Winners of the 2016 NLCC receive the ceremonial cheque from OCF President and CEO Marco Pagani (L).

Nov. 21st, 2017 (Ottawa, ON) –  The Ottawa Community Foundation (OCF) is hosting its fourth annual New Leaf Community Challenge – a Dragon’s Den-style, live-juried event where three local charitable organizations will compete for a grant of $125,000 to tackle youth unemployment.

Who:
Marco Pagani, President and Chief Executive Officer, OCF
Rebecca Aird, Director, Grants and Community Knowledge, OCF

When:
Wednesday, November 22nd, 2017
9:00 am – Welcome and Introductions
9:15 – 11:20 am – Proposal pitches by the three finalists to the jury
11:20 – 11:50 am – Deliberations by the jury
11:45 – 11:50 am – Update from the 2016 NLCC winner, LiveWorkPlay
11:50 am – Winner announced

Where: The Innovation Centre at Bayview Yards, 7 Bayview Road, Ottawa

Parking: 2 hr street parking or $2/hour in the pay and display lot adjacent to the building.

The finalists (learn more here):

  1. Prince’s Charities Canada (PCC), in partnership with the Ottawa Community Housing Foundation, proposes to bring the Get Into program to Ottawa. The program is a collaboration between employers and youth-service community organizations that would provide 60 youth with training, work experience and jobs.
  2. Youth Active Media, a collaboration between The Social Planning Council and Youth Ottawa, is looking to significantly boost their youth social enterprise, which produces videos for a range of clients. YAM teaches youth, primarily from at-risk communities, to create short films about issues that affect their lives. Through the process of filmmaking, youth learn a range of core skills, and can work in the social enterprise.
  3. Youth Now Canada and the Parkdale Food Centre will present an agri-employment and entrepreneurship Initiative where youth will receive paid pre-employment training and a paid on-farm work placement to prepare them for employment opportunities.

The jury:

Ingrid Argyle , Manager, Ottawa Employment Hub (Local Employment Planning Council) and Labour Market Ottawa

Tim Brodhead, Board member, Ottawa Community Foundation; Former President & CEO, J.W. McConnell Family Foundation

Jeff Burry, Executive Director, Christie Lake Kids; former Director of Employment Services, Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa

Tracey Clark, President & CEO, Bridgehead Coffee

Shlomo Coodin, Algonquin College student (Business Marketing and Non-Profit Management); graduate of Rogers Achievement Center at Operation Come Home

Heidi Hauver, Chief Human Resource Officer and Managing Partner, Keynote Group; HR & Growth Coach, Invest Ottawa

Sue-Ellen Holst, RBC Foundation Director of Donations, Ontario North & East

Bruce McKean, Volunteer with the Ottawa Community Foundation (focusing on mental health); corporate social responsibility consultant; Vice-Chair, Cuso International

Jozef Straus, Queso Grande; formerly CEO of JDS Uniphase

-30-

About the Ottawa Community Foundation

Established in 1987, the Ottawa Community Foundation is a public, non-profit organization created by and for the people of Ottawa. Working directly with its community of donors, partners and stakeholders, the Foundation is committed to acting as a catalyst for positive, systemic and sustainable change in Ottawa and beyond. Priding itself on enabling generous citizens to enhance the quality of life in their community while achieving their own charitable objectives, the Foundation currently manages assets worth almost $130M, and has provided over $100M in grants to the community since its inception. For more information about the Ottawa Community Foundation, visit www.ocf-fco.ca

About the New Leaf Community Challenge

The NLCC initiative is designed to inspire and support the Ottawa community to work together to address the city’s most pressing issues. What we learn about youth unemployment, or other issues identified each year, helps us better use other Foundation levers such as community grants and impact investing, to support ongoing progress in this area.  www.ocf-fco.ca/nlcc-2017/

Media Contact:

Heather Badenoch
613-859-8232
heather@villagepr.ca

or

Danielle Côté
613-799-9057
dcote@ocf-fco.ca