Strengthening Community Connections
We strengthen community connections, whether communities are geographically co-located or they are joined in common purpose.
Changing systems.
Centering equity.
Inspiring Communities is an equity-centered systems transformation leader in
Atlantic Canada. We are a not-for-profit organization based in Nova Scotia.
Our Areas of Focus
We support systems change efforts through:
Building on our Collaboration Success
We know that relationships and partnerships are key to leveraging the power of communities.
Demonstrating our Impact
We evaluate to understand what our impact is and what we have learned, and communicate this clearly.
Modeling Equitable, Efficient & Sustainable Processes
We know that when our core is strong and functioning well, our communities and initiatives are better served.
Our Vision: Equitable, Thriving Communities
We recognize that our current systems and institutions don’t work for the people who need them most. We believe that collective action is essential, so we innovatively connect communities. We create collaborative systems partnerships and measure our impact. To ensure our effectiveness and sustainability, we maintain a strong core.
We keep equity at the heart of our work. For us, equity begins with centering traditional African Nova Scotian communities, Indigenous people, racialized newcomers and others, and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities that have been typically underrepresented and marginalized in social innovation spaces. We recognize intersectionality of identities, and the effect that intersectionality has on people interacting with systems.
We engage in reflective evaluation practices to learn from our experiments, integrate that learning into our work, and share what we’ve learned through our regional and national networks.
Visit our blog to learn more about our work.
Our Guiding Principles Read more >
Today, more than ever, we need to work differently. Together we can find better ways of thinking that lead to better ways of creating positive change. The Inspiring Communities approach focuses on taking the time to develop trusted relationships, from which real change can grow. We are working to change embedded structures, power dynamics and approaches to problem-solving - that can't, and won't, be done overnight.
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Equity, Inclusion & Representation
We act for social justice. Our work is driven by equity to improve social inclusion. We are mindful of the need for reconciliation.
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Starting from Strengths
We start from the belief that all individuals and communities have a wealth of assets.
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Lifelong Learning
We are curious and open to innovation. We trust the process. We learn from each other.
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Intentionality
We make time to get to know each other. We mind the pace. Sometimes that means slowing down, and sometimes it means speeding up. We take care to establish trust and understanding in our work because we know it is essential for collaborative change.
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Reciprocity
We know working for change isn’t always easy. We know we need each other to go far. We approach relationships with an intention for mutual & collective benefit to achieve greater outcomes than we could individually.