Brand Launch, Return to Work Guidelines and Rapid Response Fund

Hi Project Directors,

I hope you’re all well and had a good weekend. Quite a few updates for you this week so I’ll dive straight into brand launch, opening workplaces, rapid response fund and a virtual volunteering resource:

 1. MakeWay Brand Launch

• Thank you so much to those of you who attended, and participated in, the by-invite launch on Thursday. We had over 300 friends and partners join us for the virtual event, and have had some great feedback. For those that weren’t able to make it, you can review the recording here (of course confidential until Thursday!).
• The MakeWay name and brand will go live to the public this Thursday, June 11! We’ll be celebrating with a two-week social media campaign and projects can participate at any point as you like. You’ll receive some sample messages and hashtags that you can draw from on Thursday. It will also include new social media handles for updates!
• Final reminder that you can find the implementation package on Box with new logos, language etc. to go live after Thursday.

2. Reopening places of work  - We have now updated the COVID-19 Manual with the following return to work resources:

• Tides Canada Return to Work Guidelines – To support decision-making and planning for in-person events. Please note that Project Directors will be required to provide a complete and satisfactory safety plan to their Project Specialist a minimum of three days in advance of ANY in-person activity
• Restart plans and workplace guidelines by jurisdiction – Please use these resources to inform your safety plan
• COVID-19 Safety Plan Template – For jurisdictions that do not have their own template (most of them right now) we will use the WorkSafeBC tool, which includes a six-step process to help you create your plan.
• Projects will have full decision-making authority as to when to starting working/delivering programming in-person and TCI is here to support your decision-making and talk through the considerations. So please reach out with any questions or concerns.

 3. Rapid Response Fund for Changemakers

• The decision committee met on June 2 and awarded a total of $20,000 to 4 projects! You can find an overview of the successful applications (all mobilize/stabilize) at the bottom of this page on the COVID-19 manual.
• The application form for Strategize grants is now open!. The decision committee will meet to review the first Strategize proposals on June 16, so all proposals must be in by end of day Monday June 15 to be considered in round one.

 4. Virtual Volunteering

• The Together Project wrote a fantastic guest blog for Charity Village today about how they continue to provide support to newcomers and refugees during the pandemic through online volunteering. To learn more about how to work with online volunteers, check out their blog post here. Thank you Natasha!

As always, please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. The Shared Platform team is here to support you however we can.

Thanks,

Lizzie