Blink and you’ll miss it – that is what summer 2023 felt like! Although the past few months have been filled with sunshine, slower days, and relaxation, we are already seeing signs of fall. The days are already getting shorter, the mornings are a little crisper, and vacations are winding down – all of this is making way for a busy season ahead in the co-operative sector!
I am delighted to report that this last month has been filled with incredible advocacy news for our sector! To begin, CMC was pleased to submit its pre-budget recommendations for the upcoming 2024 federal budget. New to this year’s recommendations is the addition of the Canadian Co-operative Capacity Building Program. This potential program would help co-operatives start up, scale up, gain skills and expertise, and prepare for their next steps so they are ready to tackle community challenges and meet needs across Canada. I recommend you take a look at the submission to learn more about this proposal and see what other recommendations CMC has made for the federal budget.
Additionally, CMC is thrilled to report that 19 co-operatives have received funding from the Community Services Recovery Fund. You may recall that the Community Services Recovery Fund was launched by the Government of Canada as a one-time, $400 million investment to help community service organizations, including charities, non-profits, and Indigenous governing bodies, adapt and modernize in the wake of the pandemic. CMC worked hard to ensure that non-profit co-operatives would be eligible for funding to help enable their recovery and success, communicating with government and national funding partners. As a result, 19 co-operative organizations have received a total of $987,982.51 for their eligible projects. Congratulations to these co-operatives!
Lastly, CMC is proud to announce the theme for this year’s Co-op Week: Co-operating on Climate Action. Co-op Week will be held October 15–21, 2023 and will expand on discussions and panels held during CMC’s recent Congress. The week will feature interactive panels and webinars on how your organization can adapt to help mitigate climate change and reduce carbon emissions. I encourage you to keep an eye out for more information as Co-op Week draws nearer!
On that exciting note, I hope you enjoy this latest edition of our newsletter! I look forward to a busy fall ahead with the CMC team as we gear up for more exciting opportunities for our sector.