From Our Vantage Point

In the bustling and challenging world of non-profits, effective communication can make all the difference. Recently, our CEO, Zahra Esmail, caught up with Nadia Tchoumi, the founder of New Hope Media, to learn more about her journey and insights into supporting Black-led and Black-serving non-profits through media and communications. Nadia will be one of the keynote speakers at our 2025 BC Non-Profit Leadership Conference on June 5 & 6, and her story is one of passion, transformation, and hope. Here’s a glimpse into their conversation! Grab your latte and join! Thank you to our podcast sponsor, Humanity Financial, for their support of these important conversations! 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy.  Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too. Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

In this episode of Coffee Chat, Joyce Lin and Tyler Arnold from the Vantage Point team talk about the importance of the 2025 State of BC’s Non-Profit Sector Survey and why they’re inviting voices from across the province to take part. Now in its fifth year, the survey offers a crucial check-in on the realities non-profits in BC are facing. Joyce shares the story of how this initiative began during the pandemic and how it has become a powerful tool to support funding decisions, government relations, and sector-wide advocacy. Tyler explains how sector data is helping to shape submissions to government and why it’s essential for telling a clear, collective story of the sector’s needs and strengths. This year’s survey also includes new questions about funding, staffing, and organizational capacity to better capture the challenges non-profits are navigating right now. 📅 The survey is open until July 18 and takes about 20 minutes to complete. 📊 Results will be shared this fall through a summary report and new interactive data dashboards. Add your voice to the story of BC’s non-profit sector. Take the survey today: surveymonkey.com/r/SOTS2025 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy.  Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too. Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Correction: At approximately 50:12 in this episode, Mita intended to say “Rest is Resistance” instead of “Rest is Revolutionary.”  🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Collaboration Lab: Bridging People, Organizations, and Sectors: https://thevantagepoint.ca/training/all-labs/collaboration-lab/ 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Resources🎥🎞️ Watch the From our Vantage Point episode and presentation on Vimeo here:  🎧 🎙️Listen to the episode on the From our Vantage Point podcast here: https://from-our-vantage-point.simplecast.com/episodes️🖥️📚 The presentation used in the episode, can be found and downloaded separately here: Misconceptions about Rules of Order, Governance, and Minute Taking .pdf🎁The full episode resource pack can be found here: Misconceptions about Non-Profit Governance - Resource Package - Vantage Point.pdf 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests:Dr. Benoit-Antoine Bacon | University of British ColumbiaKevin McCort | Vancouver FoundationWalter Pela | Greater Vancouver Board of TradeHost:Zahra Esmail | Vantage Point’s Chief Executive DirectorResources:Vantage Point State of the Sector ReportsBC Non-Profit NetworkVancouver FoundationGreater Vancouver Board of TradeGreater Vancouver Board of Trade AI Adoption ProgramUniversity of British ColumbiaUBC Community EngagementBC Non-Profit Leadership ConferenceHumanity Financial 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests:Chrissy Bennett | Kidney Foundation of CanadaHost:Maria Turnbull | Vantage Point’s Associate Executive Director 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests:Hildy Gottlieb | Creating the FutureHost:Maria Turnbull | Vantage Point’s Associate Executive DirectorEditor:Paul Wang 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests:Gordon Holley | Humanity FinancialHost:Rafik Karwa | Vantage Point’s Director of FinanceEditor:Paul Wang 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guest:Alex Wilson | Big Sisters BC Lower Mainland and the Association of Fundraising ProfessionalsHost:Zahra Esmail | Vantage Point's Chief Executive OfficerEditor:Paul Wang 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Watch this podcast with closed captions here.Guests:Christopher T. Sutton | Wavefront Centre for Community AccessibilityShelagh Levangie | Harbour West ConsultingHost:Maria Turnbull | Vantage Point's Associate Executive DirectorEditor:Elijah Walsh 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests:Megan Dykeman | British Columbia’s Parliamentary Secretary Prairie Chiu | Vantage Point's Director of Engagement and AdvocacyHost:Zahra Esmail | Vantage Point's Chief Executive OfficerEditor:Paul Wang 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Guests:Dr. Delbar Niroushak | Dr. Delbar's LinkedIn | Coaching for Change EnterpriseHassan Pardawalla | Hassan's LinkedInHost:Rachelle Smalldon | Vantage PointEditor:Elijah Walsh 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Resources:2023 State of the Sector Report: thevantagepoint.ca/sector-reports/Guests:Christoph Cloudius | The Discovery GroupCarol Hall | Victoria FoundationLynette Milkashen | YMCA – Northern BCHost:Cherie Payne | Vantage Point 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Resources:Tamarack Institute’s Resources: Collaboration Spectrum Tool and A Guide for Building a Sustainable and Resilient CollaborationAdrienne Mare Brown’s Holding Change: The Way of Emergent Strategy Facilitation and MediationSustained Collaboration Network tools for non-profits: https://www.sustainedcollab.org/for-nonprofits/Resource on effective mergers and amalgamations: Merging for Good Resources on co-location/shared space: https://www.edmonton.ca/sites/default/files/public-files/documents/PDF/Non-profit-SharedSpace-Toolkit.pdf 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Strengthening the capacity of the Non-profit sector is a primary focus at Vantage Point. Through all our work we seek to support, convene and uplift non-profit organizations in British Columbia. That’s why this conversation is so important to us. How can we use effective fund development practices and efficient technology to support our sector? The tools are out there. How can we use them best? Why are inclusive fundraising practices important? Who is responsible for financially supporting the sector? In this episode, our host and CEO of Vantage Point, Zahra Esmail, talks with Bryna Dilman, the Senior Director of Growth and Marketing at Keela, exploring the importance of strong and inclusive fund development and how data-driven technology can help us in building a stronger non-profit sector. 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy.  Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too. Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Warrior Life PodcastSqueaky Wheel PodcastBryce, P.H. (1922). The Story of a National Crime. James Hope & Sons Ltd, Ottawa.The Gift Of Sacred Being. In L.B. Brown, "Two Spirit People: American Indian Lesbian Women And Gay Men by: D. ChampagneDaschuk, James. (2013). Clearing the Plains: Disease, Politics or Starvation, and the Loss of Aboriginal life. University of Regina Press, Regina.Geddes, Gary (2007). Medicine Unbundled. Heritage House, Victoria.  Joseph, Bob. (2018). 21 Things you May not Know about the Indian Act. Indigenous Relations Press, British Columbia.Manuel, Arthur & Derrickson, Ronald. (2017). The Reconciliation Manifesto: Recovering the Land, Rebuilding the Economy. James Lorimer and Company Ltd, Toronto.Palmater, Pamela. (2015). Indigenous Nationhood: Empowering Grassroots Citizens. Fernwood Publishing, Nova Scotia.Reynolds, Jim. (2018). Aboriginal Peoples and the Law. Purich Publishers, UBC Press, Vancouver.Teillet, Jean. (2019). The Northwest is our Mother: The Story of Louis Riel’s People, The Metis Nation: HarperCollins Publisher’s Limited, Toronto.Out Saskatoon, Two Spirit Missing and murdered indigenous womens report  🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

This episode we speak with Kevin McCort, CEO of the Vancouver Foundation, and Katie Clogg, Executive Director of the Sunshine Coast Resource Centre about the new Recovery & Resiliency Fund – $34 million of new funding available for not-for-profits and open for applications until September 30. It is an eye-opening conversation about what these two leaders have learned about good practices in past funding models, and what this new Fund can seek to correct with novel approaches, innovative evaluation criteria, and commitment to multi-year funding to ensure sustainable staffing and projects. BC not-for-profits and charities can apply for a grant from the Recovery and Resiliency Fund at this link: https://www.vancouverfoundation.ca/grants/recovery-and-resiliency-fund 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy.  Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too. Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

Timestamps 00:08 | Intro01:36 | Hello, Darrell!05:46 | What is coaching?10:19 | Why is coaching an essential leadership skill?16:14 | Coaching stories23:26 | Ad24:21 | Choosing your timing29:36 | Ethical concerns & common mistakes35:07 | Final suggestions & resources36:24 | Outro & BOSS Conference InfoResourcesOrganizational Coaching Certificate (UBC)Introduction to Coaching (Vantage Point)See next available in our events calendarLove + Work by Marcus BuckinghamOak Management ConsultingEssential Impact 🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.

The Community Engagement office at UBC supports university and community partners to work together, bringing the full force of combined experiences, expertise, and knowledge to advance a more just and sustainable society. This episode features Kat Cureton, Advisor at Community Engagement, and Katie McCallum, who is the Manager of the Community Engagement office. It was great to talk to them both about where possible opportunities lie for not-for-profits and universities to work together towards their common goals. Before we jump into the conversation, I’d like to introduce you to our guests.Timestamps00:00 | Intro 03:00 | Self introductions: Kat & Katie                           05:51 | What part can universities play?10:07 | Navigating the university system 14:29 | Stories from the Help Desk17:43 | Funding opportunities & hiring students23:12 | Resource re-cap23:35 | Humanity Financial Ad24:28 | Making the ask28:14 | How can universities listen?33:12 | Reciprocity35:28 | Accessible learning opportunities38:45 | Closing reflections40:40 | Outro ResourcesCommunity Partner Help DeskContact email: community.engagement@ubc.caTwitter: @ubcCommEngageFunding for community partners:Partnership Recognition FundCommunity University Engagement Support FundMitacsUBC Arts AmplifierUBC Centre for Community Engaged LearningSocial Impact LabUBC CareersOnlineCommunity Scholars ProgramEdXUBC Extended Learningevents.ubc.ca  🎙️ From Our Vantage Point is a podcast by Vantage Point, sharing real conversations and practical insights from BC’s non-profit sector. Vantage Point provides high quality, practical education, facilitation, and consulting support to BC’s non-profit sector as well as programs that support sector success through convening, facilitation, and advocacy. Because when non-profits thrive, communities do too.Generously supported by our partners at Humanity Financial.