Resources for Grassroots Organizations & Community-Led Initiatives

Been scratching your head about strategic planning? Questioning how to keep your volunteers invested in the work? Wonder if anyone has ever faced the same challenge you are? There’s a resource for that…

On May 30th, 2024 Volunteer Alberta & CDLI partnered to host an event to highlight resources available to grassroots organizations and community-led initiatives in Calgary. “Resources” is an intentionally general term to describe a group of organizations that provide diverse services, supports and tools to support people doing good work in their communities.

In keeping with community development principles we know each person/team offering the resources also has knowledge and expertise. We wanted to introduce you to not only what organizations formally offer but also offer ideas on topics you might ask to talk about (perhaps over a warm beverage) to help build relationships. Much like how you have your own social capital and skills to offer, each of these teams have some hidden gems they are excited to chat about as well!

Resources highlighted at the event were: Calgary Foundation - Grassroots Granting, The GAIN Team, United Way of Calgary And Area- Grassroots Grants & Digital Equity, and Volunteer Alberta

We know these aren’t all the resources available to people doing good work!

A summary document can be found here that includes ways to follow up with all the resources that attended the event and includes a few more.

Grounding for the event was offered by Hagir Sail who spoke to two questions:

1) How have you seen grassroots organizations and community-led initiatives balance being responsive to the communities they serve, and are embedded within, with the needs of organizations operations/external requirements to operate?

2) What would you say are the ways that people can keep community at the center of tasks like strategic planning or general operations? Resources highlighted were: Calgary Foundation - Grassroots Granting The GAIN Team United Way of Calgary And Area - Grassroots Grants & Digital Equity Volunteer Alberta

Join us next time

CDLI will offer a follow-up in person connection opportunity in Calgary on July 8th, 2024. You do not need to have attended the May 30th online event to join us. Find out more here!