Today, Nov 26th, 2020 the BC Govenment announced its Cabinet. Part of that annoucement included the welcome announcement of a new Parlimentary Secretary of Community Development and Non-Profits. Niki Sharma, a rookie MLA but very experienced board member -- including many years on the board of Vancity Credit Union – has been appointed to the role within the Ministry of Social Services and Poverty Reduction.

Although Vantage Point has been advocating for a full Ministry dedicated to the sector (such as the 90s-era Ministry of Community, Co-ops, and the Voluntary Sector), we are happy to see a clear and leader to support meaningful partnerships with our sector.

What will it mean to have a ‘home for the sector’ in the BC Cabinet? What is the opportunity this new Parlimentary Secretary role presents?

As we know, not-for-profits have stepped into pandemic response in the past nine months in remarkable and creative ways to meet community needs. Many have adjusted our operating models and funding allocations to be able to respond to emerging priorities.

And those needs grow daily as we find ourselves in the second wave of COVID-19.

But while the pandemic creates greater need than ever for the services of the charitable and not-for-profit sector, it also threatens our future. Fundraising revenue has fallen sharply, and over twenty-five percent of BC’s not-for-profits are now in danger of closing their doors, threatening not just the vital work of those organizations, but also the jobs of 86,000 British Columbians employed in this sector. Seventy-four per cent of workers in this sector are women, a demographic already hit particularly hard by the pandemic.

Like those facing the public sector and the private sector, the challenges facing the “third sector” and its important work are urgent and complex. Unlike the public and the private sector, or other major economic sectors such as tourism, health, and forestry, there has been no central place in government for BC’s charitable and not-for-profit sector. A home for the sector in government is the way to ensure our critical community contributions have the right coordination, investment, and connections to unleash the potential of our hard work.

A Parliamentary Secretary does not sit at the Cabinet table, that is the role of the Minster of Social Services and Poverty Reduction – longtime MLA and former social worker Nicolas Simons. But Parliamentary Secretaries and their Minister can build great systems together. Mitzi Dean was Parliamentary Secretary on Gender Based Analysis in the Ministry of Finance and was able to accomplish a great deal because of the positive and active relationship between her and the Honourable Carole James. We will look for that same level of mutual support between the Honourable Simons and Ms Sharma.

We will look to the mandate letters now - the express direction the Premier gives to each Minister - to see if the focus will be able to  build resilency in the sector and identify opportunities for growth is a critical part of the pandemic recovery. By taking a coordinated approach to marshalling the considerable resources of our sector, the Parlimentary Secretary and the Minister maybe be able to deliver several new benefits such as the ability to:

• Set and advance common goals for public wellbeing
• Leverage donor dollars and private funding through partnerships
• Build government capacity to understand and address the unique needs of not-for-profit organizations and the opportunities to work together
• Aggregate information and support necessary innovation, capacity, and impact of not-for-profit organizations
• Mobilize volunteers in every corner of the province, providing the equivalent of 146,000 full-time positions
• Foster new partnerships to build community infrastructure and bridge the digital divide
• Reach into cultural and linguistic communities to provide essential supports
• Advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples in communities around the province
• Seed charities and not-for-profits as key enablers of green technology and sustainability
• Update rules and streamline regulatory obstacles to success

The challenges facing our province today demand new solutions and fresh ideas. Charities and not-for-profits are proven innovators, fluent in collaboration with an ability to attract investment from outside government. We hope to see greater alignment with government planning and priorities to leverage these assets for the common good. This new role will help ensure our sector meets its potential to improve economic, social, and environmental outcomes for all British Columbians.

We applaud this move on the part of the government. Vantage Point looks forward to working with Parlimentary Secretary Sharma to amplify the breadth, innovation, and resilience of our wonderful sector.

Earlier this summer, we shared with you our second written submission to the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services (the Committee) for the provincial budget 2021 consultation, which took place this year between June 1st to 26th. The consultation process started with the Minister of Finance’s consultation paper, which outlined the provincial government’s COVID-19 action plan and three guiding priorities: 1) health and safety, 2) immediate supports for individuals, and 3) business and economic recovery.

The Committee released the Report on the Budget 2021 Consultation on August 21st with 124 recommendations (full list found on page 106 to 119).

How to read the report

Before diving into the details, keep in mind that $1.5 billion of the $5 billion COVID-19 action plan has been earmarked for economic recovery but remains unallocated. While the COVID-19 pandemic’s impacts are unquestioned and underscored throughout the report, the Minister informed the Committee that many of the government’s priorities remain the same (see page 7 “Minister of Finance Briefing”):

• K to 12 education
• Childcare
• Advanced education and skills training
• Infrastructure (ex. roads, hospitals, schools)

Therefore, it is no surprise that these themes are represented throughout the report. Further, it is worth taking a moment to celebrate that this year’s consultation process had the highest participation level in nearly 10 years! The Committee heard and received 281 presentations, 1362 submissions, and 3624 survey responses.

The recommendations span over 12 themes, each making up a section in the report. Each theme/section has its own sub-sections that include impact of COVID-19, survey highlights (if any), detailed discussions, and the Committee’s recommendations for each theme.

Highlights

In Vantage Point’s submission, our three recommendations emphasized the opportunity for budget 2021 to be an investment in public wellbeing through funding and partnership with the not-for-profit sector.

Reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion

The Committee made the explicit call to action for the upcoming budget to “address inequities and make significant progress on reconciliation, diversity and inclusion, and accessibility” in all areas. Further, the Committee recommends “ensuring ministries adopt a diversity and inclusion lens and recognize systemic barriers to address the disproportionate impacts of the pandemic, and providing programs and supports for equity-seeking groups who face systemic barriers” (see the executive summary on page 2).

Similar points about the importance of gender equity, truth, reconciliation, and decolonization were incorporated throughout Vantage Point’s submission. The not-for-profit and charitable sector is comprised of organizations working to advance similar goals every day and the Committee’s recommendations validate the importance of the work made possible by our sector.

Digital connectivity

The necessity of internet access, reflected in Vantage Point’s recommendations, is another clear theme in this report. The report recognizes inequities related to digital infrastructure and “recommends accelerating investments…including addressing challenges related to affordability” and references this is an area requiring collaboration with the federal government and telecommunication companies.

Multi-year stabilization funds

While the report does not make an explicit recommendation for a not-for-profit sector stabilization fund (Vantage Point recommended a $500 million stabilization fund for the sector), it does suggest a need for urgent recovery funding and multi-year stabilization supports to several sectors.

To note, “non-profit” or “not-for-profit” is mentioned 19 times in total throughout the report. It has its own sub-section under the “Health” theme, and an entire recommendation based on it:

• Recommendation 65: Provide urgent and stable funding to the charitable and non-profit sector so that they can continue to provide services to British Columbians, including exploring the provision of incentives to donate such as a donation-matching program, and increasing the charitable donation tax credit.

It is not only a pivotal moment that not-for-profits are mentioned, moreover, “non-profit” is recognized as a whole sector. This is welcomed language for those in the sector who have and continue to define the sector and raise its profile.

However, the report falls short to include not-for-profits in the Economic Development section. As mentioned in our submission for the Provincial Budget Consultation, BC’s not-for-profit sector contributes $6.4 billion to the provincial GDP. Jobs and service provisions, as well as losses in this sector need to be seriously considered in the context of a resilient provincial economy.

Other recommendations with implications on the sector

While the not-for-profit sector as a whole is only directly referenced in two themes – first in Health, and secondly, in Social Services, Community Social Services and Social Policy - there are several recommendations for other sectors that could impact BC’s not-for-profits whose work is related to those sectors. These include:

• Arts and culture: targeted, multi-year recovery funding through BC Arts Council. Donation incentives, tax breaks, infrastructure investments. Increased funding for Creative BC and Amplify BC. Work with other levels of government and community partners to increase investments.
• Digital media, music, film: explore new measures to address inequities and barriers for underrepresented groups in this industry.
• Long-term care: sustain investments, especially for staffing and care standards.
• Mental health and addiction services: invest in continuum of services, culturally safe supports and services, family supports, services for children and youth.
• Housing: accelerate construction of continuum of affordable and social housing, especially for women facing violence, gender-specific supportive housing, expanded housing options for people with disabilities, youth, and low-income seniors. Expand investments in Indigenous housing with Federal Government.
• Public safety and justice: increase investments in legal aid and community restorative justice programs. Provide operational funding to child and youth advocacy centres.
• Childcare: invest in affordable childcare, and funding through Ministries of Children and Family Development and Health to improve access to supports for children and youth with accessibility needs, and their families.
• Youth: improving supports for youth aging out of care and marginalized youth. The report names Boys and Girls Club, and Right to Play as organizations to provide care and wrap-around programs for marginalized youth.
• Advanced education: increase adult education resources, including broadening course offerings and skills training (especially important because of COVID-19 and other disruptive workplace forces that could displace workers).
• Social services: develop a comprehensive, outcome-focused social policy framework. Continue funding provincial poverty reduction strategy. Review the framework for income and disability assistance. Address recruitment, retention, and compensation challenges within community services sector.
• Fiscal and regulatory policy: apply a gender-based analysis plus lens in policy development and economic recovery, as well as “equity, reconciliation, and climate action lenses”. Ensure federal and provincial programs continue supporting individuals and businesses in recovery. Transition emergency funding to targeted investments that are based on individual and sectoral needs. Review opportunities to temporarily adjust the Employer Health Tax. Introduce a municipal finance reform so there are more tools to address financial pressures related to housing issues, the opioid crisis, and other priorities.

Now what?

Budget 2021 will be presented on the third Tuesday in February (Feb 16, 2021). While the release of the report ensures the public can access the Committee’s recommendations, it is important to recall this report is written and has been submitted to members of BC’s legislative assembly. If you want to engage with your MLA about this report and budget 2021, make sure you are familiar with the Lobbyists Transparency Act.

Overall, the report recognizes many of the key points raised in our recommendations for the sector, namely that there is an immense financial impact due to COVID-19 and strong need for stabilization supports. The report also echoes the reality that the pandemic has revealed the need for resources to address gaps in supports and services for British Columbians. These are all encouraging signs that budget 2021 may reflect the needs and supports we have collectively identified for our sector.

If you want to get further involved in these discussions and the advocacy work that Vantage Point is doing, we encourage you to become a member. During the COVID-19 crisis we have made membership free. You can learn more and sign-up here.