Centre for Social Innovation - Where Change Happens!

This is exciting news for the nonprofits in Ontario as Bill 65 recognizes commercial activities and uses the much desired phase 'public benefit' sector to describe the work that we do. But there are a couple of changes that still need to be made.... read below to get the ability to issue 'Community Bonds' made into law....

This week the City installed bike racks for 16 bicycles in two parking spots on Spadina Ave. This is a Toronto first. What an exciting moment to see infrastructure built for cars be adapted to the growing demands of bicycles. Although just a pilot, this project exemplifies how we can share the roads. This is what social innovation looks like!

Cities are the embodiment of collaboration, acting as a platform for exchange, a place where culture meets economics meets education meets health meets planning. Cities demonstrate just how connected we all are and how the issues that we are working on fundamentally connect to each other in ‘place.”

A pioneering social innovator, Peter Nares created SEDI in 1986, an organization that has been instrumental in developing financial tools that improve the lives of people living in poverty. Peter's work bridges the gap between what works in communities to effective policy development and ultimately, large scale results. Learn more about Peter and SEDI in the press release below!

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Yesterday, at exactly 4:59pm, the Centre for Social Innovation became the official owner of 720 Bathurst. We are ecstatic! We can’t wait to be able to bring even more social change to the city of Toronto!

At long last, the Not-for Profit Corporations Act has been introduced. The 'magnetic attractor' that galvanized the Ontario Nonprofit Network will, among other important governance issues, "allow not-for-profit corporations to engage in commercial activities where the revenues are reinvested in the corporation’s not-for-profit purposes."

This year you can choose from 414 neighbourhood walks in 68 cities (29 in Canada, 32 in the U.S, 7 internationally). New Jane’s Walk partnerships this year include Los Angeles, Puerto Rico, Seattle, Chattanooga, Saskatoon, Edmonton, Sault Ste Marie, Kamloops, Victoria, and Jane’s Walk is also expanding internationally with walks scheduled in La Paloma Uruguay, Goa & Mumbai India, Dublin Ireland, Lusaka Zambia and Madrid Spain.... not to mention Toronto!!!

CSI is so pleased when we see our members and community get active. Check out the open letter in Spacing Magazine to Toronto's electoral candidates about the Complete Streets initiative - a place where we can get rid of old 'us versus them' thinking and see that we are all connected and are actually capable of sharing the streets... what a concept! Sharing - hhmmmm.... I recall others who thought that it said it couldn't be done.