Small Shop. Big Impact.

08/20/2025

This is great to see! Those of us who work at a community level know how crucial it is that we work towards equitable and inclusive results across all areas of community development. We really are stronger when we are together!

Global Affairs Canada and the diplomatic community in Ottawa, including the Australian High Commission, the Embassy of Austria, the Embassy of Belgium, the Embassy of Brazil, the British High Commission Ottawa, the Embassy of Chile, the Embassy of Colombia, the Embassy of Denmark, the Embassy of Est...

02/05/2025

This is huge! Building on success and lessons learned through FIT/Spur Change, the LIFT program will bring more flexible and responsive funding opportunities with capacity strengthening using an accompaniment model. I was thrilled to get to work with the InterCouncil Network to support the development of this fabulous initiative - I can’t wait to see it come to fruition!!

The Government of Canada has a long history of partnering with local Canadian organizations to deliver impactful global development projects around the world.

09/12/2024

- excellent list!

Report Crappy Funders If you encounter a funder who does any of the crappy practices listed below (or other crappy things that are not on the list), please fill out this form, and a group of volunteers will investigate and likely call out the funder publicly by name across different social media pla...

04/15/2024

Great examples here of SMOs doing fantastic work with partners overseas, amplified through capacity building opportunities here at home! Inter-Council Network / Réseau de coordination des conseils
https://spurchangeresource.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/SMOReport2024.pdf

02/18/2024

This is an important message, backed by 100 of Canada's leading international cooperation organizations, calling on our federal government to make good on promises and invest in human rights, democracy, and climate change...because "foreign aid is not a handout. It is an investment in the type of world we all want to see.
We call on the Canadian government to make a shift now, and invest in human rights, democracy and climate change."

 An open letter to Prime Minister Trudeau Read the Open Letter. 2023 Campaign: Women continue to have to fight for equal rights in many countries around the world.Canada must continue to help them do it.For Budget 2023, our message to Canada’s Finance Minister Freeland was simple: Keep your prom...

02/15/2024

Love working with SMOs like I do? Check out this job opening wiht the Fund for Innovation and Transformation.

Postulez avant le 8 mars 2024 - consultez les détails du poste et les modalités de candidature ici :https://www.fit-fit.ca/uploads/public/documents-fr/FIT%20Program%20Officer%20Gender%20FR.pdf

Description du poste en anglais disponible ici :https://www.fit-fit.ca/uploads/public/documents/FIT%20Program%20Officer%20Gender%20EN.pdf

Inter-Council Network / Réseau de coordination des conseils Cooperation Canada Association québécoise des organismes de coopération internationale (AQOCI)Manitoba Council for International Cooperation BC Council for International Cooperation Alberta Council for Global Cooperation Saskatchewan Council for International Cooperation (SCIC)Ontario Council for International CooperationAtlantic Council for International Cooperation Université de SherbrookeUniversité Laval Université de Montréal Femmes et Égalité des genres Canada

02/09/2024

This will come as no shock to those working in the non-profit sector...new research confirms that we are a skilled workforce that is chronically underpaid. Some of the reasons include:
- “There has been this belief that the sole determinant of worth will be how much you spend on administration,” he said. “And in fact, organizations are often doing everything they can to show that they’re not spending money on things like competitive salaries.”
- "About 77 per cent of all non-profit employees are also women, a demographic whose work has long been undervalued. MacDonald said that undervaluing is reflected in the lower wages of many non-profit organizations."
- "charity workers also face societal expectations to “give back” by accepting poor wages, leading to what Osberg calls “self-exploitation.” “And, sometimes, there’s still a societal belief that all these services should be done by volunteers,” MacDonald added.

This independent journalism is supported by Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities. See our editorial ethics and standards here. It wasn’t an easy decision, but

02/06/2024

I had a blast spending a couple of days in Toronto with Ontario Council for International Cooperation members building capacity for Project Implementation Planning! Thanks Spur Change for facilitating this opportunity.

02/06/2024

Fantastic news for SMOs! The Fund for Innovation & Transformation will likely have another intake!

FIT is anticipating having another funding intake in the coming weeks. While the deadline for applying is still being determined, please check out our website. In preparation you can review concept note and program details, resources and the application process. Stay tuned for more information.

07/17/2023

Amazing and good news story here! Putting the purse strings in the hands of foundations that have lived and living experience of the need for reconciliation - what an act of leadership by the McConnell Foundation!

Black and Indigenous-led foundations have called on private foundations to transfer assets to them — to put them in charge of distributing resources to their own communities. But have funders been heeding these calls?

07/12/2023

Disapointing, but unfortunately not shocking...
"Black, Indigenous and racialized-led organizations who have been leading the way in almost all EDI efforts, the study says. According to the data, 84 per cent of BIPOC-led organizations highlighted EDI in their organizational values in comparison to 69 per cent of white-led organizations. 77 per cent of BIPOC-led organizations have incorporated EDI in their mission values and statements, in comparison to 58 per cent of white-led organizations. And 70 per cent of BIPOC-led organizations have EDI in their strategic plan, in comparison to 45 per cent of white-led groups."

BIPOC-led organizations out-performed white-led organizations on most equity, diversity and inclusion practices, study suggests

07/08/2023

“Foreign-aid and climate advocates say Ottawa needs to do much more to help developing countries brace for climate chaos without going broke…”

Foreign-aid and climate advocates say Ottawa needs to do much more to help developing countries brace for climate chaos without going broke, after Canada's uninspiring contribution to a summit last month that aimed at reforming global finance.