About the Saskatchewan Nonprofit Partnership

The Saskatchewan Nonprofit Partnership (SNP) is an unincorporated partnership that began with a small group of Sask-based nonprofit professionals who decided to step in where the Saskatchewan Network of Nonprofit Organizations (SNNO) left off: to improve awareness of the impact of the sector in Saskatchewan, enhance its efforts and reduce its challenges.

The people around SNP’s strategic table are all about creating space for big ideas and innovative approaches to issues faced within the sector. And, always strive to ensure there is a provincial focus, which is inclusive and relevant to all nonprofit organizations regardless of size, scope and location. SNP is a vehicle to share knowledge within the sector – through interpretation and analysis of research, and by providing timely, meaningful data on perceptions and trends within the sector. Our goal is to be representative of the sector – a credible resource and a knowledge hub of opportunity and support for those working and volunteering in nonprofits.

Our mission is to benefit the nonprofit sector through research, networking, public awareness, sector strategy development and thought leadership. Our long-term vision is that the nonprofit sector is widely recognized as a fundamental and essential contributor to Saskatchewan’s success.

Through a collaborative approach to its work, SNP supports you and your organization with information and learning for new leaders, opportunities for mentoring, and research about trends in the sector. It provides a pipeline to help manage some of the challenges that we all face working “in the nonprofit trenches.”

Senior leaders of the following organizations serve as members:

• Boys and Girls Club of Saskatoon
• CFS Saskatoon
• Community Initiatives Fund
• Family Service Regina
• Heritage Saskatchewan
• SARC
• Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association
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Ultimately, our success will result in improved services for the beneficiaries of the work of the nonprofit sector in Saskatchewan. Specifically, we aspire to achieve the following:

• Increase public awareness of the activities and results achieved by the nonprofit sector;
• Deepen understanding of the issues, risks and opportunities within the nonprofit sector by the organizations within the sector, government, and the public;
• Better understanding of how to resource the nonprofit sector resulting in sustainable support and partnerships for services delivered by nonprofit organizations;
• Strengthen collaboration across the nonprofit sector; and,
• Enhance career opportunities within and across the nonprofit sector.

​Background

Following attendance at Imagine Canada’s National Summit in November 2011 a group of nonprofit leaders in Saskatchewan came together to explore the concept of a provincial organization to serve the sector similar to other provinces across the country. Under the umbrella of the Saskatchewan Network of Nonprofit Organizations (SNNO) the group undertook a feasibility study to explore the concept further. Over 500 sector representatives participated in the study culminating in the SNNO Feasibility Study and Organizational Options report.

Results of the study were presented at a provincial summit held in November 2012 and further discussed by the 150 sector leaders who attended the summit. As noted in the Summary of Proceedings strong support for the concept of a provincial association exists, while at the same time many questions remain and further developmental work is required.

​Constrained by limited resources following the Provincial Summit the SNNO committee was unable to immediately pursue further developmental work. In 2014 the Community Initiatives Fund provided the committee with a grant to enable contracting of resources to facilitate research and business plan development. As a result, the committee changed its name to the Saskatchewan Nonprofit Partnership to better describe its current structure. A commitment was made to continue to lead developmental work focusing on five key areas as identified in its mission.