Becoming a Community Builder

We are pleased to announce that the Pincher Creek region has been selected as a Lighthouse Community for Becoming A Community Builder (BACB).

BACB is the initiative of philanthropist and community builder Ian Hill, a name familiar to many volunteers in our community.   Ian is the person behind Let Them Be Kids, a philanthropic program that helped finance the new playground at St. Michael's School.

 

Ian has produced the following video to support promotion of BACB throughout the town and district of Pincher Creek, Cowley, Waterton Park, and Piikani Reserve: http://www.viddler.com/v/bd5f8247

 

We invite and encourage your participation in this program.  The BACB program will deliver 15 weeks of leadership training to any adult or youth in our community, free of charge.  The program is very flexible to accommodate those who cannot attend sessions in person, so you can follow along at your own pace. 

 

The program will commence October 18th, in twenty Lighthouse Communities around rural Alberta.

 

To participate, please register before October 18th at http://register.becomingacommunitybuilder.ca.

 

We sincerely hope you will be able to participate in this exciting and timely initiative.  The more of us that participate, the richer and more numerous the outcomes and the greater the impact on the present and future well-being of our community.

 

If you have questions, please call James Van Leeuwen at 403-627-8427.

 

If you can think of others in our community who would be interested in Becoming A Community Builder, please forward this information to them with some encouragement of your own.

Fundraising Capacity-Building Workshops begin May 1st!

Our communities rely on non-profit community service organizations to deliver a wide range of environmental and social services not otherwise provided by municipal, provincial, or federal governments.  These organizations all depend on funding to cover operating and project expenses.  The capacity of these organizations to deliver essential services is directly tied to their capacity to effectively raise funds.  To promote the long-term sustainability of non-profit community service organizations in southwest Alberta, SASCI is delivering an in-depth fundraising capacity-building program comprising a series of workshops aimed at key aspects of fundraising.

The program kicks off on May 1^st with a half-day introductory session that will set the stage for subsequent workshops on specific fundraising topics to be held in May and June.  Our currently scheduled sessions are described below.

Session 1:  Run With the Big Dogs

Wednesday, May 1, 1:00 – 4:30 pm 

Becoming a registered charity is not difficult, and opens a wide world of potential donors to any good cause. The rules are simple and clear, but firm. And, believe it or not, Canada Revenue Agency is your friend.

Presenter(s): TBD 

Session 2 – Why Should I Give You Money?

Wednesday, May 15

Your case for support should be clear, short, and compelling. A successful campaign professional outlines the keys to making your case.

Presenter: Dr. Charlotte S. Caton has a broad understanding of what appeals to donors. Her experience includes leading the development function for University of Lethbridge, the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, and a lead role in raising funds for the Crossings Branch of the Lethbridge Public Library.

Session 3:  Looking for Love in All The Wrong Places

Wednesday, June 5, 1:00 – 4:30 pm

80% of donations in Canada come from individuals. Move beyond corporate gifts and special events to where the real money is. This session will also look at gifts in kind, and deferred gifts such as bequests. 

Presenter: John Webster Hochstadt has worked with some of the largest – and smallest – charities across Canada to raise money from a broad spectrum of donors and funders.  He has lived in Twin Butte for the past 20 years.

Session 4 – Connect the Dots

Wednesday, June 12, 1:00 – 5:00 pm

Granting agencies have their own goals and objectives. Successful grant applications are based on understanding how to express your organizationʼs requirements in terms consistent with the operating guidelines of the funding agencies.

Presenters: Jane Brenner is Executive Director of Taber and District Community Adult Learning and the Regional Leader for the Community Learning Network in southern Alberta. She has years of experience writing proposals at the federal and provincial level, and will share her expertise with participants.  George Hall is Executive Director of the Community Foundation of Lethbridge and Southwestern Alberta, which receives hundreds of grant applications from our area and region. Most are not successful. He will illustrate how successful applications are developed, and will also explain the role of the community foundation in receiving and managing large or complex donations on behalf of smaller organizations.

Participation in the program is free and open to representatives of non-profit community service organizations and charities in southwest Alberta. 

All sessions will be held at the Ramada Inn in Pincher Creek.  Refreshments will be served.

To learn more about this program and to register for one or all of the sessions, please contact our manager, David Green, at sasci@telus.net or 403-627-1750.  Venue details will be provided to registered participants.

We also welcome event sponsors to help cover venue and catering costs and volunteers to help run the sessions – our sponsors and volunteers are valued partners who help us help our community!  

Source to Tap Community Conversations, February 27 - March 14

Water Matters, the Oldman Watershed Council, and SASCI are pleased to present Round 2 of the 'Source to Tap' Community Conversations.  

Building on the first round of local meetings in November and December 2012, these final sessions aim to generate proactive solutions and build support for necessary stewardship actions to protect the health of the Oldman River headwaters … for people and for the environment. We will discuss:

• What speci!c stewardship practices or actions are currently happening in the headwaters? What else is required? What are the opportunities?

• How can watershed stewardship activities be further fostered and supported to increase their effectiveness over the long term?

You are invited to attend any of the community conversations. Participants in this second round need not have attended an earlier session. Your voice is important!

Dates and locations of the sessions are provided below:

Wednesday, Feb 27: Springpoint Hall* 5:30 supper followed at 6:30 by dialogue session (RSVP to Pat Ness: 553-2625)

Thursday, Feb 28: Stavely Community Centre 5:30 supper followed at 6:30 by dialogue session (RSVP to jnbee"ady@gmail.com)

Friday, March 1: Lundbreck Hall* 5:30 supper followed at 6:30 by dialogue session (RSVP to Ted Smith 628-2004)

Wednesday, March 6: Pincher Creek,* Heritage Inn 7:00 PM

Thursday, March 7: Crowsnest Pass,* Country Encounters 7:00 PM

Tuesday, March 12: Lethbridge, Nord-Bridge Seniors Centre 7:00 PM

Wednesday, March 13: Cardston Seniors Centre 7:00 PM

Thursday, March 14: Picture Butte, Warren Kleeman Hall, Prairie Tractor and Engine Museum 7:00 PM

Governance Training for Non-Profits, Workshop, May 8

SASCI is pleased to announce we will be hosting a free Governance capacity-building workshop for non-profit community service organizations in southwest Alberta.  

To present this one day workshop, SASCI has engaged the services of David Hartley, formerly Director of Imagine Canada’s Insurance and Liability Resource Centre for Non-profits.  David has trained over 12,000 leaders in the past 5 ½ years in areas of risk, leadership and governance.  David’s dynamic presentation style and great sense of humour promise a full day of meaningful interaction with participants from small to large non-profits and charities. The agenda includes:

• Boards:  The Good, the Bad, the Ugly
• 12 principles of a highly successful non-profit Board
• Role of the Board vs role of the Executive Director
• Developing a more engaged Board
• Board behaviours / dealing with challenging personalities
• Board recruitment and Board evaluation
• Legal duties of Boards
• 4 ways to protect yourself as a Board Member

Registration is free but space is limited.

Please contact us early to reserve a spot.  To reach as broad an audience as possible, we are suggesting participation by Board Members, general members, managers, and other paid staff.  Although the workshop is taking place in Pincher Creek, participants from the entire southwest Alberta region are welcome.  The workshop will run from 9:00 AM to 4:30 PM on May 8, at the Heritage Inn in Pincher Creek.  Lunch will be provided.

To reserve your spot, please contact David Green at sasci@telus.net or leave a message at 403-627-1750.

This program is made possible in part by a Rural Community Adaptation Program from Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development.

Conflict Resolution Workshop, March 6, Pincher Creek

SASCI will be hosting a Conflict Resolution workshop on March 6 at the Ramada Inn in Pincher Creek.  This workshop will explore interest-based problem solving and skills development through interactive work and role playing.

The workshop will run from 9:30 am to 4:30 pm; lunch and information materials will be provided.  

Space is limited for this workshop, so please contact SASCI as early as possible to confirm your registration! Participation is free, thanks to SASCI's project funding from the Government of Alberta's Rural Community Adaptation Program grant.

This workshop is part of SASCI's ongoing series of capacity-building for community service organizations in our community, and is open to participants from southwest Alberta, from Nanton south to the US border and Highway 2 west to the BC border.

For more information or to reserve a space in the workshop, call 403-627-1750 or email sasci@telus.net.