Pillar Nonprofit Network

Pillar Nonprofit Network, established in 2001, is a not-for-profit agency in London, Ontario. Pillar Nonprofit Network acts as an umbrella organization that supports over 340 nonprofits and charities in their missions to the London community. The organization "provides leadership, advocacy and professional development, and promotes volunteerism, networking opportunities and information sharing."^[1] Pillar provides services such as development services, social enterprise services, professional development courses to its nonprofit members.

Timeline^[2]

• June 2001: Community Volunteer Summit held
• July 2001: Pillar - Voluntary Sector Network is created
• August 2002: Pillar – Voluntary Sector Network opens office in London Public Library’s Central Branch
• April 2003: Official launch of www.pillarv.com
• July 2003: Incorporation as a nonprofit organization
• May 2004: Official Canadian charity status
• May 2004: Pillar hosts the first London Leadership Conference
• January 2008: Official launch of redesigned website -www.pillarnonprofit.ca
• June 2009: Renamed “Pillar Nonprofit Network”
• April 2011: Celebration of 10th anniversary
• January 2014: New website launches
• Sept 29, 2014: Purchased 201 King Street for Social Innovation Shared Space

Since 2009, Pillar Nonprofit Network has hosted an annual awards ceremony to celebrate London's nonprofits, charities, and volunteers. Community members are nominated under four categories: Community Collaboration, Community Innovation, Community Impact, and Community Leadership. Award recipients receive $2,500 which is donated to a charity of their choice, as well as a trophy to symbolize their achievements.

Award Nominees by Year

2015 Award Finalists ^[3]

• Community Innovation

1. Advocacy Through Action: Students Bringing Psychology to Our Community
2. Fairy Godmother Project
3. Special Olympics London

• Community Leadership

1. Marie Claire Bilyk
2. Donald D’Haene
3. Barb MacQuarrie

• Community Impact

1. Clarke Road Secondary School Graduating Class of 2008/2009
2. London Green Festival Team
3. Reforest London

• Community Collaboration

1. Brownstone B: Big, Bold & Beautiful
2. ClothingWorks
3. Fanshawe Chorus London

2014 Award Finalists^[4]

• Community Innovation

1. 100 Women Who Care
2. Coupons for Hunger
3. Don’t Forget Theatre

• Community Leadership

1. Jeff Flesher
2. Bryna Warshawsky
3. Dennis Winkler

• Community Impact

1. El Sistema Aeolian
2. N’Amerind Friendship Centre – Community Liaison Program
3. St. Paul’s Social Services

• Community Collaboration

1. Community Alliance for Development Disabilities and Autism
2. London CAReS
3. Real Voice Project

2013 Award Finalists ^[5]

• Community Innovation

1. London Crisis Pregnancy Centre
2. Oral Health, Total Health's Sharing Smiles Day – London
3. Project Play (Award Recipient)

• Leadership

1. Kate Ballagh Steeper (Award Recipient)
2. Arden McClean
3. Steve Plunkett

• Impact

1. Impact Junk Solutions
2. Muslim Resource Centre for Social Support & Integration (Award Recipient)
3. North East London Community Engagement

• Collaboration

1. Braz for the Cause and Fanshawe College
2. Meals on Wheels London and Youth Opportunities Unlimited (Award Recipient)
3. London’s Million Tree Challenge

Innovation Works is a social innovation shared space building in London, Ontario, operated by Pillar Nonprofit Network in collaboration with the London Arts Council, Emerging Leaders, and the London Heritage Council.^[6] Located at 201 King Street in London, the building consists of 32,000 square-feet and four floors of space designated to social entrepreneur, nonprofit, social purpose business, government tenants. The goal of Innovation Works is to provide a "shared" space where socially-minded individuals can come together, work, and collaborate.^[7]

Amenities include desk clusters, private desks, private offices, communal meeting rooms, open-concept social hubs, and shared printers and Internet. The space also has a variety of "flex desks" which are rented based on a set number of hours per month. The building also offers a number of community board rooms which can be rented by community members on a per-meeting basis.^[7]

On October 21, 2015, Pillar Nonprofit Network launched a community bond to raise $1,000,000 to fund Innovation Works. This was the first bond of its type to be solicited in London, Ontario. With a $1,000 minimum deposit, community members would earn "three percent interest in annual payments over five years, with an option to continue the investment after the fifth year.^[8]" Pillar Nonprofit Network reached its goal of raising $1,000,000 by February 2016.

On April 22 - 25, 2015, Pillar Nonprofit partnered with the Social Enterprise Council of Canada to host the fifth annual Canadian Conference on Social Enterprise.^[9] The conference took place at the London Convention Centre in London, Ontario, and it invited social entrepreneurs from across Canada to participate in an educational learning experience. Conference goers included practitioners, government personnel, social investors, and nonprofit organizations that were interested in enhancing their knowledge on the topic of social enterprise. It offered attendees training and work sessions, lectures, tours of existing social enterprises, networking events, and dinners.^[10]

The event offered educational sessions on a variety of subjects given by 40 guest speakers. Speakers discussed subjects such as business development, cross sector partnership, and buying social. Speakers included individuals such as Founder and CEO of the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI) in Toronto, Ontario and New York, New York, Tonya Surman, President and CEO of Goodwill Industries, Michelle Quintyn, Founder and CEO of Axiom News, Peter Pula, and Chief Operating Officer at Green Shield Canada, Bill Moffatt. ^[11]

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