How can major co-operatives and public enterprises measure the social value created by their corporate social responsibility (CSR) activities? A recent paper on this subject by Ted Jackson, Karim Harji and Alison Colwell was presented to the 27th International CIRIEC Conference held in Seville from September 22 through 24, 2008. Entitled “Measuring Social Value in CSR: Lessons from Community Enterprise in Canada,” the paper drew on previous CEDTAP-inspired research on both corporate engagement and CED evaluation. The authors argue that the Expanded Value Added Statement (EVAS) is one tool that should be added to the CSR benchmarking toolkit for major co-operatives and public enterprises. EVAS can quantify the value of employee volunteering in CSR initiatives as well as other intangibles generated by CSR initiatives. The paper suggests that universities can play a useful role working jointly with external partners in testing, refining and disseminating the use of EVAS and other tools in order to strengthen CSR performance and the benefits it generates for enterprises, workers and communities. For a copy of the full paper, please click here.

How Ottawa Doesn’t Spend: The Rapid Appearance and Disappearance – and Possible Reappearance – of the Federal Social Economy Initiative

Edward T. Jackson

See Dr. Jackson's chapter in The twenty-ninth edition of How Ottawa Spends. This edition, edited by Dr. Allan M. Maslove, focuses on the policies of the Harper government and the course of federal-provincial relations. Leading scholars of Canadian public policy explore several key policy areas, including fiscal balance in the federation, tax policy, regulatory capacity, the federal funding of territorial and northern Aboriginal governments, child care policy, higher education policy, telecommunications policy, and the rapid appearance and disappearance of the federal social economy initiative - i.e., "how Ottawa doesn't spend."

For information on this latest edition, please click here >>

Introduction to the Case Studies and Tools on Corporate Sector Engagement in CED

Edward Jackson
Chair, Carleton Centre for Community Innovation

The Community Economic Development Technical Assistance Program (CEDTAP, and its host organization, the Carleton Centre for Community Innovation (3ci), are pleased to publish this series of case studies and tools on corporate sector engagement in community economic development.

With the generous support of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, we have completed work on these reports with the aim of providing both corporate managers and CED leaders with useful information on how corporate-non-profit partnerships can be formed to the mutual benefit of both companies and CED organizations.

This series of publications has been prepared under the coordination of Karim Harji, who authored several case studies and "tool" papers. Other authors included Alison Colwell and Edward Jackson. Tessa Hebb, Managing Director of 3ci, advised the project, and Genevieve Harrison served as administrator.

Canada is blessed with a wealth of resources and talent. However, CED organizations in this country have relied too heavily on governments to fund their work. For their part, corporations have generally not connected meaningfully with the CED sector. Both sides can benefit from the kind of creative and effective partnerships detailed in these publications.

The cases and tools presented here highlight what is actually possible going forward. We hope you find these reports useful.

March 2008

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Please click here for information on the authors.

OVERVIEW
Strategies and Tools for Corporate Engagement in CED

CASE STUDIES
The Co-operators
Home Depot and Habitat for Humanity
Social Capital Partners and Active Green + Ross
Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC) and Alterna Savings
Meritas Mutual Funds
Loblaws-Dixon Hall
ReBooting CED Technology
Syncrude

TOOLS
Social Purchasing Portal
Social Return on Investment
Expanded Value Added Statement (EVAS)
CEDTAP Dataset

This series of articles was generously funded by

Defining and Demonstrating Value for Money:
Strategies for Assessing the Impacts of Community Economic Development

Edward T. Jackson

Prepared for the First World CIRIEC Research Conference on the Social Economy,
Victoria, British Columbia, October, 2007. Parts of this paper were also presented to the Annual Conference of the Canadian Evaluation Society, Winnipeg, Manitoba, May, 2007.

Please click here to access this .pdf document...

Impact Assessments of Selected Social Enterprises

Interest in impact evaluation has grown in all areas of public policy. In 2007, CEDTAP researchers Kelly Babcock, Maja Cholich and Karim Harji, conducted a series of impact assessments of social economy enterprises, under the guidance of Dr. Ted Jackson, using tools developed for social accounting. We present their findings here. These cases will be of interest to specialists in CED and social enterprise, and in program evaluation, from civil society, government, the private sector and the academy. We hope you find them useful.

• The Learning Enrichment Foundation - Measuring Social Impacts, written by Kelly Babcock, Researched by Maja Cholich and Kelly Babcock
  
• The Ottawa Community Loan Fund - A Research Report on Social Impact by Karim Harji
• PARO Centre for Womens' Enterprise - Measuring Social Impact by Kelly Babcock
  

The Art of Development and the Development of Art:
     A Powerful Partnership--Business, Community and the Arts
     By Silver Donald Cameron

"It was only about halfway through my career that I really got it, really grasped when I was doing," says Frances Wasserlein, excecutive producer of the Vancouver Folk Music Festival. "I'm the manager of a social enterpreise. That's what I'm doing."

CEDTAP and The Canadian Conference of the Arts have developed powerful partnership stemming from our commonly held belief that the arts and the community economic development can do more to assist each other. These stories are meant to provide inspiration for people working in municipalities, arts organizations, regional councils, co-operatives, tourism groups and other citizens groups. Silver Donald Cameron's insightful test has captured the essence of the dynamic relationship between arts and community development.

Download The Art of Development and the Development of Art - PDF size 2.1 MG

The stories in this book show how creative-- even heroic--community organizations can be in their search for economic opportunity in a world of change.

Removing social and economic barriers requiring training, support, new ideas, leadershp, and outside allies. That's where CEDTAP makes its important contribution. And CEDTAP is helping to multiply efforts of local communities to reach hundreds, and maybe, eventually, thousands of other communities.

download the booklet (.zip)

LE BOULOT VERS... 20 ANS À MEUBLER DES VIES
A book about the 20 years of Le Boulot Vers ..., an original journey in social economy.

Written by Anne-Marie Mottet and recently published by Éditions du Boréal, tells the story of a local venture entirely dedicated to employment insertion of young adults in difficulty.

In 1983, in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood of Montréal, Canada, the founders of Le Boulot Vers… (LBV) wanted to create a non-profit insertion organization – the first in Quebec – that was unique: a “profitable” cabinet making shop and a “house” that would welcome a clientele in need.
This book is about the day-to-day reality of young people in difficulty, their evolution, their stories. It is also about the undying commitment of the business community and the continued work of the LBV professionals who offer induction, orientation and reference services.

Over 85 percent of the LBV participants find a job or return to school upon completion of their stay. At the end of a two-year follow-up period, more than 80 percent are still working or are improving their professional skills.

A STORY ABOUT SOCIAL ECONOMY... When it comes to social changes, we are only beginning to take an interest in social economy and the growing organizations in that sector.

While many organizations have been created in the last two decades, little has been written about their experiences, their successes and their difficulties. A collection of all the experiments carried out, Mottet’s book is a combination of reflection handbook and practical workbook for decision-makers and entrepreneurs whose first aim is, well before profits and financial performance, to offer autonomous, personalized and empowerment services to the community.

To those who seriously ponder the possibilities of community action, especially with respect to employability, this book reveals the numerous battles fought at LBV over the years and the toolbox, gradually filled to “frame” the vision.

Located in Hochelaga-Maisonneuve (Montréal), LBV has supported, since its creation in 1983, hundreds of young adults in difficulty, helping them re-enter the labour force on a sustainable basis or encouraging them to return to school to build a better future.

The author, ANNE-MARIE MOTTET, has been involved with many community organizations. Her book, LE BOULOT VERS… 20 ANS À MEUBLER DES VIES, published by Éditions du Boréal, is available at all good bookstores. It can also be purchased by contacting Nancy Brière, of LBV, at (514) 259-2312.

Sources: Jean Gagnon Doré, Communication agent, Le Boulot vers…, (514) 259-2312; Gabrielle Cauchy, Les Éditions du Boréal, (514) 336-3941, extension 229..