2022 Reflection: Our Top Impact Moments of the Year

The year is coming to a close and we would like to take a moment to reflect on our top impact moments of the year:

Social Value Matters Europe Conference in Turin, Italy

• The Social Value Matters Europe Conference took place in Turin, Italy on the 24th and 25th of October. The Conference offered great chances for getting to know each and every conference attendee, learning about the amazing work that is being doing across Europe and the world, and developing deeper relationships with our global community, which was a real highlight of the conference. Read Social Value International’s reflection of the SVM 2022 here.

Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB)

• In June the Accounting Standards Oversight Council (AcSOC) and Auditing and Assurance Standards Oversight Council (AASOC) mutually approved the formation of the Canadian Sustainability Standards Board (CSSB). The CSSB has been set up amid an international push to standardize the reporting of metrics on a range of items, to ensure thorough and material reporting across the sustainability spectrum. The new board is key to ensuring Canadian standards are relevant, responsive and fit for Canada’s reporting landscape. We are very excited about this and will keep an eye on the progress made by the CSSB.

Learning from Other Social Value Networks

• When starting our summer internship at Social Value Canada we (Arnaud & Cara) had very little idea about the other members in the network, but we were curious to get to know more. Through connecting with Social Value International we gained a better idea of how the network functions and what collaboration looks like between the networks. We had the chance to interview five international networks and learned about their respective political environments and national perceptions with regards to social value and impact. We also learned about the variety of impressive projects that Social Value networks are undertaking. Take a look at the blogpost we’ve written in English and French.

Writing a newsletter for National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada

• In June I (Cara) had the chance to research and write the content for a newsletter focused on the National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada on June 21st. Having moved to Canada only one year ago, I have a lot to learn about Indigenous Peoples and their culture and history. Researching for this newsletter gave me the opportunity to start my learning journey. If you’re curious, you can read it here.

Launch of Principle 8: Be Responsive

• This principle represents the imperative for organizations to respond to impact measurement or ‘Social Value accounts’ with action. Users of this Standard will create a structured ‘impact management approach’ that can guide decision making at strategic, tactical, and operational levels to optimise impacts on wellbeing. This Standard, read in conjunction with the other SVI Standards can enable you to optimise impacts on wellbeing for all materially affected stakeholder groups. This will help you achieve your goals and contribute to a more sustainable and equitable world. Read more about Principle 8 here.

Welcoming new SVC Members

• 24 new members joined the SVC network. We are thrilled to welcome:
• 4 Organizational Networks
• 4 Organizations Renewed their Organization Network membership
• 17 Individual Memberships
• Join us and our incredible community of social value and impact professionals. Learn more about SVC membership here.

Practitioner Pathway Training

• In 2022, we led 2 Level 1 Practitioner Training and 3 Level 2 Practitioner Trainings, with participants from all across Canada
• Level 1 – 20 Participants
• Level 2 – 17 Participants
• We would love to welcome you to our training courses in 2023! Learn more about training here.

December 7 Webinar “What is social value?”

• Our most recent highlight of the year was our introductory webinar to social value, we were so happy to be joined by over 35 impact professionals. Did you miss it? – take a look at the recording and slide deck here.

Now that we’ve shared our top impact moments of the year, we’d love to hear from you! Please share your impact moments with us here.

Holiday Gift Giving Guide

Buying gifts for the holiday can be stressful – even more so if you’re wondering what type of impact your purchases will have.

What if making a small shift in your purchasing decisions this holiday season could collectively create billions of dollars in investment into solving for mounting issues of poverty, waste, and inequality? Would you make a change?

These are the questions SAP has asked themselves and they are sure that as consumers, we have a unique opportunity to make purchases that have real impact. By supporting social enterprises, local small businesses, and diverse business owners this season, the money we spend can have a direct, positive impact on your community and the people and ecosystems in need around the world.

This year, SAP has worked with their social responsibility community, including many of the members of the Global Alliance for Social Entrepreneurship, to compile a comprehensive list of places to shop from around the world. We hope these holiday shopping suggestions will delight and inspire you and deliver impact as well.

Take a look at what Canada has to offer:

• Aurora Heat: Indigenous owned business committed to nature and values the interdependency between all living things. Aurora Heat designs and hand creates sustainable, new-to-market products made from natural fur (ships within Canada and the U.S.)
• Red Rebel Armour: Indigenous artists share stories of resilience through authentic art, culture, and fashion to empower the next generation (ships internationally).
• Totem Design House: Indigenous owned, eco-friendly collections of women’s wear and home decor textiles (ships internationally).

Couldn’t find what you’re looking for? Check out the global list:

• Catalyst Market: A brand-new community-curated global marketplace, collaboratively run by purpose-driven enterprises. The Catalyst Market gift card allows consumers to shop across more than 100 global social enterprises.
• Gifts for Good: Products support the work of more than 40 nonprofits and social enterprises in 19 states and 65 countries around the globe.
• Good Market: An online marketplace and curated community platform for purpose driven businesses; free to set up a profile for your social enterprise.
• Powered by People: The wholesale marketplace for conscious buyers.
• UNICEF Market: An online store for people shopping for unusual and beautifully crafted items. Every purchase supports local artisans around the world and unlocks a donation to UNICEF. Learn more; note that shipping only available in the U.S.
• World Fair Trade Federation: A trade association of fair trade enterprises fully committed to equitable and sustainable trading partnerships.

Soup is Better, Shared.

Another great and impactful action to do is to support Aangen through the

buy one gift one

offer on lunch and dinner packs.

The purpose of Aangen is to foster personal empowerment and nurture communities by responding to community needs.

Capitals Coalition Event on December 16

On the 16th of December alongside #COP15 in Montreal, Capitals Coalition will be hosting their high-level launch event from 13:00-18:30pm EST.

The event focuses on re-defining value for a net zero, nature positive, and equitable Canada! Join them as they bring together national thought leaders around catalyzing systemic change for a net zero, nature-positive, and equitable Canada.

Register for the event here.

Imagine Canada – COVID-19 Effects on the Charity Sector

 

Imagine Canada published its second COVID-19 Sector Monitor study, which showcases the ongoing effects of the pandemic on the charitable sector.

The main findings are these:

• Needs are exceeding capacity
• Government support is crucial
• Revenue sources affect experiences
• The diversity of the sector is under threat
• Workers are being spread thin
• Long-term sustainability is at risk

The report also places a highlight on the adaptability of charitable organizations. They need ongoing investment in order to be able to adapt to the ever-changing circumstances. The strain on the workforce is significant and unsustainable – in previous crises this was often mitigated through more volunteer work. However, in our current pandemic charities have not been able to to account for the loss of staff through engaging more volunteers.

Adaptability also depends on the charity size. It seems that larger charities, and those that were mostly dependent on government revenues, were more able to adapt while smaller organizations struggled more and often had to temporarily suspend their operations. Read the highlights here & the full report here

Become a Social Value Canada Affiliate

SVC Affiliates are organizations that share our Canadian and global vision to address inequality and climate change, through decision-making that seeks to enhance the wellbeing for all.

There is no cost to affiliation, merely a mutual commitment to cross-post news, knowledge, and information about training and learning opportunities. SVC affiliates can offer their own members discounted access to SVC ‘happenings’.

As an affiliate you will also receive ongoing recognition as part of our national and international movement on the SVC website, in newsletters, and on social media. Contact Arnaud for more details.