Mama Jane is leading our group of struggling men and women as we traverse the narrow road from the Mara River back to her home, buckets of water slung across our backs, balanced precariously with the help of tethered rope and community encouragement. Halfway up I...

In 2000, Winnipeg’s Inner City, particularly the North End, was a community in crisis. It was exhibiting the severe effects of poverty. The unemployment rate in the inner city neighbourhood, at 16.8%, had increased to a point that was more than triple the average...

“Try not to determine your self-worth by the outcome or success you have in reaching your goals. Instead, measure the success of your life by how well your actions reflect the intentions that are formed by your core values.” —Phillip Moffit, Buddhist teacher and...

Over the last decade, the emergence of partnerships in the philanthropic sector has grown dramatically. The concept of chequebook philanthropy is no longer as popular as it once was; funders want to be more active and organizations are more willing (and if they are...

{jcomments on} The punts are lined up in a row, hugging the shoreline behind Pete Decker’s home, the sun’s last glint marking its descent upon their bows and tracing a shadow into the cool Atlantic waters. In July, these traditional wooden boats will be making...

After decades of work in the nonprofit and educational sectors, I find myself in a role I never imagined, the CEO of a private tech company. I have never been so bold or so vulnerable. Ameliorating isolation and loneliness has been my life’s work. I co-founded...

When it comes to microfinance, one organization has proven itself particularly worthy of the term pioneer. Eschewing conventional fundraising models for a unique peer-to-peer microlending website, Kiva has been alleviating poverty and empowering entrepreneurs...

One beautiful lesson I've been able to articulate as I've grown as a social entrepreneur is that you “Love the In-Between.” If you do too, then you'll make a fine social entrepreneur.   That's actually the meaning behind the French word, "entrepreneur."...

A brightly striped bunk bed. Beautiful hemlock handrails. A row overflowing with hardwood flooring leftovers. An antique single bed with an abandoned refinishing job. Habitat for Humanity’sReStores are cornucopias for home reno bargain hunters. One of the best...