Impact Organizations of NS

Last week, we welcomed Chris Nemeskeri (he/him) to the team as our Digital Marketing Summer Student! Chris is entering his fourth year at Saint Mary’s University, studying Marketing and Global Business Management. He is passionate about connecting with people and sharing the impact of organizations, and is especially interested in how digital content can help bring meaningful work to life and build community. Before joining IONS, Chris gained experience through other marketing roles and by running his own landscaping business for five years. Outside of work, Chris enjoys spending time outdoors hiking, camping, and skiing, and loves cooking different cuisines. He is often joined on outdoor adventures by his two dogs, Jessie and Whiskey. Please join us in welcoming Chris to the team!

We’re excited to be part of the Halifax Spring Volunteer Fair this year 🌿 Our festival simply wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of volunteers, and we’re always looking to welcome new faces into our community. Come by, say hello, and explore ways to get involved alongside 20+ amazing local organizations. Stop by our booth for a small giveaway and a quick chat with our team❤️ 📍 Halifax Central Library 🗓 May 12 | 1–6 PM

📣Power in community solidarity! This morning, the Nova Scotia Government reversed $53.6 of the $130 million dollars of proposed cuts - a win for several Indigenous, African Nova Scotian, disability and seniors' initiatives. People are the heart of what we do. Thank you for coming together to demonstrate the value of our sector's work. There are still so many Nova Scotians who's livelihoods are deeply affected by the remaining $76.4 million in provincial funding cuts. So while we celebrate our impact, we continue strategizing and working toward a more equitable future. We invite community leaders to join us this Thursday, March 12 for a virtual town hall to discuss the effects of the remaining cuts, share resources, build peer support, and brainstorm how to respond collectively for the wellbeing of Nova Scotians. RSVP at the link in our bio to join the conversation.

📣Are you a nonprofit leader in Nova Scotia affected by the recent budget cuts? Join us in solidarity for a town hall Thursday, March 12. In this virtual gathering, you’ll have the opportunity to connect with your colleagues in the Community Impact Sector to discuss the effects of provincial funding cuts and brainstorm how we respond collectively. Leaders will come away with greater network connections, resources, and strategies for next steps. Info gathered from the town hall will also be used to inform IONS’ advocacy strategy and communications. We hope to see you there! Please share! RSVP: Link in bio✨

A great turnout at today's rally for arts, culture, and heritage that happened across Nova Scotia in response to the $130 Million dollar funding cuts announced in the provincial budget. The Community Impact Sector and those we serve are already deeply feeling these cuts. Representing only 0.66% of the 18.9 Billion dollar provincial budget, the $130M dollar cuts to arts, culture, and social services are minimal savings that will cause long-term damage to our communities and economy. Many Nova Scotians are going to be without jobs, many organizations are going to close their doors, and many Nova Scotians are going to be without lifegiving supports provided by nonprofits. Our sector is not expendable. Arts and culture are critical. Our work matters. Thank you to everyone who showed up, wrote to their MLAs, spread awareness, raised your voices, and who are continuing to advocate for change💜

📣Open Letter to the Government of Nova Scotia Dear Premier Houston and Honourable Members of Cabinet, I’m writing to you today on behalf of Impact Organizations of Nova Scotia – serving the 21,000 non-profit workers employed across Nova Scotia. The proposed provincial budget cuts to grants and contributions represent a serious and compounding threat to the wellbeing of the people, communities, and economy of this province. We are calling on you to reconsider. Nova Scotia's non-profit sector is the backbone of our social safety net, providing essential services and programs to our communities. In addition, our sector also contributes over $1.426 billion to Nova Scotia’s GDP, leveraging provincial investments to attract national and international philanthropic contributions to deliver services that government cannot. In our 2025 State of the Sector survey, 63% of organizations identified government funding as their #1 source of revenue. For a savings of 0.66% of the overall budget, you are removing load-bearing social infrastructure from an already precarious structure. The evidence is clear and consistent — disinvestment in community-based services defers costs into more expensive systems and inflicts lasting harm on the people least able to absorb it. IONS calls on the Government of Nova Scotia to: 1️⃣Immediately suspend planned cuts to non-profit, social services, arts and culture, and mental health funding pending a full economic and social impact review; 2️⃣Engage in urgent, structured consultation with sector leaders before any final budget decisions are made; 3️⃣Commission an independent assessment of the downstream costs these cuts will impose on healthcare, justice, and emergency services; 4️⃣Publicly reaffirm the government's commitment to the non-profit sector as a core partner in service delivery and economic development. The organizations we represent serve your constituents every single day — in every riding, in every corner of this province. We urge you, in the strongest possible terms, to choose a path that protects them. Sincerely, Benny Welter-Nolan IONS Executive Director

The 130 million dollars of funding cuts announced in the provincial budget has shaken our communities. Nova Scotia’s Community Impact Sector is the backbone of our social safety net. We believe the sector is one of the best investments for our collective wellbeing. As the most diverse sector, employing primarily women and many newcomers, racialized people, and 2SLGBTQIA+ members – this $130M cut will disproportionately affect equity-denied communities across the province. We want to hear from you about how these budget cuts have affected you. IONS will be hosting a virtual town hall in the coming weeks to gather together, debrief, and inform how we respond collectively as a sector. In the meantime, we encourage you to repost, leave a comment, share your story, attend a demonstration, and contact your MLAs to express your concerns. We’re here to support you in these challenging times. We’ll be sharing more info shortly about next steps and ways to get involved💜

✨🎙️Sneak peek: IONS podcast! "The Sector" is a new show where we'll bust some existing myths, address real workplace issues, and challenge traditional narratives of working in the Community Impact (nonprofit) Sector. We'll talk the good, the bad, and the ugly. Join your host, Lydia Phillip, in conversation with sector leaders and changemakers to discuss the potential of nonprofits to drive transformative change in Nova Scotia. The Sector invites you to the chat to explore the possibilites and contribute to a more inclusive future. Ready to join the discussion?

We need your help. Here's the deal, there are only two days left before the 2025 State of the Sector Survey closes, and we have only achieved 60% of our goal responses. We need a big enough sample size from organizations across the province to make sure the data can accurately represent sector trends. This will make it easier to identify the challenges the sector is facing and opportunities to provide better advocacy tools and resources. If you have ever benefitted from a resource, tool, blog, newsletter, workshop, gathering, or book list from IONS, all we ask is you take 15mins of your valuable time to help us continue to help you. If you've filled out the survey and are looking for ways to help, first of all - Thank you!! Secondly, please share this post with your network (and don't forget, you can be entered to win a $100 visa gift card) Take the survey at the link on our bio 💫

Did you know that offering flexible and remote work options can help better support your Black employees? Remote work can help increase access to employment and participation in full-time or part-time work by mitigating barriers. It also supports well-being as people can work in more safe, culturally appropriate, and accessible environments. Working from home allows staff to work in ways that make sense for them, increase rest with less time spent commuting, engage in additional caretaking and domestic responsibilities, and participate in community activities. As we near the end of Black History Month, our work to create more inclusive workplaces and spaces will continue. The work does not end. Read the full Possibility Brief here and see how policy changes can have real equity impact at ions.ca

Curious how the 2025 State of the Sector Survey will assist you and your work? Check out these highlights from the 2022 report! 🌟 Gathering data is one of the best ways to help develop advocacy strategies and resources to better equip impact organizations with what they need. Data is a powerful tool and these types of snapshots help us get a better sense of what the sector looks like and where there might be gaps or room for improvement. The data informs the decision-making of sector leaders, policy makers, post-secondary institutions, and others involved in the Community Impact Sector. Your participation and your organization's information is very important! It takes 15 minutes and you can be entered to win a $100 gift card Take the survey at the link in our bio!

Happy Black History and Black Futures Month! This year's theme "Legacy in Action: Celebrating Black Brilliance" highlights the resilience and rich contributions that People of African Descent have made to our province and beyond. This February we celebrate and are inspired by the pathways Black leaders and changemakers have made toward better futures. This month and beyond, we are committed to amplifying Black voices, celebrating Black achievements, recognizing these invaluable impacts, and striving towards more equitable workplaces. By honouring African Heritage Month, we can continue meaningful conversations around justice and equity, combat anti-Black racism in our communities, and build welcoming spaces - which is crucial to ensuring people feel valued and safe. To kick off the month, we have created our annual "Black Stories and Voices" book list by Black authors that you can read this month and all year long! From non-fiction to fantasy to young adult, there's something for everyone in this list - all with the IONS bookworm stamp of approval! Check it out and see if you can find your next read 📖