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Building partnerships to support children and families: Smart investments in a civil society
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Charlie Coffey
Executive Vice President
Government & Community Affairs
RBC Financial Group
Annual General Meeting of the BC Association of Family Resource
Programs
Vancouver Public Library
Vancouver, British Columbia
Friday, December 5, 2003
Thanks very much for the warm introduction Pam…
Honourable Linda Reid, ladies and gentlemen…I'm delighted
to join you this morning - to share some thoughts about building
partnerships to support children and families - what I often
refer to as smart investments in a civil society. After learning
that the AGM was being held at the Vancouver Public Library,
I was reminded of a quote by author Richard Armour: A library
"is where people…lower their voices and raise their
minds." Here's hoping we raise our minds today - I'll
rely on Janice Douglas, who knows more about the library effect
than most (and all of you) to be the judge!
Before we get started, I want to share a couple of stories
about my trip to this beautiful (and wet) province just a
week ago. I attended the First Nations Summit in Vancouver
on November 27th - as many of you are aware, the Summit represents
the interests of First Nations working to negotiate treaties
in British Columbia. This group offers a "friendly, inclusive
environment" where people talk about ideas and strategies.
It was a privilege to sit in on the sessions dealing with
health, residential schools and fisheries issues plus witness,
first hand, the spirit of partnership building in the room.
We then headed to Victoria the next day…The First Peoples'
Cultural Foundation hosted the Red Cedar Bridge gala and auction,
an event designed to raise the remaining $500,000 (of the
$1.5 million) for the FirstVoices Project - to continue building
the Aboriginal language legacy. As you know, "there's
an enormous urgency for these languages to be archived before
Elders who speak and know their languages are gone."
The Red Cedar Bridge "is a metaphor for bridging cultural
and technological divides and a symbolic bridge to understanding
and connecting Aboriginal past, present and future."
The Foundation/gala combination is another example of partnership
building in action.
As we begin, please know that I want to hear your questions/comments
following my presentation, as interacting with all of you
will definitely be the best part of my visit. I also want
you to know why building partnerships, promoting a civil society
and supporting early childhood development is important to
me and to RBC Financial Group, so let me set the stage for
making the connections:
Partnerships…at RBC, when our focus is on building partnerships
with the not-for-profit sector, our focus is also on the added
value of collaboration, community leadership and corporate
responsibility.
Corporate responsibility and building a civil society…is
about the marketplace: are we conducting business responsibly;
it's about community: are we assuming a leadership position
with investments and issues pertinent to our business and
customers; it's about the workplace; are we treating employees
well and encouraging/supporting their participation; and it's
about the environment: are we taking care of our surroundings
- the air we breathe - the energy we use - the water we drink?
Early childhood development (ECD)…I'm involved in supporting
ECD and child care because it's an economic investment that
requires more government action. Through our work at RBC Financial
Group, the senior executive team can help influence public
policy. After all, the development of human capital at an
early age is key to a successful economy.
I'm involved because it's an economic investment that requires
more corporate action. As a business leader, I have a responsibility
to push the envelope on high priority issues - and what's
more important than children? This is very much part of corporate
responsibility - building a more civil society.
I'm also involved because it's an economic investment that
requires more community action - kids are everybody's business.
Integrated early years programming is one of the smartest
investments communities can make. As a children's advocate
(and parent), the only way to make a difference is to get
involved and get others involved!
The bottom line is that corporations around the world are
increasingly conscious of the benefit and the necessity of
being, and being seen as, good corporate citizens. In addition,
corporations are becoming more strategically and actively
engaged - we're contributing resources and knowledge, as well
as dollars in order to help build a healthier society. Supporting
early childhood development initiatives is a great means to
weave building partnerships with building a civil society
- to create a win/win!
Overall, I'm confident that the resources and expertise of
the private sector will continue to converge with the not-for-profit
sector, including resurgence in government support and partnerships
at all levels, which is already manifesting itself. It's clear
that the federal government (via the February Budget) made
a solid financial commitment to early childhood development
and care. It's also clear that children's issues "will
be the underlying theme in Paul Martin's top social priorities"
- addressing a proposed child care program is on the discussion
table.
Partners and partnerships come together for many reasons
and in many different ways. Congratulations to Minister Reid,
Dave Park, the BC Association of Family Resource Programs
team (including the likes of Helen Davidson and the board,
not to mention Marianne Drew-Pennington and staff) and all
the children's champions in this room for making smart investments
over the years.
Minister Reid, I read your Estimates Speech to the BC Legislature
(dated March 26, 2003) and was impressed with the partnership
building activity - here are some highlights worth repeating:
- The Canada Northwest FASD (Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Disorder)
Partnership, including partners in BC, Manitoba, Saskatchewan,
Alberta, Nunavut, Northwest Territories and the Yukon, is
committed to increasing public awareness in the prevention
of FASD. There's also a focus on inter-ministry collaboration
- "how we can have a resolve across government that
would matter in the life of a child." Talk about partnership
building both outside and inside government!
- Family resource programs provide parents with information,
education, support, referrals and other early childhood
development services. "In November of 2002, grants
totaling approximately $1.4 million were allocated to 122
family resource programs around the province for establishing
new programs or enhancing existing ones." Talk about
partnership building in the community!
- Make Children First, Building Blocks, Mother Goose, Roots
of Empathy, initiatives for children with autism spectrum
disorder, infant development and family literacy, the Children
First Learning investment in Richmond, not to mention Success
By 6, are just some of the programs that revolve around
partnerships or the community partnership fund in BC. I
recently spoke at the Success By 6 Report Back to the Community
luncheon in Ottawa and am well aware of the focus on creating
environments for young children that nurture stability,
stimulation and support (it's great to see Sheila McFadzean
from Success By 6/United Way and Irene Clarence from Make
Children First here today). Talk about partnership building
opportunities for the corporate sector!
All this partnership talk leads me to Dave Park, the Vancouver
Board of Trade and its Early Childhood Development Task Force.
It's gratifying to see a business task force monitoring developments
in early childhood development, identifying and gathering
information on ECD and working with other organizations to
help shape public/private sector policy relating to early
childhood development. I'll ensure colleagues involved with
the Toronto Board of Trade know about this task force, as
in my mind, this commitment represents the grassroots of early
years corporate partnership building.
Speaking of grassroots…the BC Association of Family
Resource Programs has been instrumental in building positive
ministerial relations to support ECD initiatives across the
province. I'm pleased to hear about the partnership with the
BC Ministry of Children and Family Development (MCFD) - including
regional financial support for Family Resource Programs, the
creation and distribution of FRP-driven ECD educational materials
and the hosting of EDC training events, such as "Invest
In Kids." Since I'm quite familiar with FRP Canada (Sue
Khazaie, who's joined us today, and I co-presented a workshop
at the national conference last year), it's also good to know
that partnership building in support of children and families
is happening through the national organization.
In addition, the Human Early Learning Partnership (HELP),
a pioneer, interdisciplinary research partnership that's directing
a global leadership contribution to new ECD understandings
and approaches, is a tremendous model for partnership building
with the academic community - the network of faculty, researchers
and graduate students from British Columbia's four major universities.
I encourage you to chat with Managing Director Jacqueline
Smit Alex and learn more about HELP.
Up to this point, I've outlined one example after another
of successful partnerships in this province, which tells me
the obvious: you know a few things about what it takes to
make partnerships happen and work well. You know some ways
to get in the door at executive levels - to get the ear of
Minister Reid and members of her team (some of whom are in
the audience). You know that having a connection usually helps
- that targeting circles of influence makes sense. You also
know that developing a strategy is key, i.e., documenting
objectives, research, funding priorities, goals/activities,
a budget, a communications plan, projected results and outcomes
- in other words, creating a business case. And you know that
cultivating national collaborations, sharing best practices,
generating letters of support and joining forces with similar
interest groups can make a difference. What else do you likely
know? You know that branding and board governance are hot
buttons in corporate Canada - that talking the language can
ultimately secure corporate support - that it's all about
knowing your partner.
In a nutshell, preparing "sound bites", networking,
writing/submitting articles and getting your name on invitation
lists for corporate AGMs/events, are all elements of partnership
building. And when you get there, work the floor as some of
you have been doing here! If I can be a sounding board of
support, please touch base by phone or e-mail - I'll leave
a few business cards behind…
The underlying goal of RBC Financial Group's corporate citizenship
programs is prosperity for Canada/Canadians. To achieve this,
we must support education/learning and health, as prosperity
depends on well-developed minds - intelligence, imagination,
ingenuity and innovation. We continue to foster relationships
with business, government, communities and our own employees
to help meet our goals. Making a community difference is a
shared responsibility. Partnerships encourage business to
be catalysts for change - to show their heart. What a great
way to build a civil society and promote social development.
More times than not, best practices are almost always about
partnerships.
For example, the RBC Foundation announced $1.3 million in
funding for our 2003/2004 after-school grants program. This
community partnership is part of our ongoing investment in
children and education. To be chosen for a grant, recipients
must offer structured, supervised activities in what we refer
to as the "3 Ss" environment: safety, social skills
and self-esteem. Activities include: computer instruction,
sports, literacy tutoring, music and art lessons, nutrition
guidance, and homework-help. From Exploration Place, YMCA
(both in Prince George) and Penticton Boys and Girls Club
(Penticton), to Frog Hollow Neighbourhood House, Hastings
Safe Streets - Kids First Program, Kiwassa Neighbourhood House,
Ray-Cam Cooperative Centre, Strathcona Community Association,
Visions Athletic After-School Program (all in the Vancouver
area), British Columbia continues to be well represented in
our program. The RBC Foundation is also proud of our partnership
with the British Columbia Library Association - we assist
in providing Reading Achievement Medals to children participating
in the Association's Summer Reading Club.
The BC Association of Family Resource Programs and each organization
here, has a unique contribution to make in the community:
from Carol Dorn/Debbie Fletcher/Sheri Sinclair (Chilliwack
Family Place Network), Sandra Menzer/Wendy Chow (Vancouver
Society of Children's Centres), Deb Jarvis (Abbotsford Community
Services) and Alva Jenson (Vancouver School Board), to Sheila
Davidson (SFU Child Care Society), Jen McCystal, Rebel-Lynne
Cheena, Susan Miller (Twassa First Nations), Candace Robotham/Cindy
McNeil Hunt (Seabird Island Band), Brenda Faust/Christine
Buttkus (Communities That Care - Squamish) and Wendy Cooper
(Provincial Child Care Council), to name a few, this room
is filled with children's champions and partnerships in action
or in the making.
I wish to thank Pam Kacir for inviting me to participate
in this event and Susan Foster/Lynn Beatty, as well as Pam
again, for their support. It's been a pleasure to meet the
first Minister of State for Early Childhood Development in
Canada, as I usually hear what's going on in BC from the province's
topnotch ECD adviser, Dr. Fraser Mustard. By the way, it was
wonderful to see British Columbia singled out in the four
categories of child care, crisis intervention, provision of
basic necessities and services to seniors at the annual Donner
Canadian Foundation Awards of Excellence in the Delivery of
Social Services on November 21st. More partnerships at work
no doubt!
The time is now to convince corporate Canada to take a more
active interest and leadership role in supporting early childhood
development and care - and to attract more business people
to AGMs like this one. The private sector needs to understand
that investing in children is smart business. Partnerships
are all about inclusion, sharing ideas and strategies, building
bridges, understanding and connections. There's always a place
for business in the community as corporations (large, small
and in between) are an intrinsic part of the community - of
your communities.
In closing, I was reading the remarks delivered at a recent
Directors' meeting by our own Tony Fell, Chairman of RBC Capital
Markets. While wrapping up, he talked about "stirring
the pot" and raising major issues…the comment that
resonated the most with me was this: "When you cut through
it all, it's very easy to believe in what you stand for -
we can all do that - but it's far more difficult to stand
up for what you believe in." I urge you to think about
partnership building - about "stirring the pot"
- about raising issues (and raising our minds) in the context
of standing up for what you believe in. You may find this
is the ultimate smart investment for children and families!
Thank you…now it's your turn.
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