What’s happening with the Wood Buffalo Community Building Project?

What’s happening with the Wood Buffalo Community Building Project? Last February we established a common agenda to help make Wood Buffalo an even better place to live, work and raise a family by increasing the organizational and social capacity of the Nonprofit Sector. Phase One: Defining The Issues was completed at the end of August and we’re currently in Phase Two: Building the Solution (please see the attached summary).

Project Update: We have presented several skill-building workshops (board governance, rapid improvement for nonprofits, branding and strategic planning); celebrated excellence and conducted research specific to the Nonprofit Sector in Wood Buffalo. Action Learning Teams (ALTs) have been working on five themes: Arts & Culture; Building Capacity; Harnessing Great Ideas; Shared Space and Social Planning. The teams have met four times over the past six months and the strategies that are emerging are very exciting. Some of these strategies are bridging more than one theme and address overarching issues within the Nonprofit Sector.
 Call to Action: You are invited to attend a Change Lab meeting on Thursday, January 26th, 2012 where you will have an opportunity to assess proposed solutions and provide input on strategies moving forward. Please save the date in your calendar (an e-invitation will be sent out shortly).

New Staff! We’re delighted to welcome Kim Nordbye, Manager, Stakeholder Relations, Suncor Energy, to the role of Project Manager in Fort McMurray. Kim has been seconded from Suncor Energy to work on the project over the next couple of years. She will be building local connections, focusing public attention, cultivating high aspirations and helping to implement strategies moving forward. Please extend a warm welcome to Kim who officially starts her new role on November 7th.

New Name! The WBCBP Steering Committee has identified a new name for the project that reflects the mission of the project more accurately. Please watch for the new name and brand (to be announced soon).

Upcoming Workshops: Don’t miss these excellent learning opportunities aimed to build capacity in the Nonprofit Sector:

1) Tuesday, November 22nd: Transforming Nonprofits Through Technology Planning, we’ve arranged for a senior consultant from IBM Canada to present a hands-on and pertinent workshop for nonprofits. Register at http://transformingnonprofits.eventbrite.com/

2) Friday, November 25th: Board Governance Workshop. Ongoing training is essential for all boards, no matter how experienced or new. Encourage your board to take advantage of this excellent workshop. Register at http://boardgovernancewoodbuffalo.eventbrite.com/

On behalf of the WBCBP Steering Committee, thanks for your continued support and belief in the work of this project.

Nancy Mattes, Director

Wood Buffalo Community Building Project
Email: woodbuffalo@uwaterloo.ca
Web: http://woodbuffalo.uwaterloo.ca/index.html