From Our Vantage Point

In this episode of Coffee Chat, Joyce Lin and Tyler Arnold from the Vantage Point team talk about the importance of the 2025 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Survey and why they’re inviting voices from across the province to take part. Now in its fifth year, the survey offers a crucial check-in on the realities non-profits in BC are facing. Joyce shares the story of how this initiative began during the pandemic and how it has become a powerful tool to support funding decisions, government relations, and sector-wide advocacy. Tyler explains how sector data is helping to shape submissions to government and why it’s essential for telling a clear, collective story of the sector’s needs and strengths. This year’s survey also includes new questions about funding, staffing, and organizational capacity to better capture the challenges non-profits are navigating right now. 📅 The survey is open until July 18 and takes about 20 minutes to complete. 📊 Results will be shared this fall through a summary report and new interactive data dashboards. Add your voice to the story of BC’s non-profit sector. Take the survey today: surveymonkey.com/r/SOTS2025 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy.  Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too. Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

In the bustling and challenging world of non-profits, effective communication can make all the difference. Recently, our CEO, Zahra Esmail, caught up with Nadia Tchoumi, the founder of New Hope Media, to learn more about her journey and insights into supporting Black-led and Black-serving non-profits through media and communications. Nadia will be one of the keynote speakers at our 2025 BC Non-Profit Leadership Conference on June 5 & 6, and her story is one of passion, transformation, and hope. Here’s a glimpse into their conversation! Grab your latte and join! Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Humanity Financial, for their support of these important conversations! 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy.  Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too. Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Correction: At approximately 50:12 in this episode, Mita intended to say “Rest is Resistance” instead of “Rest is Revolutionary.”  🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy.  Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too. Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Collaboration Lab: Bridging People, Organizations, and Sectors: https://thevantagepoint.ca/training/all-labs/collaboration-lab/ 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy.  Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too. Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Resources 🎥🎞️ Watch the From our Vantage Point episode and presentation on Vimeo here:   🎧 🎙️Listen to the episode on the From our Vantage Point podcast here: https://from-our-vantage-point.simplecast.com/episodes ️🖥️📚 The presentation used in the episode, can be found and downloaded separately here: Misconceptions about Rules of Order, Governance, and Minute Taking .pdf 🎁The full episode resource pack can be found here: Misconceptions about Non-Profit Governance - Resource Package - Vantage Point.pdf From Our Vantage Point podcast is generously sponsored by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests: Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon | University of British Columbia Kevin McCort | Vancouver Foundation Walter Pela | Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Host: Zahra Esmail | Vantage Point’s Chief Executive Director Resources: Vantage Point State of the Sector Reports BC Non-Profit Network Vancouver Foundation Greater Vancouver Board of Trade Greater Vancouver Board of Trade AI Adoption Program University of British Columbia UBC Community Engagement BC Non-Profit Leadership Conference Humanity Financial From Our Vantage Point podcast is generously sponsored by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests: Chrissy Bennett | Kidney Foundation of Canada Host: Maria Turnbull | Vantage Point’s Associate Executive Director From Our Vantage Point podcast is generously sponsored by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests: Hildy Gottlieb | Creating the Future Host: Maria Turnbull | Vantage Point’s Associate Executive Director Editor: Paul Wang From Our Vantage Point podcast is generously sponsored by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests: Gordon Holley | Humanity Financial Host: Rafik Karwa | Vantage Point’s Director of Finance Editor: Paul Wang From Our Vantage Point podcast is generously sponsored by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guest: Alex Wilson | Big Sisters BC Lower Mainland and the Association of Fundraising Professionals Host: Zahra Esmail | Vantage Point's Chief Executive Officer Editor: Paul Wang

Guests: Christopher T. Sutton | Wavefront Centre for Community Accessibility Shelagh Levangie | Harbour West Consulting Host: Maria Turnbull | Vantage Point's Associate Executive Director Editor: Elijah Walsh

Guests: Megan Dykeman | British Columbia’s Parliamentary Secretary  Priairie Chiu | Vantage Point's Director of Engagement and Advocacy Host: Zahra Esmail | Vantage Point's Chief Executive Officer Editor: Paul Wang

Guests: Dr. Delbar Niroushak | Dr. Delbar's LinkedIn | Coaching for Change Enterprise Hassan Pardawalla | Hassan's LinkedIn Host: Rachelle Smalldon | Vantage Point

Resources: 2023 State of the Sector Report: thevantagepoint.ca/sector-reports/ Guests: Christoph Cloudius | The Discovery Group Carol Hall | Victoria Foundation Lynette Milkashen | YMCA – Northern BC Host: Cherie Payne | Vantage Point

Resources: Tamarack Institute’s Resources: Collaboration Spectrum Tool and A Guide for Building a Sustainable and Resilient Collaboration Adrienne Mare Brown’s Holding Change: The Way of Emergent Strategy Facilitation and Mediation Sustained Collaboration Network tools for non-profits: https://www.sustainedcollab.org/for-nonprofits/ Resource on effective mergers and amalgamations: Merging for Good  Resources on co-location/shared space: https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/documents/PDF/Non-profit-SharedSpace-Toolkit.pdf

Strengthening the capacity of the Non-profit sector is a primary focus at Vantage Point. Through all our work we seek to support, convene and uplift non-profit organizations in British Columbia. That’s why this conversation is so important to us. How can we use effective fund development practices and efficient technology to support our sector? The tools are out there. How can we use them best? Why are inclusive fundraising practices important? Who is responsible for financially supporting the sector? In this episode, our host and CEO of Vantage Point, Zahra Esmail, talks with Bryna Dilman, the Senior Director of Growth and Marketing at Keela, exploring the importance of strong and inclusive fund development and how data-driven technology can help us in building a stronger non-profit sector.

Warrior Life Podcast Squeaky Wheel Podcast Bryce, P.H. (1922). The Story of a National Crime. James Hope & Sons Ltd, Ottawa. The Gift Of Sacred Being. In L.B. Brown, "Two Spirit People: American Indian Lesbian Women And Gay Men by: D. Champagne Daschuk, James. (2013). Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics or Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal life. University of Regina Press, Regina. Geddes, Gary (2007). Medicine Unbundled. Heritage House, Victoria.   Joseph, Bob. (2018). 21 Things you May not Know about the Indian Act. Indigenous Relations Press, British Columbia. Manuel, Arthur & Derrickson, Ronald. (2017). The Reconciliation Manifesto: Recovering the Land, Rebuilding the Economy. James Lorimer and Company Ltd, Toronto. Palmater, Pamela. (2015). Indigenous Nationhood: Empowering Grassroots Citizens. Fernwood Publishing, Nova Scotia. Reynolds, Jim. (2018). Aboriginal Peoples and the Law. Purich Publishers, UBC Press, Vancouver. Teillet, Jean. (2019). The Northwest is our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel’s People, The Metis Nation: HarperCollins Publisher’s Limited, Toronto. Out Saskatoon, Two Spirit  Missing and murdered indigenous womens report 

This episode we speak with Kevin McCort, CEO of the Vancouver Foundation, and Katie Clogg, Executive Director of the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre about the new Recovery & Resiliency Fund – $34 million of new funding available for not-for-profits and open for applications until September 30. It is an eye-opening conversation about what these two leaders have learned about good practices in past funding models, and what this new Fund can seek to correct with novel approaches, innovative evaluation criteria, and commitment to multi-year funding to ensure sustainable staffing and projects. BC not-for-profits and charities can apply for a grant from the Recovery and Resiliency Fund at this link: https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/grants/recovery-and-resiliency-fund

Timestamps  00:08 | Intro 01:36 | Hello, Darrell! 05:46 | What is coaching? 10:19 | Why is coaching an essential leadership skill? 16:14 | Coaching stories 23:26 | Ad 24:21 | Choosing your timing 29:36 | Ethical concerns & common mistakes 35:07 | Final suggestions & resources 36:24 | Outro & BOSS Conference Info Resources Organizational Coaching Certificate (UBC) Introduction to Coaching (Vantage Point)See next available in our events calendar Love + Work by Marcus Buckingham Oak Management Consulting Essential Impact

The Community Engagement office at UBC supports university and community partners to work together, bringing the full force of combined experiences, expertise, and knowledge to advance a more just and sustainable society. This episode features Kat Cureton, Advisor at Community Engagement, and Katie McCallum, who is the Manager of the Community Engagement office. It was great to talk to them both about where possible opportunities lie for not-for-profits and universities to work together towards their common goals. Before we jump into the conversation, I’d like to introduce you to our guests. Timestamps 00:00 | Intro  03:00 | Self introductions: Kat & Katie                            05:51 | What part can universities play? 10:07 | Navigating the university system  14:29 | Stories from the Help Desk 17:43 | Funding opportunities & hiring students 23:12 | Resource re-cap 23:35 | Humanity Financial Ad 24:28 | Making the ask 28:14 | How can universities listen? 33:12 | Reciprocity 35:28 | Accessible learning opportunities 38:45 | Closing reflections 40:40 | Outro  Resources Community Partner Help Desk Contact email: community.engagement@ubc.ca Twitter: @ubcCommEngage Funding for community partners:Partnership Recognition Fund Community University Engagement Support Fund Mitacs UBC Arts Amplifier UBC Centre for Community Engaged Learning Social Impact Lab UBC CareersOnline Community Scholars Program EdX UBC Extended Learning events.ubc.ca