Impact Insider #15: Why young people are better at governing
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It was a big week. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launched Canada’s first-ever youth policy.
You might say, “Here we go again with another policy from Ottawa.” And it might not feel like a big deal, but youth represent one third of the Canadian population and reflect Canada’s diversity. So, getting this right matters.
There was, however, one line at the very bottom of the last page of the policy document that has the potential to make significant shifts in Canada’s oldest and most traditional institutions. Here it is: “Over the next five years, the Government of Canada will commit to having 75% of crown corporations include a young person on their board.”
This will be game-changing. These are organizations such as the Bank of Canada, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Export Development Canada, and the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. In other words, these are organizations that are shaping our future.
To grow the momentum, Future of Good is announcing the launch of our Youth on Boards series.
The series highlights the journeys and insights of 25 young directors aged 18–30 who are challenging the status quo of non-profit governance. Through compelling stories and profiles, we illuminate insights on involving youth, positive contributions youth directors are making, and what young people see as the future of governance.
We need your help. We are looking for youth board directors from across the country to feature in this series.
Know someone who is a youth board director whose story we should feature? Nominate them today here. It takes 30 seconds. Deadline is May 30, 2019.
This Week’s Most Popular in Future of Good
- CSR in Canada with Coro Strandberg
Why It Matters: Sustainability leadership expert Coro Strandberg notes that CSR is becoming a dated term and businesses are pivoting to purpose. At this time of CSR evolution, nonprofits can maximize corporate partnerships beyond philanthropic capital. - A made-in-Canada Green New Deal by Mike Morrice
Why It Matters: Current efforts are an insufficient response to the climate crisis. In the U.S., a Green New Deal resolution has been put forward by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. It proposes a social, industrial, and economic mobilization on a scale not seen since the Second World War and the New Deal. Is this needed in Canada? What could it look like here? And where do we start? - After the fire by Jonathan Westeinde
Why It Matters: Notre Dame will be rebuilt, much of it with philanthropic money, prompting healthy debates on wealth, inequality, and impact. Adjacent to these debates, is the social purpose role real estate plays in communities today and the changing nature of real estate within the world of impact. - Tech needs to step it up by Shannon Farley
Why It Matters: The tech sector has been called out for being a danger to our democracy, our children, and ourselves. Leaders see a need for change and the tech sector is in the midst of a reckoning. How we move forward will have a lasting impact in our digital-first society.
What To Watch Next Week
On the next #futureofgood Twitter Chat, we continue our focus on youth, this time diving into how they are blending tech and tradition for a brighter future. Our guest Jennifer Flanagan, president and CEO of Actua, shares valuable insights on what it takes to empower youth, even in the most remote communities. Thursdays at 12–1pm ET. Follow from anywhere. RSVP here to receive exclusive insights from the chat and get a reminder closer to the date.
Plus, Zayna Khayat, a physician, holds the title of Future Strategist working at Saint Elizabeth Health, an organization looking critically at healthcare now and beyond. In this exclusive, Dr. Khayat questions the norms we have around aging and shows why we need a new set of problem-solvers and innovators to tackle critical issues so that we can all age with agency and dignity.
What Matters from the World of Impact
Each week, our editorial team scans the top 50 impact-focused newsletters from Canada and around the world, so you don’t have to. We curate to bring you key news, insights, and analysis.
1. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau launches Canada’s first-ever youth policy
Why It Matters: Investing in youth is in Canada’s social, economic, and democratic interest. This youth policy is comprehensive, offers a good starting point, and is packed with funding. A key question: how does the youth policy show up where youth actually are: in schools, in arenas, at malls, in museums, on Instagram, and on the online Minecraft network?
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2. UK Parliament declared a climate emergency and proposed aiming for net-zero emissions by 2050
Why It Matters: This declaration demonstrates the power of voice, of action, and of a generation that won’t back down. Adam Vaughan offers a good analysis through seven charts on what this means for the UK. Declaring a national climate emergency might be far-off for Canada, but that doesn’t stop organizations from doing so. What if a multi-sector coalition of business, government, academic, community, and philanthropic organizations declared a climate emergency?
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3. How to make sure your nonprofit isn’t wasting its time with impact investing
Why It Matters: The explosive growth of the impact investing market has attracted more and more players in recent years, but many nonprofits and charities are jumping in without first assessing if the undertaking is the right fit for their mission, culture, or stakeholders. As more and more nonprofits explore impact investing, six questions curated by the Stanford Social Innovation Review can help them to decide whether or not to forge ahead and, if so, show them how to do it.
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4. Rideau Hall Foundation launches Canada’s Culture of Innovation Index
Why It Matters: The culture question has been around for decades, but we couldn’t quite wrap our head around what that meant. Rideau Hall Foundation’s Index is an exciting attempt to put some markers in place and get a reading. What’s fascinating is how Canadians articulated positive social and environmental outcomes as core purposes of innovation.
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5. Canadian Smart Cities Challenge winners to be announced May 14
Why It Matters: The Smart Cities Challenge was the federal government’s first attempt at pushing municipalities of all kinds to develop community-changing initiatives with transparency, experimentation, inclusiveness, empowerment, and knowledge-sharing baked in. Twenty finalists are competing for four prizes. This could be a catalyst for building local capacity in open, connected, and accessible communities.
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