CSI Welcomes New Virtual Tenants!

CSI continues to grow and grow with the tremendous support of creative individuals and organizations working in the social misison sector. We are thrilled to welcome rabble.ca, Great Lakes United, Factor Time, and The Centre for Business Success for the Disadvantaged to our community of Virtual Tenants. Virtual tenancy provides organizations with occassional access to CSI shared services and office amenities at a fraction of the cost of full-time tenancy.

Contact Maria Pazo, Office Coordinator at maria@socialinnovation.ca to learn more.

Graduate Student Thesis Scholarship

NEW Southern Ontario Social Economy Node Graduate Student Thesis Scholarship: Call for Proposals

This scholarship, by the Community-University Research Alliance (CURA) for Southern Ontario’s Social Economy, fosters research in areas affecting the social economy (for example, non-profits, co-operatives, and social enterprises) by encouraging and assisting graduate students with their thesis research. The scholarship funds up to $5,000 for data collection and presentation of findings at conferences.

Eligibility: Students must be currently enrolled in a graduate program and be undertaking a thesis on issues affecting the social economy. Students who are SSHRC fellowship holders or whose research is already being funded by the Southern Ontario Social Economy Node are not eligible.

For more information, download the application form from http://sec.oise.utoronto.ca/forms/scholarship_application.doc

223 000 $ pour l'économie sociale

L'Express (Orleans)
Lundi, 27 novembre 2006, p. 3

La Fondation Trillium de l'Ontario vient d'accorder une subvention de 223 000$ au Canadian Centre for Community Renewal (CCCR) qui, en partenariat avec le RDÉE Ontario, assurera le développement en français d'entreprises d'économie sociale en Ontario grâce au projet de La Roue du développement. La ministre des Services sociaux et communautaires et ministre déléguée aux Affaires francophones, Madeleine Meilleur, en a fait l'annonce en compagnie du député d'Ottawa-Orléans, Phil McNeeley, et de la chef de programme à la FTO, Suzanne Bédard. "Les entreprises d'économie sociale jouent un rôle clé dans l'édification de collectivités fortes et prospères en Ontario, a déclaré Mme Meilleur. Il est donc crucial de les aider à connaître le plus grand succès possible." Au premier plan de la photo, on peut voir la coordonnatrice de l'initiative en Ontario, Ethel Côté. Photo : Étienne Ranger

Normand Labrie
Associate Dean, Research and Graduate Studies
Vice-doyen à la recherche et aux études supérieures
Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto
252 Bloor St. W, Room 12-112
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5S 1V6
Telephone: (416) 923-6641 ext. 2965
Facsimile: (416) 975-1925

Co-op Census Update.

At last count Ontario had over 1900 co-operatives and credit unions, with over $19billion in assets. That's a lot of clout!! A co-op census, currently underway, will update those numbers, and present a portrait of the social and economic impact of the co-op sector. On Co-op is in the midst of contacting each co-op and credit union head office in the province to provide more information on the census, which can be completed online or by phone. Every Ontario co-op and credit union is encouraged to participate so that we can accurately portray the strength of the sector to government, funders and others.

For more information, visit www.Ontario.coop/census . On Co-op is conducting the census in partnership with Imagine Canada and the Social Economy Centre of the University of Toronto.

Funders' Facts

Co-op funders and financers are important partners in the development of co-operatives. Since 1997, On Co-op has convened the Co-op Funders' Forum to assist funders/financers in working with the Ontario co-operative sector, and to network and share information and best practices. These funders are co-ops, credit unions, labour-sponsored investment funds, corporations, foundations, and government funders who have a mandate to finance co-operatives. To learn more, please contact Mark Ventry (mventry@ontario.coop) for the latest issue of Co-op Funders' Facts.

Mark Ventry
Member Services and Marketing Officer
The Ontario Co-operative Association
#101-450 Speedvale Ave. W., Guelph ON N1H 7Y6
Tel 519.763.8271 x30 or 1.888.745.5521
Fax 519.763.7239
www.ontario.coop mventry@ontario.coop
On Co-op is a primary resource and common voice for the development and enhancement of Ontario co-operatives and credit unions.

CCA Calls for Social Economy Initiative for all of Canada

The Canadian Co-operative Association (CCA) joined with the Chantier d’economie sociale and the Canadian CED Network to represent the social economy before the Standing Committee on Human Resources, Social Development and the Status of Persons with Disabilities (HUMA). CCA Executive Director Carol Hunter reiterated CCA’s position that while it is pleased that Quebec has received substantial Federal Government investments under the partial roll-out of the social economy initiative, the association is concerned that this national program has not been rolled out across the rest of the country.

“Canada is a rich country that prides itself on organizational diversity, a mixed economy, inclusiveness, and entrepreneurial innovation. A social economy initiative – or a community enterprise partnership – would help to stimulate local solutions to job creation, the provision of community services and, above all, mutual self-help,” Ms. Hunter said. Click here to read her full presentation.

Meanwhile, social economy programming continues in Quebec. Last week, Quebec Premier Jean Charest pledged $10 million over five years to social economy enterprises. The money is part of a $58 million commitment from Ottawa and Quebec. The announcement was made at a two-day summit on the social economy that attracted 650 delegates from 20 countries to Montreal last week.

The Centre for Social Innovation is Expanding!!

Workspace + Community = Social Innovation

The Centre for Social Innovation is expanding! In partnership with Urbanspace Property Group, the Centre for Social Innovation will be opening the doors to 10,000 square feet of shared office space & services @ 215 Spadina Avenue. We will provide access to private offices, permanent desks, hot desks, meeting rooms, shared services and virtual tenancy to the social mission community in February 2007!

To learn more about the space and how you can be a part of it, join us for one of the following Information Sessions:

• Friday, December 1, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
• Tuesday, December 5, 2:00pm - 4:00pm
• Tuesday, December 19, 3:00pm - 5:00pm

All sessions will be held at Centre for Social Innovation - 215 Spadina Avenue, Suite 120. We will share our vision, tell you about all our great services and amenities, tour the new space, talk pricing and answer your many questions. Please let us know if you are coming (so we can brew some fair trade organic coffee for you) by sending an email to maria@socialinnovation.ca.

Encouraging Entrepreneurial Volunteering

November 2006 - Energize Volunteer Management Update

Encouraging Entrepreneurial Volunteering

What would happen if, instead of starting with pre-determined volunteer position descriptions, we crafted at least some of our recruitment messages differently? What if we described the needs but then put out a call for people with creative ideas for how to meet them? Perhaps this would serve to tie "volunteering" more clearly to both "civic engagement" and "social entrepreneurship" -- plus appeal to a whole new audience. Join the discussion!

http://www.energizeinc.com/hot/2006/06Nov.html

Audio now available for Telelearning: Social Economy 101

Audio now available for Telelearning: Social Economy 101: Defining the Social Economy

Researchers and practitioners across Canada are currently grappling with a definition of the Social Economy – want to be part of the debate? Listen to an engaging telelearning session. Join Marie J Bouchard, Canadian Research Chair on the Social Economy, and Jack Quarter, director of U of T’s Social Economy Centre, in exploring these issues:

• How is the Social Economy defined?
• What are the benefits and disadvantages of the various definitions?
• What are the challenges of defining the social economy?

The audio for Social Economy 101: Defining the Social Economy, the first telelearning session of the Canadian Social Economy Hub is now posted in mp3 format for downloading at: http://www.socialeconomynetwork.ca/hub/?p=130

Links to the accompanying powerpoint presentations can also be found on the same page.

Conference videos and powerpoint presentations posted on the web
Videos and powerpoint presentations from the first Social Economy Symposium of the Southern Ontario Regional Node can be accessed from http://sec.oise.utoronto.ca/english/symposium_06.php.

Information about the second Social Economy Symposium will be coming soon.