Skills for Change at ONN & AFO Press Conference: The State of Nonprofit Sector

Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) and Assemblée de la Francophonie de l’Ontario (AFO) today published a new report on the state of Ontario’s non-profit sector three months into the COVID-19 pandemic. The report focuses on the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the nonprofit sector and puts forward recommendations on supporting nonprofits based on the latest data from a province-wide survey. The report findings were presented at a virtual conference held by ONN and AFO.

Skills for Change CEO Surranna Sandy was invited to share the impact of COVID-19 on Skills for Change and its communities. The panel included Cathy Taylor, Executive Director of ONN, Carol Jolin, President of AFO, Sylvia Bernard Executive Director of La Cle and Peter Hominuk, Executive Director of AFO.

Key highlights shared by Surranna Sandy at the press conference included:

Impact of COVID-19 on Vulnerable Communities

Lack of Access to Technology: Individuals from racialized, lower socioeconomic status and newcomer communities do not have access to different technological tools to access remote programming and services. Many of the Skills for Change clients do not have cell phone data or laptops to access virtual programming. The impact is far reaching because when our clients do not have access to language training or employment supports, it negatively impacts their quality of life.

Mental Health Crisis: We are seeing a dramatic increase in mental health challenges for our clients. Increased stress and anxiety due to COVID-19, loss of connections, social isolation, financial security and the lack of childcare is compounding to the mental health crisis for vulnerable groups. Lack of access to the changing labour market is creating additional stress for our clients. Skills for Change provides mental health services and we have seen a dramatic uptake in our mental health counselling programs since COVID-19.

Disproportionate Impact on Women: Women in particular are having difficulty in accessing services and are shouldering the weight of childcare and housework for the most part. Due to limited child-care options, women are unable to access different supports. Whereas child-care services such as the child-minding services that Skills for Change provided at our location freed up time for our clients to invest in skills-development or attend workshops, the limited access to child-care environment prevents women from being able to progress in their careers. Moreover, immigrant and newcomer women are experiencing increased mental health related issues and we have seen an increased need to support victims of domestic violence due to the spike in intimate partner violence.

Challenges facing Skills for Change & the Nonprofit Sector

Expensive Technology Infrastructure: Nonprofits are having to create from nothing and innovate in order to ensure that service delivery is there for our communities. However, establishing a technology infrastructure is expensive. Nonprofits are having to modify and support clients in remote delivery of the programming, but there is very limited resources to support this shift in technology infrastructure.

Lack of Safety Infrastructure Support: In responding to the new normal, there is a lack of investment in safety measures such as PPE. Skill for Change as a nonprofit directly supports 20,000+ clients each year. We have not received investment to purchase PPEs to buy critical equipments. The costs to ensure safety of staff and clients adds up.

Challenges for Women in Nonprofit: As a sector, we are highly feminized with women making up majority of the non-profit sector employees. The lack of childcare options and additional pressures for women is a reality for our sector. The toll on mental health on women has been prevalent in the nonprofit sector.

Key Solutions Needed

Non-profit organizations cater to the most vulnerable and marginalized groups hit by the pandemic. In order to ensure quality service to vulnerable groups and in ensuring resiliency for our communities, Surranna Sandy called for greater investment from the Ontario and the Federal Government for the following:

• Increased financial supports for populations most-in-need and their families
• Investment for the non-profit sector, in particular with technology supports and PPEs
• Increased investment in mental health programming
• Investment in long-term solutions supporting women: This would include employment supports for women to ensure decent work, as well as re-skilling and up-skilling for female workers so that they can access labour market and become financially independent. More flexibility on sick days for women and more funding for childcare services.

“The Nonprofit Sector is a strategic partner to the government and need greater investments from the different levels of the government.” — Surranna Sandy, Skills for Change CEO

Surranna Sandy shared that the nonprofit sector is collaborating more effectively with limited resources but that the sector is still in need of large investments to succeed. She emphasized that the nonprofit sector is core to Ontario’s social, economic and health infrastructure and that there is a need for the different levels of the government to recognize and invest in the nonprofit sector to ensure that all of Ontario and Canada can benefit.

Surranna Sandy called for a deep investment in the sector from the government. “Without adequate financial support from the government, we are going to see a different Ontario. Without nonprofits to deliver the critical programs needed, our communities will not have the quality of life that we want envisage for them,” said Surranna Sandy.

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