Toronto Workshop Brings Together Ukrainian Community Leaders

Increasingly, Ukrainian community organizations in Canada and the United States have been called to strengthen their governance and to adopt best practices from effective non-profit organizations. This yearning for greater professionalism and strategic planning served as the impetus for a one-day leadership workshop held at the Advocates’ Society Education Centre in Downtown Toronto on Saturday, April 13^th, 2013.

Entitled “Stronger Communities through Stronger Organizations”, the workshop attracted 70 participants representing more than 30 Ukrainian-Canadian organizations and Catholic and Orthodox parishes. Co-sponsored by the Ukrainian Canadian Congress (UCC) and the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation (UCEF), the expanded workshop was designed to build on the success of a non-profit forum held in June of 2012. The brainchild of Christine Kuzyk, a development manager for UCEF, it featured Natalia Bordun, Director of the Institute of Leadership and Non-Profit Management at the Ukrainian Catholic University, and a group of Canadian management experts.

This year’s workshop was organized with the support and encouragement of Paul Grod, President of the UCC, who felt that many more organizations could benefit from the insights and best practices that emerged from the June forum last year. Other organizations rallied to the cause with financial and organizational support, including the Shevchenko Foundation, Ukrainian Credit Union, Ukrainian Jewish Encounter, and the Canadian Ukrainian Immigrant Aid Society.

Ms. Kuzyk opened the proceedings and introduced Paul Grod, UCC President and Alexander Kuzma, Chief Development Officer for UCEF, who welcomed the attendees and challenged them to consider new ways to provide effective leadership to their organizations. 

Mr. Grod shared some recent successes in the UCC’s efforts to rebuild and rejuvenate Ukrainian community organizations in the western provinces of Canada. “Too often we dwell on all our problems. We need to attract new members through success. Be excited about the direction you are going.” Looking into the crowd, he said, “You are the backbone of all things Ukrainian... from pre-school, “sadochky” (kindergartens), to senior’s centres, you provide essential services to our community.”

Mr. Kuzma urged the attendees to “be bold” in their approach: “If you want to accomplish great things, you must see the big picture, not get bogged down in petty squabbles or personality conflicts. You must have the courage to withstand the criticism and the cynicism of the faint of heart.” 

In addressing the challenges facing many organizations, Mr. Kuzma pointed out that throughout Ukrainian history, community leaders faced persecution and reprisals. “This brutal experience and our collective subconscious have made some of us averse to taking risks and prone to overly cautious, unoriginal thinking. It is much easier to go through the motions and engage in activities that have low risk and low impact than to challenge the status quo.”

The facilitator for the training session was Elisabete Way, President and CEO of Management Stratagems Group, and a veteran management consultant. Ms. Way set the stage for the day-long program with a spirited outline of the need for institutional balance between dynamic vision and charismatic leadership on the one hand, and sound management and fiscal stewardship on the other, combined with strong integration of staff and volunteers on all levels. She shared both success stories and disastrous case studies showing how organizations could flourish or collapse, depending on the fundamental strengths or weaknesses of their strategic plans and policies.

One of Ms. Way’s salient points was the need for innovative thinking: “Conventional wisdom sometimes prevents progress. Adversity to risk can prevent growth and sustainability,” she said. “We avoid innovation even when conventional methods have stopped working. We justify our unwillingness to innovate with a conviction that the status quo is the best approach, placing an organization at risk.” Using the example of iconic and successful corporations like Apple, Ms. Way reminded her audience that “the only constant today is change itself”. 

Formal presentations were interspersed with small group discussions and breakout sessions where between 5 and 10 representatives of various organizations shared concerns and experiences. Participants were encouraged to think provocatively and to define sharply (or redefine) their organization’s mission and strategic goals. 

During one exchange, Ms. Way pointed out that three or four organizations had mission statements that were almost identical: “promoting and preserving Ukrainian heritage and culture” with no distinguishing features that could be easily discerned. “Might this be an opportunity for a creative merger or unification?” asked Ms. Way: failure to distinguish or merge could lead to confusion in the community and could weaken each of the organization’s ability to recruit volunteers and donors. In other cases, the opposite was true: a single organization had so many divergent and compelling objectives that a respectful parting into separate organizations might be desirable. Ms. Way also highlighted successful examples of effective marketing from the corporate sector.

Lunchtime speakers focused on the key issues that affect fundraising for non-profit organizations. David Kravinchuk of Fundraising Pharmacy, and Parag Tandon, Principal of Aura Consulting Group, shared their experiences in helping organizations build strong relationships with their donors and inspire donors with passion and a clear, compelling message.

At the close of the workshop program, the organizers distributed evaluation forms to the participants, soliciting feedback and suggestions for the future. Virtually all the responses were very positive. 

Tania Melnyk, a respected community leader who chaired last year’s centennial celebration of the scouting organization PLAST in Toronto remarked: “The fact that so many representatives of our organizations were brought together in one room to consider and work on common problems was, in my experience, unprecedented. The synergy and energy in the room was palpable.” Another community leader called the sessions “worthwhile, informative, excellent.” And yet another respondent summed it up with a call to action: “Great ideas! Now we need to follow through and implement.”

The organizers of the workshop are hoping to replicate this success in other parts of Canada and the United States. For further information, or to host similar workshops in your community, please contact the UCC or UCEF.

PHOTOS

1 - One of the lively breakout sessions during the “Stronger Communities” workshop

2 - Presenters and co-organizers of the “Stronger Communities” workshop. Representing the Ukrainian Canadian Congress and the Ukrainian Catholic Education Foundation.  L. to R.: Paul Grod, Christine Kuzyk, Alex Kuzma, Taras Zalusky