In March 2024, Niagara Region Council endorsed the Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy. Recognizing that the Regional Municipality of Niagara and many local providers already deliver services to lift people out of poverty, this Strategy identifies best practice, uncovers gaps and leverages local knowledge to inform future action. Diverse perspectives and experiences shaped this community-owned Strategy. Over 1000 residents informed the Strategy including people living in poverty and over 200 Indigenous people. During this session, the presenters will review the collective impact approach used to engage community and collaborate with many sectors to create the Strategy. They will outline the Strategy’s areas of focus, recommendations and actions. The presenters will describe the evaluation plan designed to measure success and reflect on highlights from the first year of implementation, including how the Strategy informed a regional grant funding program. This presentation will be of interest for municipalities working to end poverty. Whether you're thinking of creating a poverty reduction strategy or looking for ways to enhance existing efforts, you’ll leave with insights and inspiration to engage community, monitor success and build collaborations that can work together to end poverty. Event Resources Presentation Slides View Recording Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy Overview Strategy Report […]

How do you create one outcomes framework for over 150 programs—each with different goals, services, and clients? In this session, we’ll take you behind the scenes of a major initiative led by the City of Toronto’s Social Development, Finance & Administration (SDFA) division to do exactly that. Using a practical approach rooted in Results-Based Accountability and logic models, we’ll walk through how we developed a shared framework that captures meaningful outcomes across diverse areas like community safety, youth development, poverty reduction, and more.