The brief
Climate work has gotten harder over the past few years, and it's more important that people, groups, and organizations pull in the same direction to drive societal and policy change. Bringing an idea to life, building it out, and setting it up to make a difference for people and frontline communities is the kind of work I love. This project, helping build an organization for network infrastructure in Canada, was all of that.
I came on as an organizational development consultant, working alongside the founder, to take the organization from an idea to something legally real and ready to operate. That meant getting it incorporated, governed, banked, insured, and set up to run.
Background
Opponents are unified, while the movement works in silos. Environmental organizations, climate leaders, and frontline communities often share the same goals and face the same challenges. Without the infrastructure to strategically focus campaign efforts, collective power is untapped, and opponents easily push back one voice at a time.
Network infrastructure is a force multiplier. Common Current is a Canadian nonprofit that builds the network infrastructure that helps environmental organizations, climate leaders, frontline communities, and allied partners focus campaign strategy, share intelligence and capacity, and move together. Organizations keep their mission and independence. What changes is that they stop working alone. Impact is compounded by working within a network.
The work
I went on a listening tour with partners across the network of climate and environmental organizations to learn the best options to structure the organization.
I ran the federal incorporation from start to finish, along with the provincial registration and the operating name, so the organization existed as a legal entity ready to work. I set up the tax and compliance foundation by registering the organization with the CRA and bringing on an accountant, and identified what a federal nonprofit needs to remain compliant.
I built the full governance package the board needed to operate, from bylaws and policies through to the first board records, so it had a real framework to work within from its first meeting. I handled the operational pieces that let an organization actually run, from banking and insurance to the accounts and systems the team would work in day-to-day, advising on how to structure the workspace so it could grow with the team rather than be rebuilt later.
I led the business plan, with input from the founder and key partners, and advised on the year-one funding proposal. I also helped shape the brand and website, built by the talented Common Point Design team, giving direction and feedback as they all came together.
“Insert the testimonial here.”