Social Innovation Blog

Job opportunity at Ontario Social Economy Roundtable

Submitted by yumi hotta on June 11, 2009 - 10:13am

social enterprise

CSI is a proud partner in the Ontario Social Economy Roundtable and is delighted to announce that we are hiring. OSER is a collective of independent and connected organizations interested in facilitating a conversation about growing Ontario's Social Economy. We are looking for "an experienced bilingual project manager to manage the Roundtable activities in the first phase of Building the Ontario Social Economy, a province wide project funded through the Ontario Trillium Foundation". Check out the attached job description.

The BEST 5th Innoversary Party ever!!!

Submitted by yumi hotta on June 9, 2009 - 6:50pm

We chose to celebrate our 5th anniversary last Friday with a party at CSI! I thought it was so incredibly appropriate that we started the celebrations with an intimate cake cutting ceremony and story sharing with the tenants about the early days in the original suite downstairs. It was good to celebrate the birthplace of CSI and then continue our celebrations on the 4th floor where CSI had expanded to (a few years ago) for the great big party!

ENP is back!

Submitted by Eli Malinsky on June 2, 2009 - 8:55pm

We are absolutely thrilled to confirm that the Enterprising Non-Profits (ENP) Toronto program is back for 2009!

Enterprising Non-Profits is a social enterprise skills training and funding program. ENP began 10 years ago in British Columbia to help nonprofits pursue their missions, fill gaps in the marketplace, and diversify their funding sources. Last year, the Centre for Social Innovation brought a pilot program of ENP to Toronto in partnership with twelve progressive funders.

It was worth the wait. Right?!

Submitted by Eli Malinsky on June 1, 2009 - 6:00pm

At long last, the Centre for Social Innovation has a brochure. A real, honest-to-goodness promotional brochure!

The back-story is that we have started and stopped a brochure about a dozen times since opening our doors. We'd get half-way through its structure and decide it wasn't working. Or we'd write 80% of the content and then decide the tone just wasn't suitable. Or that the design didn't feel right. And in the meanwhile, visitors kept asking if we "had anything" they could take away to understand more about what we do.

Mandatory Green Roofs for All Types of New Buildings in Toronto!

Submitted by Anonymous on June 1, 2009 - 1:54pm

Woot! Did you hear?

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto City Council Adopts Mandatory Green Roof Requirements

Toronto leads North America by requiring green roofs on new buildings!

Save the Date - November 18-20 - Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise

Submitted by Tonya Surman on May 24, 2009 - 7:09am

social enterprise

Living Our Values: Social Enterprise in Action

SAVE THE DATE: NOVEMBER 18-20, 2009!

Join hundreds of existing and prospective social enterprise operators from every region in Canada at the Third Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise taking place in Toronto, November 18-20, 2009.

The conference will consist of three days of training and work sessions toward a national policy agenda and action plan.

DAY 1:

Intensive training sessions geared to your stage of planning, development or growth.

DAYS 2 AND 3:

Toronto’s Centre for Social Innovation wins national City Innovation Award

Submitted by Tonya Surman on May 21, 2009 - 12:19pm

Toronto’s Centre for Social Innovation wins national City Innovation Award

For Immediate Release: May 21, 2009

Toronto, Ontario – When dozens of organizations dedicated to social change operate 150 innovative projects under one roof in Toronto, it draws the attention of people from around the world and garners the Canadian Urban Institute’s 2009 Universal City Award to be bestowed on the Centre for Social Innovation on June 5 at the Urban Leadership Awards in Toronto.

Canada’s cities better places to live and work thanks to award-winning citizens

Submitted by Tonya Surman on May 21, 2009 - 12:06pm

city innovation

For Immediate Release: May 21, 2009

SE Series: The What and Where of Social Enterprise in Canada

Submitted by Tonya Surman on May 15, 2009 - 12:12pm

Since opening in 2004, the Centre for Social Innovation has focused on catalyzing, supporting and inspiring social innovation. There is no doubt in my mind that social enterprise and social finance fall squarely within this realm.

$348.9 Million for Ontario in Support Through New Community Adjustment Fund

Submitted by Tonya Surman on May 15, 2009 - 8:36am

Fascinating news from the Harper government as they act to support of nonprofits and municipalities in the hardest hit communities. Still have some major concerns about the lack of vision for how these communities are going to transform their economies and the continued neglect of our cities. This is a 'stop the bleeding' strategy... hopefully only the start of a conversation.

Does the failure of the BC-STV referendum signal the death of voting reform in Canada?

Submitted by mike brcic on May 14, 2009 - 10:43am

The Single Transferable Vote is dead. Muerte. Kaput. Voters in BC resoundingly rejected it, with over 60% of them responding 'no' to voting reform in the recent referendum.

That's two voting reform defeats in a row in British Columbia; coupled with the recent defeat of Mixed Member Proportional in Ontario, one could surmise that another voting reform proposal won't be showing up any time soon, on either the federal or provincial level.