Hi all! My name is Sheena Horton, President-Elect and Board Member for the Southeast Evaluation Association (SEA). As I have been learning more about the traits of great leaders and how leaders mobilize others, I have found one element that is frequently mentioned: a leader’s influence.

Influence may seem like an obvious determinant of a leader’s success; you’re not a leader if no one will follow you. Think about a colleague for whom you would work hard for or without hesitation, and then think about a colleague for whom you would not. Why do you want to help the first colleague, but avoid the second?  What makes some leaders more effective than others? How do leaders influence others?

​

Study on Motivations & Challenges of Executive Leaders in the Nonprofit Sector

The Executive Director’s job within an organizations is a very difficult and very important one.  They are THE link for nonprofit organizations between the board and staff.  In 2012, the HR Council commissioned a report called Driving Change that looks at some of the some of the key challenges facing nonprofit Executive Leaders.  Great report to help stimulate discussion between Executive Leaders and their boards.  

The following is a link to some research also from Ontario looking at the value of community / neighbourhood hubs, and what the province of Ontario could do to support hubs.

Volunteer Services in Halifax can offer a variety of support for groups looking to start or develop capacity of a hub.  To reach them, check out:  http://www.halifax.ca/volunteerservices/

The city of Winnipeg is also undergoing some major visioning and re-thinking of its community development plans.  They define a ‘complete community’ as places that both offer and support a variety of lifestyle choices, providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to live, work, shop, learn and play in close proximity to each other.
 

http://www.winnipeg.ca/interhom/CityHall/OurWinnipeg/pdf/CompleteCommunities.pdf
 

Here at home, the Our HRM Alliance and the Ecology Action Centre have also picked up on this discussion.

http://www.ourhrmalliance.ca/complete_communities
 

The city of Winnipeg is also undergoing some major visioning and re-thinking of its community development plans.  They define a ‘complete community’ as places that both offer and support a variety of lifestyle choices, providing opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to live, work, shop, learn and play in close proximity to each other.

Here at home, the Our HRM Alliance and the Ecology Action Centre have also picked up on this discussion.

In this article Greg Dees argues from both a practical and theoretical perspective for an innovation-based, rather than non-profit income generation-focused, definition of social entrepreneurship. Dees argues that social entrepreneurship should not be viewed as non-profits generating earned income - this view shifts attention away from their social impact goal and focuses it on one narrow method of results. Dees points out the importance of profits not being treated with equally to social results, which should be the ultimate bottom line for social entrepreneurs.

Common Good Solutions supports the growth and success of community and Social Enterprise in Atlantic Canada by helping non-profit managers, small business owners and cooperatives to name, achieve and measure the economic, social and environmental impact they wish to make in their communities. Common Good Solutions provides training, resource services and consulting assistance through the following programs: Buy Social Canada, Enterprising Non-Profits Nova Scotia, Futurepreneur Loans and Social Impact Measurement.

More info to follow...

The Association of Neighbourhood Houses of BC (AHNBC) assists over 100,000 people across BC each year. The Organization has more than 300 programs and services from child care to family resources, to youth and seniors support, community dinners and special events, as well as camping and outdoor activities. The ANHBC is the umbrella organization under which seven Neighbourhood Houses and the Sasamat Outdoor Centre operate. ANHBC conducts fundraising initiatives, carries out community development projects, and supports the development of new Neighbourhood Houses and services.

The Social Enterprises Video, by Common Good Solutions, addresses the social, cultural and environmental issues social enterprises seek to overcome. Social enterprises exist to meet their mission, rather than achieve bottom-line financial results, while taking people and the planet into consideration and taking the necessary action to make an impact. If the purpose is to create social, cultural or environment value, than it is a social enterprise. The video points out that when more people engage in this type of work our communities will be stronger and the world will be changed for the better; one caring social entrepreneur at a time.

In The Meaning of Social Entrepreneurship, Dees discusses the various forms of social purpose business ventures; such as, for-profit community development banks and hybrid organizations mixing not-for-profit and for-profit elements. The underlying theme in the article is that social entrepreneurs look for the most effective methods of serving their social missions. Dees describes entrepreneurs as the change agents in the economy, who serve new markets or create new ways of doing things, to move the economy forward. A Social entrepreneur by comparison, is a change agent in the social sector; whose mission is adopted to create and sustain social (not private) value while recognizing and pursuing opportunities to serve that mission.