Let's Imagine

• Futureproofing the Nonprofit Workforce: Building Digital Skills for Resilience with Sampada Kukade and Max Palamar

  In this special episode of Let's Imagine, guest host Wilfreda Edward, Executive Director of the Canadian Centre for Nonprofit Digital Resilience (CCNDR), explores how nonprofits across Canada are working to close the digital skills gap. Over the past 18 months, CCNDR—together with partners Imagine Canada, Blueprint ADE, The Dais, and the Digital Governance Council - led the Futureproofing the Community Service Workforce project. Through research, piloting, and collaboration with nonprofits across the country, the project developed resources and a practical toolkit to help organizations strengthen data practices, build digital capacity, and align staff skills with emerging needs. Wilfreda is joined by two leaders deeply engaged in this work: Sampada Kukade, Vice President, External Relations and Development at Skills for Change, one of the pilot organizations that tested the toolkit; and Max Palamar, Vice President of Data Capacity and Analytics at Blueprint, who played a lead role in the project's research. Together, they discuss the toolkit's step-by-step activities that make digital transformation practical, accessible, and aligned with day-to-day nonprofit realities. They share lessons learned from piloting, explore the challenges of building capacity in a resource-constrained sector, and highlight why digital skills are no longer a "nice-to-have," but essential to future resilience. For nonprofit leaders, staff, and funders alike, this episode offers both insight and encouragement: that strengthening digital capacity doesn't have to mean more work - it's about working smarter, creating sustainability, and building a stronger sector together. Visit https://futureproof.ccndr.ca/ to explore the tools and start your own journey. Make sure to check out our full episode list. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. And read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/gWVIEJFZOzP 

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• Funding Movements in Times of Crisis: Building Trust and Power Amid Adversity

  In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald speaks with Jess Tomlin, CEO of the Equality Fund, about reimagining how philanthropy can truly meet the urgency of our times. From rising authoritarianism and economic instability to shrinking civic spaces, climate emergencies, and entrenched social injustices, nonprofits and human rights movements are navigating unprecedented challenges. Too often, traditional funding models fall short—delivering short-term, restrictive support when what movements need most is trust, flexibility, and long-term commitment. The Equality Fund offers a bold alternative. As one of the world's largest organizations advancing human rights and justice, it is reshaping philanthropy by channeling resources and decision-making power directly to the communities leading change on the ground. Central to this vision is a commitment to long-term funding cycles—spanning 10 years, and even aiming toward generational grant cycles—so that movements can build resilience, shift power, and create lasting impact. For funders and nonprofit leaders alike, this episode is both a challenge and an invitation: to imagine a world where philanthropy doesn't just respond to crisis, but actively builds the conditions for justice across generations. Make sure to check out our full episode list (https://imaginecanada.ca/en/lets-imagine-podcast).   This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.   Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/fqbXgrblqA8

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• Young Women Are Reimagining Leadership in Canada's Nonprofit Sector with Anjum Sultana and Emma Asiedu-Akrofi

  In this special International Day of the Girl episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald sits down with two trailblazers who are reshaping what leadership looks like in Canada's nonprofit sector: Anjum Sultana, Director of Policy Advocacy, Partnerships, and Youth Leadership at Plan International Canada, and Emma Asiedu-Akrofi, CEO of FORA Network for Change. Women represent 77% of the nonprofit workforce, and young people make up 32%. Yet many of the structures and norms that govern the sector were not designed with young leaders in mind. From rigid hierarchies to outdated governance models, barriers still stand in the way of young women, girls, and gender-diverse youth who want to lead. In this episode, we explore what meaningful youth leadership looks like, how funders can better support youth-led initiatives, how youth advisory councils can be powerful vehicles for shifting decision-making, and what systemic changes are needed to share power equitably. They also share personal reflections on their journeys, the barriers they've faced, and the hope they carry for a future shaped by the next generation of changemakers. For nonprofits, this conversation is a call to action: if you say you value youth leadership, how are you proving it? Make sure to check out our full episode list. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. This podcast was made possible thanks to generous support from our sponsors. SUPPORTING PARTNER Knowledge partner: Carters   Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/DLB5LW5yGBb Listen to past episodes here: https://imaginecanada.ca/en/lets-imagine-podcast 

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• Questions Every Settler-Led Nonprofit Should Be Asking

  In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by two powerful voices challenging settler-led organizations to move beyond symbolic gestures: Justin Wiebe of Mastercard Foundation and Alejandro Mayoral Banos of Indigenous Friends Association and Access Now.   As the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation approaches on September 30, many nonprofits are preparing statements, hosting events, or pausing operations. While well-intentioned, these actions alone do not constitute reconciliation. Justin and Alejandro call on the sector to dig deeper — rethinking colonial frameworks, building genuine relationships, and taking uncomfortable but necessary steps toward meaningful change.   Together, they explore the critical questions settler-led organizations must ask themselves: who holds power in their organizations? Why, as a settler-led organization, are you interested in reconciliation? And who is it for?   Importantly, they remind us that systems change is not only visionary — it is practical. It shows up in the day-to-day decisions about hiring and governance, in how funding is distributed, in the metrics organizations use to measure success, and in whether power is being shifted or merely symbolically acknowledged. Real transformation is built from these practical shifts, sustained over time.   This episode is an invitation for nonprofits — especially those in settler-led spaces — to act with humility, accountability, and courage. Real reconciliation requires more than a statement; it requires transformation.   Make sure to check out our full episode list. This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. This podcast was made possible thanks to generous support from our sponsors. Read the full trancscript here

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• AI & the Future of Grant Writing: Empowerment or Automation Overload?

  In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald welcomes Deepa Chaudhary — founder of GrantOrb, an AI-powered grant writing platform designed to support nonprofits in one of their most time-consuming and mission-critical activities: securing funding. As artificial intelligence continues to reshape the workplace, its role in the nonprofit sector is evolving rapidly — especially in fundraising and grant development. Deepa shares how AI technology can reduce the burden on overstretched teams and increase access to high-quality funding proposals, particularly for small and medium-sized organizations. Together, Bruce and Deepa explore the promise and pitfalls of AI in grant writing, from questions of trust and authenticity to equity, bias, and environmental sustainability. Join them as they unpack the tools, tensions, and opportunities at the intersection of technology and social impact — and consider what a thoughtful, human-centered approach to AI adoption might look like in the nonprofit sector. If your organization is looking for ways to secure more funding, you may also be interested in exploring Grant Connect (https://imaginecanada.ca/en/grantconnect), Imagine Canada's fundraising research platform, to help you find grant opportunities and grow your impact.   Read the full transcript here (https://share.descript.com/view/foKJ7lzA7Ul)   ÉPISODE 32 : Intelligence artificielle et demandes de subvention : plus d'autonomie ou surchage d'automatisation? Dans cet épisode du Balado Imagine, nous accueillons Deepa Chaudhary — fondatrice de GrantOrb, une plateforme de rédaction de demandes de subvention propulsée par l'IA. Conçue pour soutenir les organismes à but non lucratif, cette solution les aide dans l'une de leurs tâches les plus essentielles à leur mission : obtenir du financement. Alors que l'intelligence artificielle continue de transformer les milieux de travail, son rôle dans le secteur à but non lucratif évolue rapidement — particulièrement en ce qui concerne la collecte de fonds et la préparation de demandes de subventions. Deepa partage comment les technologies IA peuvent réduire le fardeau des équipes surchargées et augmenter leur accès à des demandes de financement de haute qualité, particulièrement pour les organismes de petite et moyenne taille. Bruce et Deepa discutent également des promesses et des pièges de l'IA dans la rédaction de demandes de subvention, notamment en ce qui attrait à la confiance et l'authenticité, l'équité, les biais et à la durabilité environnementale. Au couer de cette discussion est l'analyse des outils, des tensions et des opportunités à l'intersection de la technologie et de l'impact social — et ce à quoi pourrait ressembler une approche réfléchie et centrée sur l'humain de l'adoption de l'IA dans le secteur à but non lucratif. Si votre organisme cherche de nouvelles façons d'obtenir du financement et accroître votre impact, Connexion subvention (https://imaginecanada.ca/fr/connexionsubvention), la plateforme de recherche de subventions d'Imagine Canada, pourrait vous intéresser.      

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