Vancity learning events for co-operatives

Vancity supports a number of key events throughout the year that contribute to ongoing learning for co-operatives. Check them out...

• Co-operate Now – In partnership with the British Columbia Co-operative Association, Vancity supports Co-operate Now, an intensive co-op business education program delivered by co-operative leaders and experts. The program provides information on what makes the co-op model a unique and powerful form of social enterprise and illustrates how to build a competitive and socially impactful local business.
• Demonstrating Value initiative - Vancity is a lead partner in the Demonstrating Value initiative, which supports social enterprises to measure and communicate their value. The initiative provides workshops, tools, and technical assistance to promote the financial sustainability, organizational capacity and mission impact of social enterprises
• Enterprising Non-profits program - workshops, podcasts and resources for your social enterprise or community services cooperative
• Financial Fitness - Vancity’s workshops provide not-for-profit staff and boards with tools for developing and maintaining an organization with a strong financial foundation. Vancity’s toolkits bring together some of Canada’s brightest minds in not-for-profit financial leadership to present five handbooks; each focusing on an important area of not-for-profit financial sustainability. This series is held each year and is focused on:

  • Financial Fitness (pdf)
  • Cashflow Calisthenics (pdf)
  • Accounting Athletics (pdf)
  • Legal Limberness (pdf)

• Social Change Institute - is held every June at Hollyhock, Cortes Island and is aimed at emerging leaders in the social sector
• Social Venture Institute - is held every September at Hollyhock, Cortes Island and is an intensive learning event for social enterprises

In addition, Vancity works with a variety of organizations that support co-op development, including:

• The BC Co-operative Association (BCCA) - the umbrella organization that works on behalf of co-ops and credit unions in British Columbia, Canada
• The Co-operative Housing Federation of BC (CHF BC) - a co-operative association made up of member housing co-ops and related organizations in British Columbia
• The Canadian Worker Co-op Federation (CWCF) - a national, bilingual grassroots membership organization of and for worker co-operatives, related types of co-operatives (multi-stakeholder co-ops and worker-shareholder co-ops), and organizations that support the growth and development of worker co-operatives
• Coopzone - provides Canadians with resources and consultants to help develop co-operatives
• Health Care Co-operatives Federation of Canada (HCCFC) - promotes and supports health care co-operatives across the country