CBT envisions a region where social considerations are fully integrated into community plans and activities that support community well-being. A number of social issues affect the daily lives of residents of the Columbia Basin. Based on input from communities, CBT is committed to helping address the most pressing social issues affecting residents.
CBT acts as a partner, a facilitator, a funder and an information resource for residents, communities and organizations that are interested in fostering vital communities. CBT does this by:
- Hosting workshops on social issues;
- Supporting the provision of relevant, accessible skill-building to Basin organizations in the social sector;
- Supporting social enterprise;
- Strengthening community social service organizations;
- Facilitating research and distribution of knowledge about housing issues;
- Identifying housing expertise and helping Basin residents access this resource; and
- Funding new housing initiatives and projects.
CBT’s work to address social issues is reflected in its guiding principles, which can be viewed in its Social Strategic Plan.
Enterprising Non-Profits (enp) is a granting program that assists non-profit organizations along the entire social enterprise business development path by providing grants of up to $10,000 for technical assistance, such as support toward a feasibility study, developing a business plan or in putting together a marketing plan.
Social enterprise refers to business ventures operated by non-profits, whether they are societies, charities, or co-operatives. These businesses sell goods or provide services in the market for the purpose of creating a blended return on investment, both financial and social.
Their profits are returned to the business or to a social purpose, rather than maximizing profits to shareholders. The enp program has a bi-annual intake in the spring and fall; all participants entering the program are required to attend an orientation workshop. enp is a partnership of eight funders including CBT.
For more information on enp, or on the next orientation session in your community, visit
www.enterprisingnonprofits.ca.
In a unique partnership, CBT and the Kootenay Boundary Community Services Co-operative (KBCSC) are working to strengthen Columbia Basin non-profit community service agencies.
The partners are working to build capacity for board and staff of community service agencies by providing professional development opportunities, developing service models for rural areas and implementing standards to help agencies meet accreditation requirements.
KBCSC is comprised of 12 community social services agencies in the West Kootenay and Boundary region. These organizations work together to plan and deliver community services and to support each other to maintain and improve the quality of services they provide.
Together, CBT and KBCSC will work with all community service agencies in the Basin to strengthen their ability to do valuable work in communities.
To learn more about KBCSC, visit
www.thekoop.ca.
CBT is helping communities and organizations make decisions around affordable housing efforts by providing the best possible information through a partnership with the BC Non-Profit Housing Association (BCNPHA).
Through the partnership, communities and organizations are able to evaluate options related to existing housing projects, assess potential housing projects and develop plans, and understand how to work with a housing developer. The partnership will link communities and organizations with experienced affordable housing consultants and with other communities or other organizations that have relevant experience. The costs of accessing these resources are subsidized by CBT.
CBT has kept the criteria as open ended as possible, because communities have diverse needs in the area of affordable housing, and because communities define affordable housing differently. The Affordable Housing Resources Program will help a community or community organization:
- Build its understanding of the necessary steps needed to take in order to create a
housing project;
- Assess its current status and situation and develop a strategy to address a housing
need;
- Perform an initial feasibility analysis of a housing project;
- Develop an affordable housing strategy;
- Manage, operate or assess options related to an existing housing project; and
- Understand how to work with a housing developer.
BCNPHA is a provincial, member-based organization that represents the non-profit housing sector, and provides leadership and support to housing providers in order to facilitate a high standard of affordable housing throughout BC. Learn more at
www.bcnpha.ca.
There is no application deadline. To request assistance from the program, contact
housinghelp@cbt.org or call CBT at 1-800-505-8998.
CBT partners with the Columbia Basin Alliance for Literacy (CBAL) to promote lifelong learning in the Columbia Basin.
CBT has been partnering with CBAL since its inception in 2000. By working together, literacy efforts are supported in local communities through programs such as reading, writing, early language learning, English as a second language support and computer literacy.
Literacy programs and activities provided through CBAL vary from community to community depending on other services available and community needs. Most programs operate in partnership with other community groups including schools, colleges and libraries. A list of programs and services by community is available by visiting
www.cbal.org or by calling 1.800.342.4244.
Manager, Planning and Development
Analyst, Planning and Development