Niagara Knowledge Exchange

THE NON-PROFIT BLUEPRINT, From Ask to Impact: Communicating for Donor Trust and Retention
2026-04-22 09:00 - 11:00 (America/Toronto) | Four Points by Sheraton, 3530 Schmon Pkwy, Thorold, Ontario, l2v 4y6, Canada
You’re doing meaningful work — but non-profits across Canada are experiencing unprecedented workforce instability driven by high turnover, chronic staffing shortages, reduced volunteer engagement, rising burnout, and increasing mental health concerns. These pressures directly impact organizational capacity, service delivery, and long-term sustainability.
This four-part series is designed to help non-profit leaders strengthen their organizations with practical, usable strategies. Each 90-minute session focuses on a key area of resilience and growth: creative HR and hiring solutions, donor communication for trust and retention, using digitization and technology to secure funding, and improving grant writing and reporting.
April 22
From Ask to Impact: Communicating for Donor Trust and Retention
Presenter: Allie Hughes, Chief Strategy Officer, Delta4Digital
Registration:
Non-profit organizations: $40/session plus tax
For more information and to register click here.

Building Safer Communities Grant Program Impact Event
2026-04-22 16:30 - 18:00 | MacBain Community Centre, 7150 Montrose Road, Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2H 3N3, Canada
Niagara Region is pleased to be hosting the Building Safer Communities Grant Program Impact Event to celebrate and share the successes of programs funded through the Building Safer Communities Grant Program. The Grant Program supported community-based initiatives for children, youth, and young adults who are at risk of gun and gang involvement.
This event is an opportunity to learn how funded services work together across the community to support young people and families, with a focus on priority populations, including Black youth, girls and young women, Indigenous youth, and newcomer youth.

GO Open Data Conference 2026
2026-05-05 - 2026-05-06 | ON
Common Ground: Building Canada’s Open Digital Foundation – May 5-6, 2026
This conference will bring together government leaders, technology experts, and open data practitioners to explore how shared digital infrastructure can support better decision-making, stronger communities, and a more resilient public sector.
Across Canada, governments are investing in data, platforms, and analytics — but too often in isolation. This conference focuses on the common ground we need to build together: interoperable standards, trusted data, and open systems that allow information to flow securely across organizations and jurisdictions.
Through four core program areas, the conference will examine how Canada can move from fragmented digital assets to a coherent, open digital foundation:
Event Schedule
May 5, 2026 (Virtual): Interactive Workshops and Technical Deep-Dives.
May 6, 2026 (In-Person): Main Conference at Mississauga City Hall, 12th Floor.
2026 Conference Pillars:

Standards as the Blueprint: Ensuring interoperability and data validation.
Sovereignty, Security, and Trust: Navigating ethics, legalities, and digital twins.
Practical Implementation: Case studies and the business case for digital twins.
AI as the Potential Bridge: Exploring AI as a data “glue” or a source of new challenges.

Call for Submissions
Conference organizers are seeking speakers to lead the conversation. They welcome proposals for technical/applied presentations (30 minutes in length)
How to Apply: please send your proposal or inquiry to conference@go-opendata.ca

Excel & Google Sheets: Level-Up Skills for Nonprofits - CICP Webinar 3
2026-05-05 13:00 - 14:00 | Onlne
Excel & Google Sheets: Level-Up Skills for Nonprofits is a webinar presented by the Charity Insights Canada Project (CICP) Community Education Centre at Carleton University.
This hands-on training event is designed specifically for nonprofit and charitable professionals who want to work smarter with their data. The workshop goes beyond the basics, showing you how to use powerful features in Excel and Google Sheets to analyze, clean, and manage information more effectively.
In this session, you will learn:

How to use VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP and the Google Sheet equivalent
How to identify and manage duplicates in your data
Practical tips to make your spreadsheets work for you

Leave with practical tools you can apply immediately to improve reporting, tracking, and decision-making in your organization.
Webinar Information:

Date: May 5th, 2026
Time: 1:00-2:00PM (EST)
Language: English (closed captioning in English available after video recording is posted)

To register, please complete the form at this link

THE NON-PROFIT BLUEPRINT, Digitization and Technology for Securing Funding
2026-05-06 09:00 - 23:00 | ON
You’re doing meaningful work — but non-profits across Canada are experiencing unprecedented workforce instability driven by high turnover, chronic staffing shortages, reduced volunteer engagement, rising burnout, and increasing mental health concerns. These pressures directly impact organizational capacity, service delivery, and long-term sustainability.
This four-part series is designed to help non-profit leaders strengthen their organizations with practical, usable strategies. Each 90-minute session focuses on a key area of resilience and growth: creative HR and hiring solutions, donor communication for trust and retention, using digitization and technology to secure funding, and improving grant writing and reporting.
May 6
Presenter: Doris Fiander, AI Strategy Advisor and Speaker, Gowest.ai and Quantum Growth AI
Registration:
Non-profit organizations: $40/session plus tax
For more information and to register click here.

Youth Sport Summit
2026-05-12 09:00 - 16:00 | Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
The Youth Sport Summit is an applied event that aims to bring together sport, physical activity, and physical education professionals to understand best practices and learn from other like-minded experts. Whether you are a coach, volunteer, teacher, or administrator that has a best practice, lesson learned, or key program/initiative to be highlighted–we want to hear from you.
Marika Warner, Director of Research and Insights, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE) Launchpad is the keynote speaker for the event.
Registration closes May 7th, 2026

THE NON-PROFIT BLUEPRINT, Grant Writing and Reporting
2026-05-20 09:00 - 11:00 | Four Points by Sheraton, 3530 Schmon Pkwy, Thorold, Ontario, l2v 4y6, Canada
You’re doing meaningful work — but non-profits across Canada are experiencing unprecedented workforce instability driven by high turnover, chronic staffing shortages, reduced volunteer engagement, rising burnout, and increasing mental health concerns. These pressures directly impact organizational capacity, service delivery, and long-term sustainability.
This four-part series is designed to help non-profit leaders strengthen their organizations with practical, usable strategies. Each 90-minute session focuses on a key area of resilience and growth: creative HR and hiring solutions, donor communication for trust and retention, using digitization and technology to secure funding, and improving grant writing and reporting.

May 20
Grant Writing and Reporting
Presenters: Diana Cihak, President and Senior Grant Writer, and Julie Yates, Executive Assistant, Upper Edge Consulting, LLC

Registration:
Non-profit organizations: $40/session plus tax
For more information and to register click here.

Settlement & Gender-Based Violence (GBV): Culturally Responsive & Prevention-Focused Approaches in Newcomer Communities
2026-05-26 08:30 - 17:00 | White Oaks Resort & Spa, 253 Taylor Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, L0S 1J0, Canada
OCASI (Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants), in collaboration with Future Black Female and the Coalition to End Violence Against Women (CEVAW), invites you to this one-day Hybrid Forum. See the Eventbrite registration page for additional information, and to register.
The objective of the full-day professional development training forum is to support settlement service staff in better understanding how newcomer, immigrant, and refugee settlement challenges intersect with safety, gender-based violence, and experiences of trauma. The training aims to strengthen staff confidence in building safer spaces and in engaging clients through culturally safe, trauma and violence-informed, and prevention-focused approaches. The sessions will focus on practical strategies for early information-sharing, early intervention, and critical conversations that prioritize safety and client choice, as well as coordinated responses and cross-sector collaboration that support newcomer well-being and prevent situations from escalating into crisis.
Session 1: Settlement Realities and Early Support.
Session 2: Culturally Safe Engagement and Prevention in Settlement Practice.
Session 3: Early Settlement Education – Rights, Responsibilities, and Expectations in Canada.
Session 4: Building Safer Pathways: Supporting Black Communities Through Settlement and GBV Response.
The deadline to register to attend in-person is May 18, 2026. Light breakfast, lunch, refreshments, & ASL/English/Interpreters will be provided.
Speakers:
Ana Ulloa (She/Her)
Settlement Counsellor | Freelancer
Tehreem Zafar (She/Her)
Director | Health Equity and Newcomer Services | YWCA Hamilton
Rose Karborani (She/Her), Manager | Immigrant Settlement Services, Case Management | Welcome Centre | Orientation to Ontario and International Student Facilitators Supervisor | BridgesNiagara.ca
Maryann Macharia (She/Her)
Community Engagement Lead | Future Black Female
Monique Maison (She/Her)
Community Engagement Worker | Future Black Female

June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada
2026-06-01 | ON
June is National Indigenous History Month in Canada – a time to reflect on Reconciliation and to better understand the challenges that Indigenous communities face. It is also a time to pause and recognize the achievements and contributions of First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people, and celebrate the diversity of cultures and traditions of Indigenous communities.
Click here to learn more about National Indigenous History Month.
Click here to learn about National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21, its significance, and how you can take part in the events.

June is Seniors Month in Ontario
2026-06-01 08:00 - 17:00 | ON
June is Seniors Month in Ontario, a time to acknowledge and honour the amazing seniors in our lives across the province. The 2026 theme, Ontario Seniors — Let’s Get Moving, highlights programs and initiatives that promote wellness, social engagement and education for seniors and older adults
Click here to learn more about Seniors Month in Ontario.

Fundraising Events: From ‘dreaded task’ to Purposeful Strategy’
2026-06-03 09:00 - 11:00 | Heartland Forest, 8215 Heartland Forest Rd, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Join the Niagara Community Foundation for this June 3, 2026 seminar at Heartland Forest.
A professional development keynote on Fundraising Events with guest speaker Don “the Auctioneer” Stewart will help you to learn about what makes an event successful and what makes it fall flat. You don’t want to miss it!

Late Stage, End Stage, Grief & Dying
2026-06-11 18:30 - 20:00 | Online via Zoom
Join the Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region, online on Zoom to:
– Explore what to expect in the late stages of dementia
– Discuss living with anticipatory loss and how this changes when your loved one is dying
– Understand the physical indicators of dying/approaching end of life
– Examine the emotional aspects of supporting the dying
– Consider strategies for adjusting after death
Guest Speakers:
– Joy Friesen – Manager, Community Programs, Hospice Niagara
– Jacklyne Isaak – Public Education Coordinator, Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region
Register by calling the Alzheimer Society office at 905-687-3914 or visit them online at http://www.alzheimerniagara.ca/publicforums

GBF's Healthy Eating Course - June 16 & 23, 2026
2026-06-16 16:40 - 19:30 | ON
Join GBF Community Services in Grimsby for two Healthy Eating workshops, on June 16 and 23, 2026, from 4:40 to 7:30 pm.
By participating in two workshops, you will: learn about nutritious eating choices and habits; mindful eating; connecting with like-minded people that can support your healthy eating journey; and smart planning, shopping, and cooking techniques.
To register for the course, send an email to Sophia Avolio at
wellness@gbfgrimsby.com or call her at (905) 309-5664 Ext 31
Event location details will be provided following registration

Climate Cafe
2026-06-17 18:00 - 19:00 | Niagara Falls Public Library, 4848 Victoria Ave, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
Join in for a community discussion focused on climate change and local sustainability. The session will include open conversations around how people are feeling about climate change, including eco-anxiety, hope for the future, and the challenges residents are seeing within their own communities.
Open to all residents, regardless of previous knowledge or experience with climate issues.

Mind Matters: Brain Health, Aging & Dementia
2026-06-25 13:00 - 15:00 | Grimsby Public Library, 18 Carnegie Lane, Grimsby, Ontario, L3M 1Y1, Canada
Learn about aging and dementia with GBF Community Services on Thursday, June 25, 2026 from 1:00 to 3:00 pm at the Grimsby Public Library. Jacklyne Isaak, Public Education Coordinator, Alzheimers Society of Niagara Region will give an overview of dementia risk factors, and healthy brain strategies.
RSVP to Sophia, wellness@gbfgrimsby.com 905-309-5664 Ext. 31

Canadian Multiculturalism Day
2026-06-27 | ON
On June 27, Canadian Multiculturalism Day honours the many cultural communities that help build a strong and vibrant Canadian society. Take this opportunity to celebrate the cultural diversity that enriches us collectively and reaffirm your commitment to equity, inclusion and mutual respect.

Brock University: Connecting our Communities
2026-06-30 09:30 - 12:00 | Brock University – Main Campus – Rankin Family Pavilion, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way - Room 214/215, St. Catharines, ON, L2T 4C3, Canada
Welcome to Connecting Our Communities!
This event is an opportunity for Niagara Region community organizations and partners to connect with Brock University and our incredible student volunteer opportunities and services.
With 2026 marked as the International Year of the Volunteer by the United Nations, this is the time for organizations to elevate the role of civic participation, rebuild volunteer infrastructure, and celebrate volunteer successes.
We are excited to ignite volunteerism by introducing our community partners to our dynamic and robust student population that are passionate about contributing to volunteerism and community outreach.
With a morning information session, followed by an optional time for networking and brainstorming, Connecting Our Communities aims to provide opportunities to:

Discover ways in which to promote volunteer opportunities to Brock students
Understand the driving forces and barriers to student volunteerism
Learn about academic and extracurricular volunteer partnerships with Brock including Brock Cares programming, and opportunities with Brock Co-op, Career, and Experiential Education
Collaborate with fellow volunteer coordinators to establish a student volunteer engagement strategy

This is a FREE event open to anyone who would like to learn more about engaging with student volunteerism at Brock. There is paid on-site parking and refreshments will be provided.

Canada Day - 2026
2026-07-01 | ON
Since 1868, July 1 has been a day for Canadians from all communities to come together and celebrate our identity and what makes us unique as a nation. Wherever we are, Canada Day is an opportunity for us to show our colours and share our pride across the country. Be part of the celebrations!
The federal government’s Canada Day website includes an interactive map and listing of local events for 2026: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/canada-day/across-canada.html
FACS Niagara (Family and Children’s Services Niagara) provides a listing of 2026 local Canada Day events: https://www.facsniagara.on.ca/canada-day-events-in-niagara/

Preparing for government grants with a focus on projects for older adults/seniors
2026-07-02 09:30 - 12:30 | Merritt Branch St. Catharines Public Library, 221 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2T 2K9, Canada
In support of organizations writing grants with a focus on projects for older adults/seniors:
This project development and grant writing workshop is being hosted in St. Catharines on July 2,2026 by the Regional Services Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming | Ministère du Tourisme, de la Culture et des Jeux.
Workshop date/location/Registration link:

Thursday 2 July at the St. Catharines Public Library Merritt Branch (located at the Pen Centre), 9:30 am to 12:30 pm. Seniors Grants Workshop Registration — 2 July 2026, Merritt Branch, St Catharines Library – Fill out form

Preparing for government grants with a focus on projects for older adults/seniors
2026-07-08 09:30 - 12:30 | West Lincoln Community Centre, 177 West Street, Smithville, ON, L0r2A0, Canada
In support of organizations writing grants with a focus on projects for older adults/seniors:
This project development and grant writing workshop will be held on July 8, 2026. It is hosted by the Regional Services Branch of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Gaming | Ministère du Tourisme, de la Culture et des Jeux.
Workshop date/location/link to Register

Wednesday 8 July at the West Lincoln Community Centre in Smithville, 9:30am to 12:30pm. To Register:
Seniors Grants Workshop Registration — 8 July 2026, West Lincoln Community Centre – Fill out form

Indigenous Medicines Workshop
2026-07-11 10:00 - 13:00 | ON
Join the Brown Homested for an engaging and educational workshop about traditional medicines, how to
identify them and understand their benefits. Participants will learn how to make skin salve, and will be able to take some home. Part of the workshop will include a walk through Short Hills Provincial Park.

Voices That Matter: Black Youth & Mental Health Symposium
2026-07-17 11:00 - 14:30 | Niagara Falls Public Library, 4848 Victoria Ave, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada
This symposium is an opportunity to explore the findings from the UDADA Project’s Black Youth in Canada Mental Health Survey and consider how this knowledge can inform meaningful action across services, organizations, and systems.
The project highlights experiences that are too often overlooked in traditional data, including how race, age, gender, culture, stigma, and systemic barriers shape the mental health and wellbeing of Black youth. Through this youth-centred initiative, Black youth shared their experiences navigating mental health challenges, accessing support, and building resilience.
The findings point to urgent gaps in culturally responsive care, while also identifying opportunities for collaboration, innovation, and stronger, more affirming supports.
This symposium is more than a presentation. It is an opportunity to listen, reflect, and work together to help create communities where Black youth feel seen, understood, supported, and able to thrive.

Summer Saturdays at The Brown Homestead
2026-07-18 10:00 - 16:00, 2026-08-15 10:00 - 16:00 | The Brown Homestead, 1317 Pelham Road, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R6P7, Canada
Discover our pastoral historic homestead with a free family pop-up fun! Play lawn games. Create heritage-inspired crafts. Explore historic buildings. Learn through hands-on heritage demos and activities. Savour summer flavours. Drop-in for a bit, or stay the whole day!
Summer Saturdays are open house-style events. Admission by donation. Open to all.
Dates: July 18, August 15 & September 19
Time: 10 am – 4 pm

Harriet Tubman 175th Anniversary Arrival STC & Commemorative Walk
2026-07-25 10:00 - 14:00 | Downtown St. Catharines – St. Paul Street and James Street, St. Paul and James Street, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
This year marks the 175th anniversary of Harriet Tubman’s arrival in St. Catharines.
Join the St. Catharines Downtown Association on Saturday, July 25 for the official launch of the first self-guided Black History Tour of Downtown St. Catharines, by Rochelle Bush, owner of Tubman Tours Canada.
Celebrate with live entertainment, local speakers, vendors, family activities, food, and a special commemorative walk retracing the historic Emancipation Day procession Harriet Tubman herself participated in while living in St. Catharines.
📍 Downtown St. Catharines
📅 Saturday, July 25
🕙 Community Celebration: 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
🚶 Commemorative Walk: 1 p.m.
The self-guided tour will be available for all attending throughout Emancipation Day Weekend, with celebrations continuing Sunday at Lakeside Park in Port Dalhousie.
Learn more: MyDowntown.ca/EmancipationDay

Autumn Playday at The Homestead
2026-10-03 10:00 - 16:00 | The Brown Homestead, 1317 Pelham Road, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R6P7, Canada
Autumn Playday at the Brown Homestead invites families to experience Niagara’s agricultural heritage through a hands-on day of storytelling, food, and history. Explore the historic John Brown House (c. 1796), create harvest-inspired crafts, discover the journey from flax to linen, uncover local archaeology, and enjoy stories that bring our past into the present.
Sit down for a storytime with the St. Catharines Public Library, discover the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum Tiny Museum, watch the short vignette “Brief Encounters” from Essential Collective Theatre, and savour the flavours of Char-in-the-Kitchen.
This free drop-in event is part of Canada’s nationwide Culture Days festival, and generously supported by Ontario Culture Days.
Celebrate the land, traditions, and people that have shaped rural Niagara.
