DCF Board Meeting
Wednesday, December 13th, 2017
5:00 ET
DCF Board Meeting
Wednesday, December 13th, 2017
5:00 ET
Attendance:
Present: Oliver Kent, Doug Massey, Karl Bélanger
By Telephone:
David McKenzie, Dave McGrane, Diane O’Reggio, Gerry Barr, Calinda Brown, Rebecca Blaikie
Adoption of Agenda
m/s/c
Minutes from June, 30 2017 Board Meeting
m/s/c
There was a spike of interest in the DCF putting together more scholarships at different universities.
There was a letter from the Broadbent Institute to update the DCF about the Change the Game project. Papers have been published and events held. The second installment of the grant is due this year. The Broadbent Institute is looking for other partnership possibilities. Unclear what is happening with the video.
KB: Foundation had trouble with its AGM last year, we needed two takes. We need a strategy to bring in new blood. There is a request in with the new leader for a meeting to brief him on the DCF.
Down $2000 in donations year on year (mostly because of drop in bequest).
Investments with Scotia McLeod has been good. We have a new financial advisor.
Products sales are up as well.
Funds awarded:
$28000 to Broadbent Institute, Canadian Roots Exchange $1000, Share $5000,
Waiting for the Universities to transmit their scholarship request
We spent $66000 more this year than last year, mostly due to Mouseland.
m/s/c
David Lewis Memorial Prize awarded to Sebastian Salomon Ballada, who is graduating with a double major in Political Science and Sociology.
Ann Marie Hill Scholarship awarded to Esther Esau, who has almost completed the Certificate in Human Resource Management.
Ontario Woodsworth Memorial Foundation Scholarship went to Sarah Bear, who is graduating with a double major in English and History.
m/s/c
David McKenzie: 3 projects have been received and reviewed
Recommendation is to turn down this request.
m/s/c
Recommendation is to reject the request.
m/s/c
Les Communes/The Commons is an initiative administered by the registered non-
profit organization Projet Reformiste, based in Montreal. The submitters request
$20,000 from the DCF to support a project which seeks to encourage a dialogue
among the “different nations and communities across the country” toward
reforming the Canadian Constitution, and more widely, toward examining
democratic structures and decision-making practices to make them more
responsive to “current challenges like the rise of identity-based nationalisms, rising
inequality, exclusion from the labour market and the democratic deficit of certain
Institutions.” Their plan is to hold events across the country.
Recommendation is to support the project at half the amount request.
Motion by KB:
BIRT the DCF Board support the proposal from Les Communes/The Commons in principle, further to receive clarification on the corporate structure, for grants to be awarded in multiple installments to total no more than $10000 over the next year.
m/s/c
President Karl Bélanger
VPs Diane O’Reggio, Etienne Gratton
Treasurer Doug Massey
Secretary Anne Scotton
KB: The long term plan is to eventually have enough work and funds to have a full time staff person. The Board is expressing its wish to repatriate staffing in Ottawa in the short to medium term.
Discussions regarding the Stokoe bequest proposal are ongoing. The amount would be significant but there is a wish for that money to be directed towards Workers’ ownership research and Commonwealth Cooperatives.
Joint initiative on climate change in British-Columbia. A request would be made to the Rockefeller Brothers Fund to get it started. The plan is to hold educative events highlighting environmental leadership - from business leaders to local community organizers; to conduct training amongst organizers and provide skill development around engagement organizing; and to conduct research in this field. Conversations with both BI and RBF are ongoing.
Mouseland is going well, we purchase the rights for it to be duplicated digitally and shipped to different users.
m/s/c