Equity Commons Program Launch Event

This event is designed for:

• Nonprofit leaders and executive directors
• Volunteer managers and coordinators
• Community organizations working with volunteers
• Equity, diversity, and inclusion practitioners
• Anyone interested in building more inclusive volunteer engagement practices

If your organization engages volunteers and wants to strengthen equity and belonging within those experiences, this session is for you.

At this launch event, participants will:

• Learn about the vision and goals of The Equity Commons
• Understand common barriers that shape access to volunteering
• Explore how organizations can move beyond transactional volunteer roles
• Discover upcoming opportunities for learning, collaboration, and capacity building
• Connect with other organizations interested in equitable volunteer engagement

The Equity Commons is a new initiative by VolunteerCalgary that supports organizations in building equity-centred, skill-based, and belonging-focused volunteer engagement.

Through communities of practice, learning labs, and an Equity Volunteer Engagement Framework, participating organizations will strengthen their ability to engage volunteers meaningfully and build stronger relationships with the communities they serve.

Nitu Purna is leading The Equity Commons initiative at VolunteerCalgary. With lived experience as a newcomer and years of equity-focused work in the nonprofit sector, Nitu brings a deep understanding of both the power of volunteering and the barriers that can prevent people from participating.

Her work focuses on helping organizations move toward more inclusive and equitable volunteer engagement practices.