Speakers + Sessions
Cat Haines
Your Non-Profit Isn't Radical: Why the Non-Profit Industrial Complex Can't Lead Us To Liberation
Through irreverent storytelling and a critical analysis of the Non-Profit Industrial Complex, this talk explores why non-profit organizations are not and cannot be radical. Join Cat C. Haines, a broke artist, burned-out non-profit professional, and former Executive Director of JusticeTrans, as she explores her professional history to discuss how non-profits serve to de-radicalize activists and preserve the status quo. Cat will present policies and projects she has worked on that have aspired towards liberation, and why they have always, always, fallen short.
Tracey Mann, Heather O’Watch, Damon Badger Heit & Jacq Brasseur
Granting for all of us - exploring innovative, equity-informed approaches to applying for and distributing funding
Non-profits across the country have been trying hard to challenge their funders to incorporate equity into their grant processes. Many grantors in Saskatchewan and across the country are trying to answer this call by changing their traditional approaches. Moderated by Jacq Brasseur (they/them), hear from grantors in our province about how the mistakes they've made, how they're trying to shift practices, and the hopes they have for their fellow funders to follow suit.
Black in Sask
facilitated by Vibya Natana
Who's Got the Power? A Breakdown of How White Supremacy Culture Fails Us All and How NPOs Can Challenge the Status Quo
In the non-profit sector, the influence of white supremacy culture often goes unchallenged, perpetuating systemic inequities and undermining the very communities we aim to serve. The workshop will delve into the pervasive nature of white supremacy culture and racism within non-profit organizations (NPOs) and explore actionable strategies to dismantle these harmful dynamics. Participants will gain a comprehensive understanding of how white supremacy culture manifests in organizational practices, decision-making processes, and community engagement.
Through interactive discussions and case studies from a lens inclusive of historical and systemic inequities, we will identify key areas where these practices fail both the communities being served and the organizations themselves. The workshop will emphasize the importance of shifting power dynamics to increase agency and autonomy among the communities NPOs work alongside.
Attendees will learn practical tools for fostering inclusive leadership, equitable resource distribution, and authentic community collaboration. By reimagining organizational structures and policies, we can create a more just and effective non-profit sector.
Emily Grafton
Reconciliation and Governance in Canada: Barriers and Opportunities for Advancements
Truth and reconciliation is a crucial but controversial contemporary political movement in Canada. This talk will investigate how reconciliation can reshape governance in settler colonial Canada. Despite the challenges, there are opportunities, such as re-imagining settler colonial power dynamics and Indigenous resurgence movements. Ultimately, reconciliation demands our immediate attention, challenging us to reframe governance in Canada to center Indigenous Peoples, histories, and governance.
Francine Proulx-Kenzle
Reimagining Conflict Resolution with Sociocracy
Using rounds and applying consent decision-making are some of the elements of sociocracy. Discover how this can be integrated in conflict resolution, setting the stage for transparency, effectiveness and equivalence. Francine is a certified expert in sociocracy and a certified trainer in psychological safety and mental health first aid. Living on Treaty #4 Territory, stewarding a 20-acre parcel with her husband.
Kathryn LeBlanc
Strategic Communications and Messaging for Change-Driven Nonprofits
At a time when social change is more urgent than ever, effective communication is essential for nonprofits striving to make an impact. This workshop equips nonprofit leaders and communications professionals with the skills to craft compelling messages and leverage communications effectively. Learn to develop clear narratives, create strategic communication plans, and increase your impact. Join us to transform your communications strategies and drive meaningful change!
Michael Lavis
"Power-with" Approaches in Non-profit Human Resource Management
In this presentation, the CEO of Creative Options Regina (COR), Michael Lavis, shares how their non-profit, charitable organization has woven a culture of gentleness throughout the fabric of their organization; specifically, in its people (HR), policy, governance and care practices. Michael will speak to their organization’s values and the personalized strategies utilized to create an environment of safety, warmth, and equality, and how rooting themselves in the philosophy of Gentle Teaching has strengthened the fabric of companionship and community for all they serve. Michael shares how a caring and gentle organizational culture can dramatically lower turnover rates, contribute to organizational growth, and cultivate a multiple-award-winning organization.
Abraham Bugre
Why Climate Action is Important for Every Non-Profit to Engage In
As we continue to experience extreme weather events and increasing environmental challenges, every non-profit, regardless of its mission faces risks that can impact its operations and the communities it serves. This session will explore the critical role that climate action plays in building resilient organizations and enhancing the long-term sustainability of your programs. We will discuss practical, inclusive steps that you can take as a non-profit, even if climate change is not central to your work. Join us to learn how addressing environmental risks today can safeguard your organization's future.
Rhonda Rosenberg, Kelsey Aitcheson & Yordanos Tesfamariam
Transforming Organizational Decision-makers Through an Anti-racism and Anti-oppression Lens
Does your board and senior staff include the perspectives you need for radical change? In this interactive workshop, MCoS staff will guide participants through activities and presentations. Join us to learn about functional and social inclusion and how these combine with an anti-racism anti-oppression approach to result in transformational changes in who is making decisions, whose interests are centred, and how decisions are made and implemented. Participants will take away practical strategies to apply in their organizations.
Victor Roman Morrow, Kirk Englot & Ann Perry
Thought Leadership Panel: Beyond Tokenism - Building Intentional & Purposeful Partnerships
Join Family Service Regina (FSR) for an in-depth conversation on their approach to improving their connection to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) through the engagement of intentional relationships and partnerships. This session, facilitated by Victor Roman Morrow from the South Saskatchewan Community Foundation, will feature FSR’s CEO Kirk Englot and Circle Project Assoc. Inc. ED, Ann Perry.
Whether you're looking to enhance your organization's DEI initiatives or seeking inspiration for authentic community engagement, this session promises valuable perspectives and actionable strategies. Join us as we explore how intentional partnerships can drive meaningful change and foster a more inclusive society.
Natasha Urkow & Shaylee Rosnes
Nothing about us, without us; Understanding Disability Justice
Listen to Dis' Community Arts (LTD') is Saskatchewan's first and only disability-led disability arts organization. Through arts, consultation, and education, LTD' is changing the way people view disability, while building an integrated understanding of (intimate) access across Saskatchewan. Join LTD for a lively discussion about the phrase "nothing about us, without us", and how it fuels the work of LTD' as well as the disability culture and disability justice movement globally. The session will showcase how creation as care is integrated into the philosophy of "nothing about us, without us" and how LTD' works to educate funders and organizations within the broader community to build actionable access.
Ricardo Arisnabarreta, Analu Alvarez, Tayef Ahmed & Saima Shafi
Experiences of Accented Leaders
Attendees will reflect on and how an accent can give interlocutors much more information than expected, but most importantly how it triggers socially constructed views that are connected to a socially constructed hierarchy that puts certain speakers on top. We also hope that through this presentation, attendees will see the connections that language and accent have to white settler ideals.
Heather O’Watch
Shifting Power, Ego, and Growing Discomfort in the Era of Reconciliation
It is no secret that Indigenous-led organizations and initiatives are underfunded, underrepresented and undercut power in this sector. The influx in funding and power climbing for nonprofits to apply, create and promote in the era of Reconciliation can be just as harmful as the space we are trying to move away from. Learning to sit with discomfort, questions, and truth is critical in the transformative work needed. Join Heather O'Watch as she shares what it means to shift power, ego, and to sit in discomfort in order to support Indigenous-led organization and initiatives.