On December 4, Federal Minister of Industry James Moore announced that Bill C-28, Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) will come into effect on July 1, 2014. Although Canada’s new anti-spam law comes into effect six months from now, it will face a mandatory review in three years. The legislation is intended to deter spam and electronic…
Volunteer Alberta has a partnership with OASSIS, a nonprofit organization providing employee benefit plans specifically designed for the nonprofit sector. Members of Volunteer Alberta receive exclusive access to OASSIS benefit plans in Alberta. Karen Bentham, Executive Director for OASSIS, recently sat down with us to discuss some frequently asked questions about employee benefits.
I recently joined the Volunteer Alberta team after moving to Edmonton from my hometown of Sarnia, Ontario. I attended school at The University of Western Ontario, and have experience working and volunteering in the nonprofit sector. As a newbie to this province, I jumped at the chance to tag along with a fellow co-worker on…
I had the pleasure of attending the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (ECVO) Mayoral Candidate Forum on Tuesday. The well organized and attended event had candidates focus on their plans for Edmonton’s nonprofit/voluntary sector should they be elected Mayor. The format was standard, with opening and closing statements, questions chosen from sector submissions, and questions…
In early August, the Edmonton Humane Society (EHS) had to temporarily close its doors to owner-surrendered animals. For the first time in their 106 year history, they had too many animals to realistically care for. Within hours of the announcement, the EHS website was forced to temporarily shut down due to a huge amount of…
Alberta has always been a community of volunteers, whether that is formally or informally. The last 10 days have been no different. The devastating floods in Southern Alberta have caused an outpouring of support and help; the Volunteer Alberta office even got a few inquiries from people wanting to volunteer. I wanted to share one…
I’m two weeks away from completing my degree in Human Ecology at the University of Alberta. Although I’m not new to the workforce, my options are expanding and instead of searching for jobs, I’m now seeking a career. In this quest, I’m looking to marry the two important factors in my perfect career. The first…
Throughout National Volunteer Week the VA blog will be featuring the volunteer experiences of the Volunteer Alberta staff. Volunteerism comes in a variety of shapes and sizes and so does volunteer recognition. We encourage you to share with us your experiences in volunteerism – Tell us where you have volunteered and how you were recognized!…
Perhaps Drache Aptowitzer LLP’s Adam Aptowitzer summed up the federal government’s Budget 2013 best when he said, “Despite bearing relatively little news for charities, this in itself is probably good news for charities.” While the Alberta budget roared in following months of controversy, Jim Flaherty’s Budget 2013 strolled in with little fanfare. That said, critics…
I always get a weird feeling walking into the Alberta Legislature. I love that building. Over 100 years of history. Everything about it screams government and, for someone with a passion for history and politics, its symmetrical floor plan, granite, sandstone, marble, and mahogany are signs that our province was punching above its weight to…