B3 capacity building series
In 2025, Peel Region’s Community Investment Program committed to developing a capacity-building program to strengthen B3 (Black Led, Black Serving, Black Focus) organizations in Peel region by enhancing leadership, improving organizational capacity, and strengthening partnerships.
With support from United Way Greater Toronto, Peel’s Community Investment Program is pleased to offer a limited series of capacity-building sessions designed to strengthen and support the development of not-for-profit organizations across Peel. These free sessions will be delivered in partnership with the Black Canadian Fundraisers' Collective.
About the sessions
The sessions will be led by experienced professionals and are designed to enhance the capacity of not-for-profit organizations by providing practical, actionable knowledge. Participants will gain tools and insights that can be immediately applied to help not-for-profit leaders more effectively respond to community needs.
Organizations are also strongly encouraged to have their subject matter experts who guide key organizational decisions to attend these sessions to maximise impact for example a finance director or manager overseeing day-to-day financial operations of the organization would benefit from attending the Financial Management session).
Sessions will be delivered virtually unless otherwise noted.
This series targets Peel B3 not-for-profit organizations however, other Peel not-profit-organizations can attend the sessions. Space is limited, and where possible, priority will be given to:
- 2024 and 2025 B3 Fund recipients.
- Organizations that support or provide services to Black communities in Peel.
Secondary priority will be extended to other Peel-based not-for-profits.
How to register
Step 1 - Complete the mandatory survey: each organization is required to complete this one-time survey. If you have already completed the survey, get your tickets online.
Step 2 - Register attendees: after submitting the survey, you will be automatically directed to the Eventbrite registration page. There, you can enter the details of the individuals who will attend.
Only register if you are confident you can attend. Organizations selected to participate will receive the virtual session links closer to the event date.
Review the training session descriptions.
Tuesday, September 30, 2025
1 to 3 p.m.
Virtual session
Capacity description
Mission orientation "refers to stakeholders' common orientation towards the mission of a nonprofit organization and includes areas generally related to an organization’s mission, like mission attachment. This capacity creates cohesiveness among a nonprofit and its stakeholders to ultimately be effective through agreement".
Session description
It is essential for organizations to ensure that its programs and services reflect their mission and values. One way to evaluate if this is the case is whether constituencies of supporters, including funders and donors, clients and services users, community members can easily associate the work of the organizations with its mission. This session will explore the cohesiveness and consistency of an organizations’ work- programs, services, and operations- and its stated mission.
Key learning objectives
- Determine if an organizations' key messages and 'elevator pitch' resonates with supporters and key partners.
- Understand the value proposition of the organization- what unique value does the organization offer in responding to community needs.
- Explore what organizations must do to ensure their programs and services align with its mission.
Facilitator
Mide Akerewusi, B.Sc., M.Sc. (Econ), CSR-P, CDEP, is Founder and CEO of AgentsC Inc., an international company delivering philanthropy solutions to the non-profit and private sector. Mide has extensive experience of working with major philanthropists, corporations, and grant-making foundations as well as charities and NGOs in Australia, Canada, South Africa, UK, and the USA. As a British born African living in Canada, Mide’s perspectives are uniquely diverse and frequently thought provoking. He is an advocate for equity philanthropy, implementing unique philanthropic opportunities to the social determinants of health, UN Sustainable Development Goals, and social impact investments.
Thursday, October 23, 2025
6 to 8 p.m.
Virtual
Capacity description
Board Leadership "is defined as the board of directors' commitment to and involvement with the organization's vision and plan, its relationship with staff, and its ability to make sounds decisions about the organization’s future. Effective Board Leadership enforces the perception that a board positively impacts organizations performance, and thus effectiveness."
Session description
Effective governance by Boards of Directors of nonprofits has never been more crucial for nonprofits to navigate through challenging and uncertain times. To fulfill their role and responsibilities as the governing body of the organization, members of the board must commit not only to the organization’s vision and its realization, must connect to and understand the internal and external factors that can potentially impact the organization’s ability to meet, respond, and sustain the program and service needs of the community they serve. This session will outline the roles and responsibilities of boards and explore ways in which the board must remain informed about its decisions and the impact of those decisions on the organization's ability to deliver on its vision and mission.
Key learning objectives
- Understand the role and responsibilities of the board.
- Describe how board decisions connect and support operational priorities.
- Identify the key working relationships between board and staff.
Facilitator
Nicole Salmon brings extensive experience working in the nonprofit/ charitable sector as a curious leader and fund development strategist. She is the founder of Boundless Philanthropy, a values-led consultancy committed to building and sustaining healthy, equitable, mission and community-focused nonprofit and charitable organizations.
In addition to being the co-editor of the book Collecting Courage: Joy, Pain, Freedom, Love, she was a book review panelist and contributing editor with the now-defunct online publication The Charity Report. As an editor, writer, and poet, she taps the power of words and language to stir emotions, liberate, connect, and bridge divides.
With extensive experience serving on and engaging with boards as a senior organizational leader, she is the former board chair of WellFort Community Health Services and former board co-chair of Realize Canada. She is an inspired and founding member of the Black Canadian Fundraisers’ Collective.
Wednesday, November 5, 2025
1 to 3 p.m.
Virtual
Capacity description
Strategic Planning is defined as a deliberative, disciplined approach to producing fundamental decisions and actions that shape and guide what an organization (or other entity) is, what is does and why. This capacity allows for nonprofits to create a "roadmap" to achieving and implementing and understanding goals and resources.
Session description
Although there are various definitions of what strategic planning is, at its core it’s about creating a roadmap of how you get from where you are-current state, to where you want to be- envisioned future state. In this session, we will discuss the key components of a strategy and strategic planning, and explore how to go about generating, formulating and implementing your nonprofit’s strategy. This learning session will explore each stage in the process and how to monitor and measure progress on delivering on the plan.
Key learning objectives
- Clarify the purpose and expectations of strategic planning.
- Outline steps to creating a strategic plan for your nonprofit.
- Learn the concepts and components of a strategy, how it related to your organization’s mission, vision, and values, and how it translates into day-to-day operations.
Facilitator
Niambi Martin-John is a social change champion, community mobilizer, advocate and fund development specialist who has dedicated her career to strengthening capacity for marginalized, and at-risk communities through revenue generation, program development and DEI work. For nearly 25 years, since completing post-secondary education in the US, Niambi has held leadership roles in the health charity and social justice sectors.
She values the power of allies and incorporates the concept of partner led, needs based indicators to inform her unique insight to Development work. Utilizing her background in community development and story –telling, she amplifies the stories of community by weaving their narratives alongside organizations’ government and public relations, research, and program outcomes to create donor opportunities, deepen relationships and grow revenue.
Niambi strongly believes that we all have a responsibility to drive change, end stigma and eliminate barriers so that all people have equal access to power and personal agency. As such, she uses her access to mentor and guide emerging social sector professionals as a professor in the Non-Profit Leadership Management Post Graduate program at Seneca College and volunteers with several charities, groups and associations focused on female and youth empowerment, poverty alleviation and equity work.
Date and time for the session will be shared soon.
A full-day session on fundraising designed to provide an overview and introduce the building blocks of how to develop and grow a successful fundraising program. Participants will learn about best practices, tools and tips that can help them enhance or launch a successful fundraising program. Participants will be introduced to AgentsC’s unique Six Pillar Fundraising Growth Model, showing how applying the six pillars can exponentially grow their fundraising programs.
Key learning objectives
- Define Afrocentric and Community-Centric approaches to fundraising and distinguish them from traditional Western fundraising practices that prioritize donor centricity.
- Articulate a fundraising vision. Using this vision, create fundraising objectives and tactics that can be shared with leaders, colleagues and volunteers within your organization.
- Understand the Canadian philanthropic landscape.
- Identify three fundraising pitfalls and consider how to avoid making these errors.
- Review the steps to starting a fundraising program: assess readiness to identify, engage, initiate an ask, and steward donors.
- Analyze the Six Pillar Revenue Growth Model and assess how it may be implemented in your organization.
Facilitators
Camila Pereira, PhD, CFRE is a senior fundraising professional based in Toronto, with over a decade of experience in relationship-building, partnership development and storytelling.
As a Black woman born and raised in Brazil, she brings a lifelong commitment to racial justice and equity to her work, with a focus on building authentic, community-rooted philanthropic practices.
Camila also consults on equity and social justice, coaches Brazilian fundraisers, and serves as Board Chair of the Alzheimer Society of Ontario and a member of the Black Canadian Fundraisers Collective. She holds a PhD in Public Policy and International Relations.
Liz LeClair is a fundraiser, advocate, activist, and an intersectional feminist, bringing 20 years of experience to her work as the founder of UpRising Philanthropic Consulting. Liz lives and works in Punamu’kwati’jk (Dartmouth, Nova Scotia), which is located in Mi’kma’ki - the ancestral and unceded territory of the Mi’kmaq people.
Liz approaches her work with nonprofit organizations through a community-centric fundraising lens, recognizing that equity and inclusion are fundamental to the work. She believes these principles must also be at the heart of fundraising, ensuring that philanthropy is both ethical, inclusive, and just.
A dedicated leader in the fundraising sector, Liz has served on local Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) boards, was the past chair of the AFP Women’s Impact Initiative, and was on the board for the Certified Fund Raising Professionals (CFRE). She currently sits on the board of the African American Development Officer Network (AADO) as its only Canadian member.
Date and time for the session will be shared soon.
Capacity description
Operation Capacity "addresses the existence and use of documented procedures, as well as the organization’s ability to set goals for programs and activities and assess their outcomes. This allow nonprofits to be effective through functionality and organization of planning, executing, and evaluating activities".
Session description
To deliver on its mission, nonprofits must measure, monitor, and evaluate the performance and outcomes of the programs and services it offers. To effectively do so it must establish processes, procedures, and its practices, as well as required resources in place to execute and deliver outcomes that meet its goals and objectives. This session will examine how an organization ensures alignment between its goals and objectives, and its capacity to achieve them.
Key learning objectives
- Identify key performance measures for each of its programs, services, and operations.
- Determine how and the frequency in which to monitor performance.
- Assess and evaluate the performance of each of its programs, services, and operations.
Date and time for the session will be shared soon.
Capacity description
Financial Management Capacity "is the ability to accurately and completely report financial aspects of the organization, including revenue, budget, and diversified funding sources. Financial Management refers to a nonprofit’s competence in managing their accounts. Financial capacity is important to score because it is linked to an organization’s effectiveness on finances such as using reports to make decisions about the organization."
Session description
This is a fundamental obligation and requirement for nonprofit organizations to accurately and effectively manage its financial operations. Financial records provide critical information that impacts and influences the organization’s ability to meet its mission and sustain its programs, services, and operations. In this session, presenters will provide a general overview of the financial systems, processes and competencies required to track, monitor and report on the financial status of the operations.
Key learning objectives
- Learn essential financial data to track, monitor and report on.
- Understand the processes and procedures required to manage organizational finances.
- Understand the key personnel roles, skills, and competencies required to manage the financial operations.
Date and time for the session will be shared soon.
Capacity description
Staff Management "is the capability to train and manage staff, maintain staff skills across an organization. Staff Management ultimately reflects employee needs for information, training and mentoring, and management’s ability to respond to staff needs."
Session description
The best managers and leaders know how to harness the knowledge, skills, experience, needs and emotions of diverse team members. Using a coaching approach to staff management, this session will delve into the skills and strategies for using effective communication techniques that promotes growth, development, and engagement of individuals and teams.
Key learning objectives
- Explore use of coaching principles such as active listening, empathy communicating feedback, and fostering a growth mindset.
- Learn a framework for structuring conversations.
- Learn techniques for handling resistance and having difficult conversations.
Date and time for the session will be shared soon.
Capacity description
External Communication "describes the ability for nonprofits to engage stakeholders. For effective communication, nonprofits rely on both a presence of public relations engaged with technology such as social media, as well as the pursuit of advocacy. These two combine for nonprofits to engage with the scope of those involved with the workings and mission of the organization."
Session description
An organization’s ability to deliver on its’ mission is dependent on developing and having an effective internal and external communications plan and strategy. This session will focus on how your nonprofit develops an effective external communication strategy, that inform and engage key constituencies about how they can support the work of the organizations, such as fundraising or advocacy campaigns.
Key learning objectives
- Outline the building blocks of an external communication strategy.
- Determine key messages for its varied constituencies.
- Understand how to leverage existing media or platforms as part of the strategy.
Date and time for the session will be shared soon.
Capacity description
Adaptive Capacity refers to the way organizations adapt to changes in their environment, and consists of organizational learning, responsiveness, innovativeness, and motivation. As such, this feature describes the ability of a nonprofit to learn from its environment, albeit with the presence of cultural elements that make an organization willing to learn.
Session description
An organization’s ability to nimbly react and adapt to changing and uncertain environments is dependent on several factors including organizational alignment, decision-making processes, and ways of working across and within teams. This session will explore how nonprofits can ensure there is connection and alignment in terms of organizational priorities, goals, and objectives, clarity around decision-making processes and ensure appropriate mechanisms are in place for staff to work together to implement programs and services.
Key learning objectives
- Identify key factors that contribute to an organization’s ability to reacts and adapt to shifting and uncertain environments.
- Understand decision-making processes and practices and how that impacts the organization’s ability to respond to changes that impact the work of the organization.
- Learn how an aligned and collaborative work culture improves an organization’s ability to effectively adapt to changing context.