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Pay It Forward: Conference aims to build community capacity

The Sunshine Coast Resource Centre, in partnership with Vantage Point, is hosting its first Not-For-Profit Capacity Building Conference – Pay it Forward. The event is on Friday and Saturday, Nov.
SC resource centre

The Sunshine Coast Resource Centre, in partnership with Vantage Point, is hosting its first Not-For-Profit Capacity Building Conference – Pay it Forward. The event is on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 15 and 16 at kálax-ay Capilano University Campus, Sechelt. 

The conference provides non-profit organizations on the Coast with training sessions normally only accessible in Vancouver. The event aims to build community capacity for organizations by giving both staff and board members of local groups time to delve into the work they do – and consider ways in which they can find efficiencies and clarity and help ease the juggle that is the non-profit world. 

“We are so fortunate to have Vantage Point staff and knowledge philanthropists (KP) come to the Coast to share their knowledge, train our staff and KPs on the curriculum and model and facilitate the conference workshops,” says Johan Stroman, program manager for Volunteer Sunshine Coast.  

Friday’s session is focused on managers (existing or new) who staff programs. Saturday offers a full-day double session exploring board roles as well as succession planning. A welcome reception will be offered Friday after the session. 

“The conference is the culmination of a year’s work from the January launch of Volunteer Sunshine Coast, a new program for us, based on the knowledge philanthropy model of Vantage Point,” says Pat Hunt, co-chair of the Resource Centre. “It is for all non-profits on the Coast – not only the volunteers. Our community told us that there was the need to create a program that could help support non-profit organizations and volunteers on the Coast build their capacity and succession in this ever-growing sector.” 

The years’ activities for Volunteer Sunshine Coast included a membership drive, an update of the non-profit directory for the Coast and hosting the first Not-for-Profit Volunteer Fair in April as well as a social enterprise workshop (So-Fun), in partnership with Community Futures Sunshine Coast in June. 

Contact volunteersc@resourcecentre.ca or visit www.resourcecentre.ca for more information and to register. Seats are filling quickly, and space is limited. Please register before Monday, Nov. 11 at 9 p.m.

– Submitted by Christabelle Kux-Kardos, Volunteer Sunshine Coast