down of our moods and capacity based on the daily case counts. The pandemic also helped shed a light on existing racial inequities because they were being exacerbated during this time. Part of our grief and anger also came from continued police violence, anti-Black racism, and the gendered impact of COVID-19.

It鈥檚 been emotionally exhausting, but there were still times when we celebrated, experienced successes, forged new relationships and partnerships, and supported one another.

There is so much to learn and unpack from the last two years – and here at ONN we are still looking to find the time to really reflect and capture all that we have experienced since 2020. But there are some key takeaways that we want to capture now – and advocate to keep them on the front burner as we recover, recreate, and transform our sector.

1. Government can act quickly.

We learned during these last two years that governments can move fast and efficiently when they have to. Programs were created within weeks, not months or years; dollars were distributed quickly; online transactions (including e-signatures!) were accepted; flexibility was provided to accommodate emerging issues in communities. Were these programs and policies perfect? Of course not, but most were useful and lessons were learned. Have our expectations changed with respect to government decision-making? Absolutely!

2. Trust-based funding and general operating support are critical to our sector鈥檚 future.

We learned there is ample evidence that funders (foundations, donors, and governments) can provide support and that community organizations will use the money efficiently, effectively, and responsibly. We learned to question 鈥� why does a funding application need to be 20+ pages, with the entire project/program thought out before we鈥檝e even tried it? Why does it take nine months to get a response to a funding proposal? Why can鈥檛 we use funding to invest in technology so our people have the best tools at their disposal? Why aren鈥檛 reserves appropriate when it鈥檚 not just raining, but pouring? Why can鈥檛 we make the decisions about where money is most needed and best meets our mission instead of letting funders and donors do that for us?

Now, we expect our funders to have less red tape and paperwork, to focus more on outcomes, to recognize the importance of general operating support and the investment in technology, to allow for reserve funds, to trust our expertise on the communities we serve, and to be true partners.

3. Our people are our biggest strength.

We learned (or relearned) something we already knew. Our people, paid staff, and volunteers, are what makes our sector function and they are not distinct from the communities we serve and often share similar lived experiences. They lead, deliver, teach, create, educate, coach, counsel, manage, and so much more. Our sector鈥檚 people have done more for our communities during the pandemic than any government ever could have. They made sure people were sheltered and fed. That mental health supports were available. That there were creative outlets and connections during lockdown. That physical activity was available. Nonprofit sector workers ensured that everyone had supports, from infants to our elders. They were on the front lines and behind the scenes, working in communities and working from home. And we learned that society takes them for granted.

Now, we expect that nonprofits will prioritize decent work for their staff and fight for equitable compensation, benefits, and professional development. We expect that volunteers will be supported, well managed, and recognized. We expect that funders and governments will acknowledge and invest in the valuable work our sector鈥檚 people undertake on behalf of our communities.

4. Equity and racial justice must be centred in rebuilding.

The 鈥渄ouble pandemic鈥� of systemic racism has been abundantly clear throughout the pandemic. From COVID infection rates to the vaccine rollout, to who could comfortably work from home and who were on the front lines of essential services, Black, Indigenous and racialized communities have been disproportionately impacted. To address racism and colonialism, there is no simple checklist or training to complete. We need an absolute rethinking and recreation of our social and economic systems that are entrenched in systemic racism and white supremacy. This has been an eye-opening lesson for me personally to learn as a white, middle-aged, nonprofit leader. I have had (and continue) to face my discomfort talking about race, privilege and power, and naming white supremacy.

Now, we expect that not only should we name systemic racism, but recognize that we all have a role to play 鈥� government, funders, nonprofit organizations, and all community members 鈥� in addressing it. And that all nonprofits, regardless of size, scope, breadth, mission, can be part of the solution and must prioritize an equitable recovery above all else.

5. Collective, networked advocacy works.

We knew the benefits of collective advocacy before but the pandemic has made it crystal clear that a network model that focuses on building relationships, not delivering transactions, is the best advocacy approach for our sector. Relationships have been built, silos torn down, successes and challenges shared. It鈥檚 hard work and doesn鈥檛 replace the mission-focused work of individual organizations, but working together, sharing the work and the results has helped us all serve our communities better.

Now, we expect that networks will be supported, accessed, and replicated. That lessons we have all learned can be shared. We expect our networks to be based on reciprocity, authenticity, shared commitments, and a shared value that we are stronger when we work together.

In March 2020, we said, 鈥淥ur sector 鈥� and our partners and supporters 鈥� can model the way and enable the most important work in our communities to continue 鈥� even AND especially during challenging times. Keep us posted. We鈥檝e got your back.鈥�

I fervently wish we had not experienced a worldwide pandemic that devastated so many communities and resulted in trauma, and many lives lost. I believe there is a transformational opportunity ahead of us – and that the future of the nonprofit sector is up to us. The pendulum doesn’t have to swing back – we can change its direction and we can model the way. We have new expectations to hold ourselves and others accountable to.

Two years later, we still want you to know – we鈥檝e got your back.

These reports come to our attention at a time when an Islamophobic attack on the Afzaal and Salman family in London, 91视频 highlighted the discrimination and hate experienced by Muslim Canadians. Many nonprofit organizations condemned this attack, including ONN. Beyond condemnation, however, we must look for and eliminate systemic bias and racism within our institutions and organizations and use our own missions to advance a culture of inclusion and respect.

As ONN renewed its 2021 policy priorities, we made a stronger commitment to racial justice and respect for Indigenous rights; and we have built these commitments into our policy files wherever possible. We have committed to amplifying the voices of Black and other racialized leaders in our sector. Now, more than ever, our sector must stand in solidarity with partners working in support of Indigenous rights and racial justice.  

One way this commitment intersects with our policy priorities is recognizing how important good data is to allow the public to determine whether official policies of equal treatment between different types of nonprofits and the communities they serve are being carried out in practice.
Therefore, we call on the federal government to clarify and improve their auditing tools and processes to ensure they are fair, transparent, evidence-based, and free of biases. In particular, the collection of disaggregated data is necessary to ensure the Income Tax Act is being administered and enforced fairly and in a non-discriminatory way. Training for government officials is needed to ensure that CRA bases its decisions exclusively on reliable evidence. 

The detailed recommendations outlined in the International Civil Liberties Monitoring Group鈥檚 鈥�鈥� and the National Council of Canadian Muslims鈥� 鈥�鈥� regarding the treatment of Muslim charities demand a detailed review. Our sector as a whole looks forward to engaging with the and hearing their conclusions.

We also know charities and nonprofits in Canada look forward to a – as policy makers, funders and regulators. We desire a relationship based on reciprocity, transparency and commitment to the communities that we jointly serve. A federal home in government – which ONN supports – would go a long way in re-envisioning and rebuilding this relationship.
In the meantime, it is imperative that we, as individuals, organizations and the nonprofit sector as a whole, continue our journey to ground equity and the elimination of racism in all that we do. 

Additional resources:

ONN will share our annual report and audit in September. However, it is timely to share updates on our staff team and the new work we find ourselves undertaking. We have key opportunities to make significant progress on systemic issues facing nonprofits and charities in 91视频.

In some ways, the past 16 months were like any other on the HR front of a small organization — staff changes and movement, including parenthood, new jobs, and contracts and roles ending. We said a warm goodbye to Teshini, Jay, Randall, and see-you-in-a-year to Jacquelin and Melanie — all who have made a tremendous impact on ONN and our network during their time with us. With a small team, five staff changes over six months were quite something to manage — remotely and at a time when ONN鈥檚 work increased in complexity and volume!

But, with change, doors open. We are delighted to work with new colleagues who bring fresh perspectives and experiences that will continue to improve our work. ONN is grateful to our funders and supporters who enabled us to focus on new priorities and start new projects, as well as build our capacity to continue to support the sector.

We filled existing roles by welcoming Brooke, joining us as Operations Lead to keep us organized, and Candice as Policy Analyst to keep our policy priorities on track. Kavita joined us to manage our communications over the next year to keep those comms channels humming.

We added a new permanent role with Rishit joining us as Communications Coordinator. We so needed added capacity on our communications team to keep up!

With special thanks to the Atkinson Foundation for their continued support of our decent work movement-building, we welcomed Yamikani to lead our next phase of decent work engagement, with a focus on racial justice and Truth and Reconciliation. This is a new stream of work that has never been more important to all of us – personally, our sector, and our communities.

It is also with great excitement that we enter into a one-year pilot project with our long-standing partner, Community Legal Education 91视频 (CLEO), to share a lawyer! ONN and CLEO have an almost ten-year history of working together to share public legal education for nonprofits and advocate for law reform. Benjamin joins us as Policy Advisor/Lawyer — splitting his time between ONN and CLEO. He will undertake a legal needs assessment of the nonprofit sector and public legal education for CLEO (including public legal education about the 91视频 Not-for-Profit Corporations Act) and provide policy advice and analysis to ONN during his time with us. We will be reflecting on our experience throughout with an eye towards models for medium-sized nonprofits to increase their legal capacity.

We are also fortunate to have Danaka Robertson join us under the Canada Summer Jobs Program for eight weeks to support the and research projects.

And we are looking for two more rockstars! We have new job postings for a Data Strategy Manager, a two-year contract supported by the 91视频 Trillium Foundation, and a new ongoing role of to support our partners and sponsors.

Our new staff join our stalwarts – Liz, Sarah, Pamela, John, Lynn, and Erin. A special note of thanks to them for being trusted colleagues over the years.

The small team of three that I joined back in 2012 has incrementally grown to 14. I can already tell you that it is an amazing group of diverse colleagues who are deeply committed to the nonprofit sector, who are creative and innovative and eager to support you – our network – as we transition from the pandemic and lead a future that is nonprofit-driven!

Learn more about the ONN team here and feel free to reach out to us.

Thanks to our network partners, members, and supporters for your support, especially over the last year. We all look forward to serving and working alongside you in the years to come.

ONN and the nonprofit sector have been advocating for many years to reform transfer payment agreements. Nonprofits spend too long applying for funding, waiting on agreements, and reporting on government program investments. This is particularly true of nonprofits that manage more than one agreement and have to report on their spending in different budget categories across different programs and ministries.

We also hear from the sector about being asked multiple times for the same information from funders within the same government, or having to go to government program officers every time they need to shift a bit of funding from one budget line to the next. This is not a good use of anyone鈥檚 time.

Every hour that a nonprofit spends filling out cumbersome application forms, or trying to fit their budget numbers into program templates that differ from one to the next, is an hour they are not spending delivering services to people.

Across the nonprofit sector, there is a clear consensus that transfer payment agreements should be based on principles of stewardship, reciprocal respect and accountability, and administered in a way that is simple, proportional, and flexible.

Nonprofits that deliver services on behalf of government want to see administrative processes streamlined and standardized across ministries and programs. They want to improve their own efficiency by spending less time on duplicative paperwork. They want reporting processes to be easier to navigate and to be focused on the outcomes that really matter. They want the processes to be proportionate – right now the same paperwork is usually required for a $5,000 grant or a $5 million dollar one.

And finally, nonprofits have told us how important it is that any savings generated by streamlining processes be reinvested in communities to support a healthier and more resilient province.

Last winter in our pre-budget submission, ONN asked the 91视频 government for a red-tape reduction initiative for nonprofits that deliver services on behalf of government.

There are about 5,000 nonprofits that currently have agreements with multiple provincial ministries, but each one is managed separately. The number of transfer payment agreements could be reduced immediately by 14 percent – without service or job reductions – simply through umbrella agreements. Streamlined, outcome-focused agreements can reduce administrative costs for both government and nonprofits.

We are pleased that the 91视频 government will make transfer payment reform a priority through its Transfer Payment Consolidation initiative. This is an important opportunity to modernize funding agreements so that both nonprofits and government spend less time on administration, and more time delivering services that support Ontarians.

The nonprofit sector is an essential partner to the 91视频 government across a wide variety of program areas – in child care, youth training programs, affordable housing, little league baseball, community health care, theatre programs, and so much more.

These services are vital to our quality of life in 91视频 and they also provide good jobs and volunteering opportunities in the communities where people live.

It is important that our two sectors (government and nonprofits) work together to modernize service delivery and behind-the-scenes funding agreements. Our sector鈥檚 experiences on the ground, directly in communities, bring critical perspectives that are needed at the table as government plans for and implements changes.

ONN looks forward to convening nonprofits to help move this agenda forward in partnership with the Treasury Board Secretariat and the ministries that have funding relationships with the sector.

Read more about ONN’s perspective on transfer payment reform.

Read more about ONN’s 2019 pre-budget submission, outlining our perspective on this and other sector priorities.

This is a disconcerting and uncertain time for the public benefit sector in 91视频. A change of government brings about changes that affect the environment in which our sector operates. From legislative and policy changes that affect our operations, like the nonprofit labour force and our financing, as well as changes impacting issues our sector cares deeply about: climate change, the arts, sport and recreation, front line social services, education, housing, poverty reduction, and so much more.

We know there will be a significant shift in how our sector operates and to the issues that our sector is in business to care about. As details are being released of the 2019 provincial budget and the government鈥檚 focus, we are just beginning to understand what issues and operations will be affected, and when and in what ways.

It鈥檚 timely for ONN to be clear about what our role is during this time and in the months to come. We will continue to have the sector鈥檚 back as your public policy advocate, and ensure the collective voices of the sector are shared with government and all our stakeholders.

ONN will continue to be a nonpartisan advocate. We will take positions on issues, not on governments. We will publicly and transparently publish and share broadly our policy priorities to strengthen the sector, our position statements, and our official communications to government as we advocate and advise.

We will continue to be an evidence-based storyteller, sharing both the economic and social impact of our substantial and diverse sector.

We will continue to focus on issues that cross the geography of 91视频. We will not advocate for issues in specific geographic communities. However, we will encourage and support regional networks and local collections of nonprofits to take a leadership role in their communities.

ONN will continue to focus on issues that span more than one subsector. Yes, that means we will not work on issues that are specific to say, affordable housing, or refugee settlement, or arts programming. We know we have partners who are subject matter experts working in all the various subsectors that make up our experienced sector. We will amplify and celebrate their advocacy on our communications channels. We will learn from their experiences and connect them with others interested and supportive of their work.

We will continue to work with both elected officials and their staff, as well as public servants – all who play a critical role in our public policy environment.

As we have always done, ONN will continue to strongly and loudly advocate for the public benefit sector to be at the table with our government partners as equal participants. The economic and social well-being of our province relies on our sector to do our work, and to do it well. And that means we need to be consulted appropriately – with reasonable timelines and appropriate information. We expect no less.

We will continue to build the sector鈥檚 capacity as advocates. We do this by making sure the rules related to advocacy, such as lobbyist registration and CRA guidelines, allow our sector to take positions on issues, by providing education and information on new legislation and policies that affect our sector鈥檚 work, and by providing skills building in public policy and advocacy, such as how to frame your advocacy asks, how to write a pre-budget submission, or how to read the provincial budget.

ONN will continue to convene the voices of the sector. We will never claim to be a single representative voice. We will gather nonprofit perspectives through our working groups and advisors, events, surveys, webinars, online channels, and more. And when the voices in the sector differ on issues that affect all of us, we鈥檒l be sure to document that, too. That鈥檚 part of our commitment to be a network.

Most importantly, we will not waver from our roots and our commitment to advocate for and celebrate nonprofits and charities with a public benefit. Our mission says it all: To engage, advocate, and lead with – and for – nonprofit and charitable organizations that work for the public benefit in 91视频.

Being clear and transparent in how we work and what we work on is essential to being ready for the challenges and opportunities that will come our way, and to building a strong network of advocates across 91视频.

“We hope you will join us. Share your advocacy stories. Let us know what you think about government policies and priorities.”

Advocate for the importance of the public benefit sector AND the issues that your organization was created to advance and support.

We know we are stronger when we advocate together. And our sector is critical to the future of our province.

Tools and Information

鈥� Provincial budget estimates analysis
鈥� How to engage and advocate in public policy
鈥� ONN鈥檚 policy priorities