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Capacity Canada is excited to announce a new partnership with Volunteer Calgary to bring the Open Hearth project to Calgary, Alberta.

Building on the recent expansion of Open Hearth into Newfoundland & Labrador, this partnership marks another milestone in growing the initiative’s reach across Canada. Through Open Hearth, Capacity Canada is working alongside community partners to support underrepresented women and non-binary individuals in Nonprofit leadership and decision-making roles.

Together, Capacity Canada and Volunteer Calgary will deliver mentorship and organizational culture-change initiatives that strengthen belonging, connection, and inclusive leadership across the Nonprofit sector.

Open Hearth supports Nonprofit organizations and emerging leaders through:

· A mentorship network uplifting underrepresented women and non-binary individuals

· A culture-change framework that helps Nonprofit organizations foster workplaces rooted in belonging, inclusion, and equitable leadership practices

“We’re thrilled to partner with Volunteer Connector Calgary to bring Open Hearth to Calgary and surrounding communities,” said Cathy Brothers, CEO of Capacity Canada. “As Open Hearth continues to grow across the country, partnerships like this are critical to ensuring the initiative is shaped by local communities, relationships, and sector realities. We look forward to working alongside Volunteer Calgary as we continue building spaces where more people can lead and thrive.”

“At Volunteer Calgary, we believe that building equitable systems requires both national vision and local relationships, and this partnership with Capacity Canada brings both together. It strengthens what we're already leading locally: building pathways for people who have historically been excluded from leadership spaces in our sector. We're honoured to bring this initiative to our community and connect it with the equity-centred work we're doing here.” Milton Ortega, Executive Director of Volunteer Calgary.

Open Hearth is a 33-month project running from July 2024 to March 2027. The initiative builds on concepts co-created with women from underrepresented communities during the 2023 Makeover Project, ensuring the work reflects lived experience, community insight, and sector realities.

Following a successful pilot in Waterloo Region and expansion into Newfoundland & Labrador, Calgary marks another important step in growing Open Hearth’s national impact and strengthening equitable leadership across Canada’s nonprofit sector.

Click here to learn more about Open Hearth

An information session will be held on June 2, 2026, from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM MST.

Register for the Information Session

For more information, contact:

· Katie Dodd, Director of Programs and Strategy, Volunteer Calgary, katie@volunteerconnector.org