The Business of Non-Profits

Many of us devote considerable time to volunteering with non-profit organizations which can be rewarding for our communities, for our souls, and can help advance our careers.  Some of us have considered non-profit involvement but don’t know where to start.  Involvement in non-profits can be a valuable stepping stone to career and leadership development, and for business development.  Similarly, incorporating community and charitable objectives within for-profit business can deepen a company’s commitment to the communities in which it operates, and can help foster and maintain social licence and strengthen corporate brand.   This month’s PWN panel of successful non-profit leaders will share how their involvements in the non-profit sector have positively impacted their careers. They will also discuss how collaboration and learnings shared between for-profit and non-profit enterprises can bring benefits to those enterprises and to the communities they serve.

PANELIST BIOS:

Maninder Dhaliwal, Vice President Philanthropy, Pacific Autism Family Centre Foundation

Maninder exercises her twin passions for technology and philanthropy as Vice President Philanthropy for the Pacific Autism Family Centre Foundation. PAFC is a centre of excellence for Autism Spectrum Disorder that aims to support children and families throughout BC.

Maninder currently serves on the Board of Directors for Vancouver Board of Trade and Ballet BC. She is also a member of the UBC Alumni Advisory Council. In 2012, Maninder was nominated for a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award, and in 2013, she was recognized as one of Business in Vancouver magazine’s “40 under Forty” top business achievers.

Dr. Alexandra Greenhill, CEO, My Best Helper

Dr. Greenhill has practiced as an emergency and family practice physician in Quebec, Ontario and BC. Over the last decades, Dr. Greenhill has held many leadership roles including Associate CEO BC Medical Association, and served on boards, including the Canadian Society of Physician Executives and the Canadian Institute for Child Health. Her contributions have been recognized with many awards, including WXN’s Top 100 Most Powerful Women in Canada 2005, the Queen Elizabeth II Medal of Service 2012 and top 40 under 40 2013. She is currently co-founder and CEO of an award winning tech venture, myBestHelper.com, that fundamentally disrupts how families find help around the home.

Catherine Ludgate, Manager, Community Investment, Vancity

Catherine Ludgate holds a master’s degree in the management of co-ops and credit unions. Catherine is the architect of Vancity’s award-winning Each One, Teach One program, which trains frontline Vancity staff to deliver basic elements on financial literacy in community. She has also developed skills and literacy training for not-for-profits in Vancity’s signature Financial Fitness program, and oversees the delivery of the Each One, Grow One curriculum to help micro-entrepreneurs develop and launch small businesses. She has managed partnerships related to facing poverty in our communities, including the implementation of the Living Wage for Families campaign. Before joining Vancity, Catherine directed a national social enterprise that focused on building the capacity of the community sector to use communications tools in their advocacy campaigns and developed a series of training workshops for small and medium-sized not-for-profit organizations.