Calgary non-profits call for $30M injection from province to keep sector afloat

Leaders of multiple Calgary non-profits came together on Tuesday to call on the province to help keep the troubled sector afloat.

Karen Ball, president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO), says non-profit organizations have been doing more with less for the past three years, and are now in crisis. 

"Between the pandemic, rising inflation, and now a looming recession, this essential sector has been dealt blow after blow," Ball said.

"Staff are suffering. The people we serve are not getting the help they need. Drowning people can't save drowning people. We need the provincial government to step up so Alberta non-profits can continue to be there for Albertans when they need them most."

Ball says CCVO spent more than two years surveying hundreds of Alberta non-profits to find out how they were impacted by the pandemic. The results of that report, called Too Essential to Fail, show just how tough times have been.

CCVO is now asking the Alberta government for a one-time cash injection of $30 million for the province’s non-profit sector.

"This investment will relieve non-profits under the weight of inflation, it will ease recruitment and retention issues," said Ball. "It will guarantee the viability of Alberta's non-profits to support all Albertans facing the impacts of inflation."

Karen Ball, the president and CEO of the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations, is asking the provincial government for a one-time cash injection of $30 million for Alberta's non-profit sector.There are some 30,000 non-profit organizations in Alberta, which contribute an estimated $5.5 billion to the province's economy annually, according to CCVO.

On Tuesday, leaders from various Alberta non-profits gathered at Carya Village Commons in the East Village to speak about their struggles.

Paula Telfer, the CEO of Carya, says social isolation was one of the greatest impacts of the pandemic.

"People were lonely," she said. "People were experiencing mental health issues because they were lonely and they (had) no one to turn to for support, so here at careya, we provide those supports."

Bethany Ross is the executive director for Brown Bagging for Calgary's Kids, and says she's seen a 20 per cent increase in demand since the start of the 2021 school year.

"Our province is in a position, we have the surplus, we have money, but there are lots of demands for it but this is one area where they can really make an incredible difference."

Larry Mathieson, the executive director at Unison at Kerby Centre, says there are many Albertans who want to get their lives back to normal after the pandemic, but can't afford to.

"As the economy recovers and as oil royalties create budget surpluses, there's still a lot of our population here going to food banks and soup kitchens," he said. "So, our basic needs programs, like our food rescue programs or food security programs are just overwhelmed with need and demand."

Danielle Ladouceur, CEO of Children’s Cottage Society, says it's difficult to see staff experience years without a pay increase.

"Our services are spread thinner and have less capacity to serve people at a time when the need had never been greater, and as the costs associated with service delivery rise while program budgets remain stagnant," he said.

Meaghon Reid, the executive director of Vibrant Communities Calgary, says funding needs to be aligned to the magnitude of challenges they're facing.

"People who live in poverty and vulnerable situations continue to experience unpresented stressors because of the impact of the pandemic and inflation.

"Organizations that serve these populations are doing so with extraordinary skill and compassion, but are doing so with flat or decreased budgets that are not aligned with the challenges of issues like a lack of affordable housing, higher acuity, and an inability for many Calgarians to meet their basic needs."

Patti Pon, president and CEO of Calgary Arts Development, says the non-profit sector was one of the hardest hit during COVID-19. 

"Future sustainability is a question for artists and arts organizations. Yet the arts contribute to solutions for many of the stresses Albertans are facing, such as heightened levels of anxiety, social isolation, inequities within systems and in society, and challenges to mental health and well being.

"We need artists now more than ever as we collectively heal, make meaning out of these chaotic times, and imagine a better future together."

CCVO says non-profits in Alberta employ 285,000 people, about one in 20 Albertans.