Let's Imagine

Hosted by Imagine Canada

BusinessInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-CA

About the show

'Let's Imagine' is a podcast series that invites listeners to explore topics and issues that matter to those who care about the nonprofit sector. Listen in as we explore a diverse range of topics such as policy priorities, decent work, social finance, the rise of trust-based philanthropy and more. Join us, and together, Let's Imagine a stronger future.

Listen to episodes

51 recent

November 3, 2026Episode 4641 min

Transcending Transactions: Human-Centred Fundraising in a Digital Age (with Adrian Bartha & Aaron Sanderson)

A donor becomes a row in a database. A gift becomes a number on a dashboard. A person in need becomes a story deployed to move that number. Somewhere along the way, fundraising can start to feel less like an invitation and more like an extraction - even though the whole thing only works because of something deeply human: the personal decision to give. And that decision is getting rarer. Over the past decade, the share of Canadians who donate has fallen from 82% to 54%, according to Statistics Canada's Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating - roughly three million fewer donors since 2018 alone. So is generosity itself shifting? As Canadians head into the season of giving, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by two leaders who see the question from opposite ends of the gift. Adrian Bartha, CEO of raisin software - the Toronto-based fundraising platform that 1.5 million people give through each year; and Aaron Sanderson, President and CEO of Kids Help Phone Foundation - where phone, text, and chat open the door for young people, but there's always a real person on the other side. Together, they unpack why people actually give (including what the sector tends to get wrong), how to meet people where they are, whether that's a phone call, a text, or a click, and adopt new technology without losing what matters most, and where they draw the line as AI reshapes both fundraising and care. They also share practical advice for small and mid-sized organizations doing this work with limited time and tools - and what gives them hope for the year ahead. It's a conversation about treating every gift not as the finish line, but as the start of a relationship. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/wY1NInlp6Cb Listen to past episodes here:https://imaginecanada.ca/en/lets-imagine-podcast

October 6, 2026Episode 4540 min

You're Already Part of It: The Nonprofit Sector in Every Canadian's Life (with Heather McDonald & Patti Pon)

The hospital where you were born. The summer camp that shaped a childhood. The food bank that carried a neighbour through a hard stretch. The museum you wandered through last weekend. Chances are a nonprofit was behind every one of them - and chances are you never thought of it that way. That disconnect is the heart of this episode. Only 41% of Canadians say they know someone who has used the services of a nonprofit or charity, yet 8 in 10 believe those services are essential to their communities. Canadians understand the sector matters. They just don't see themselves as part of it - even as more than 170,000 charities and nonprofits, and the 2.9 million people who work in them, quietly shape daily life across the country. This fall, Imagine Canada launched a national public awareness campaign to close that gap, with a simple message: you're already part of it . In this episode of Let's Imagine , host Bruce MacDonald is joined by two leaders who see the disconnect from very different vantage points. Heather McDonald, President and CEO of United Way Greater Toronto - one of the country's largest community funders; and Patti Pon, President and CEO of Calgary Arts Development - a corner of the charitable sector that millions pour into their lives without ever calling it charity. Together, they trace where the sector touches an ordinary Canadian day from morning to night; unpack what's really at stake when people don't recognize it as their own - for public trust, volunteering, giving, and our shared ability to solve problems; and reflect on the moments that made them realize just how much the nonprofit world had shaped their own lives. It's a conversation about belonging - and about what becomes possible when Canadians stop seeing the sector as something distant and start seeing it as something they're already part of. To learn more about the campaign - and to download the toolkit for your nonprofit to use - visit AlreadyPartOfIt.ca . Make sure to check out our full episode list . This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/dOEfpHoGWOe

August 28, 2026Episode 4439 min

Breaking the Cycle - Education, Equity, and Back-to-School (with Owen Charters)

Every September, millions of students head back to school. For many, it's a familiar rhythm - new school supplies, new teachers, a fresh start. But for young people growing up in low-income communities, the season carries a heavier question: not just whether they'll show up, but whether they'll be able to stay, belong, and imagine a future that includes post-secondary education at all. The nonprofit sector has poured real effort into closing that gap - mentorship, scholarships, food security, after-school support. And yet the divide in educational outcomes between low-income students and their peers has proven stubbornly hard to close. In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by Owen Charters , President and CEO of Pathways to Education Canada. Founded in 2001 in Toronto's Regent Park, Pathways was built on a simple but powerful conviction: that a young person's postal code should never determine their potential. More than two decades later, it works in communities across the country and has helped tens of thousands of students graduate high school and move on to post-secondary education. Together, they explore why wrapping students in integrated support - financial, academic, social, and mentorship - works where piecemeal approaches fall short (ie the importance of supporting the whole person); how Pathways earns trust in communities with complicated relationships to institutions; and how they help position the students to be "job-ready" in a digitally powered, AI-enabled economy. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/qYKcafOCbj7 Listen to past episodes here: https://imaginecanada.ca/en/lets-imagine-podcast

August 13, 2026Episode 4330 min

« Le communautaire à boutte » : mobiliser pour se faire entendre (avec Sophie Tétrault-Martel et Caroline Chartier)

Attirer l'attention des élus et des médias est déjà difficile. Le faire en mobilisant des organismes déjà débordés relève d'un défi encore plus grand. Pourtant, une initiative du secteur communautaire rassemble des organismes de partout au Québec pour revendiquer la reconnaissance du rôle essentiel du communautaire et la fin du financement précaire. Dans cet épisode du balado Imagine, nous recevons Sophie Tétrault-Martel, intervenante au Centre des femmes de Longueuil, et Caroline Chartier, directrice adjointe du Centre Roland-Bertrand à Shawinigan, toutes deux porte-paroles du mouvement « Le communautaire à boutte » . Sophie et Caroline nous expliquent les objectifs et actions du mouvement pour dénoncer une réalité de plus en plus intenable : des besoins qui explosent d'un côté, et des équipes à bout de souffle en première ligne de l'autre. Cette discussion inspirante touche aussi aux défis quotidiens qui poussent les organismes à se mobiliser, à l'importance de continuer à se battre pour se faire entendre et à l'impact de ce mouvement pour les personnes qui en font partie. Lire la transcription complète ici

June 9, 2026Episode 4229 min

Who We Fundraise With Matters: Representation in Philanthropy (with Alain Mootoo)

Across the nonprofit and charitable sector, organizations regularly talk about equity, community impact, and meeting people where they are. But there's a harder question that often goes unasked: who is actually doing the fundraising - and who isn't? Fundraising teams frequently don't reflect the diversity of the communities they raise funds for. That gap isn't just a moral concern - it has real consequences for trust, relationships, and the sector's long-term sustainability. In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by Alain Mootoo, Chief Operating Officer of the CAMH Foundation. Alain oversees the full operations of the Foundation - including the people, strategy, and systems that make fundraising possible. He has also drawn on his own lived experience as an immigrant to Canada, a foreign-trained professional, and a member of the 2SLGBTQ+ community to launch award-winning programs and events for marginalized populations across the country. Together, they explore why representation in fundraising teams matters strategically, not just symbolically; how lived experience shapes the way trust is built with donors and communities; what structural and cultural barriers keep diverse talent from entering and advancing in the field; and what it looks like to create genuine pathways to fundraising leadership for people from marginalized backgrounds. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/mj6UOYQadK3 Listen to pas episodes here: https://imaginecanada.ca/en/lets-imagine-podcast

May 4, 2026Episode 4136 min

Innovative community partnerships for northern education (with Willa Black and Paul Boucher)

Across northern Canada, geography, distance, and limited infrastructure have long made equitable access to education harder to achieve. Connected North was designed to change that - using interactive video technology to connect northern classrooms with scientists, artists, Elders, and other experts. Launched with support from Cisco Systems and now operated by TakingITGlobal, it is built on a foundation of deep community trust and partnership. But technology is only part of the story. What makes Connected North work is the way it was built - in relationship with communities, not just for them. That distinction matters, and it didn't come without hard-won lessons. In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by Willa Black, who founded the program while at Cisco and now serves as Volunteer Chair of Connected North's Advisory Board, and Paul Boucher, a member of the Rocher River people, residential school survivor, Knowledge and Language Keeper, and Language and Cultural Specialist at Paul William Kaeser High School in Fort Smith, Northwest Territories. Together, they explore what it takes to build credibility and trust with northern communities, what genuine partnership looks like from inside the classroom, how Connected North keeps community voices at the centre as it grows, and what gives them hope about the future of equitable education in the North. This episode draws on insights from Imagine Canada's Partnering for Impact report, which features Connected North as a case study in why partnership-led models matter. Listen to past episodes here: https://imaginecanada.ca/en/lets-imagine-podcast Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/EVFjm6fOT4y

March 31, 2026Episode 4026 min

The state of the economy and what business transformation means for Canada's nonprofit sector (with Candace Laing)

Canada's economic landscape has shifted significantly in recent years. Businesses are navigating inflation, labour shortages, digital transformation, and growing geopolitical and trade uncertainty - including questions about the future of Canada-U.S.-Mexico free trade agreements. As businesses adapt to these pressures, the effects ripple across the nonprofit sector. Corporate donations, sponsorships, employee volunteering, and community investment strategies are closely tied to economic conditions. Understanding how businesses are evolving is essential for nonprofits seeking to build strong partnerships and plan for the future. In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by Candace Laing, President and CEO of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. Together, they explore the current state of the Canadian economy, how companies are rethinking community investment and social impact, the new energy around impact investing, and what these shifts may mean for nonprofit organizations. They also discuss digital and AI transformation, how to "challenge ourselves to break up with the present", and what nonprofit leaders should watch for as corporate strategies evolve in an uncertain economic environment. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/WZdNoLZ7uZA Listen to past episodes here: https://imaginecanada.ca/en/lets-imagine-podcast

March 3, 2026Episode 3933 min

Workplaces Were Not Built for Mothers (with Allison Venditti)

As International Women's Day approaches, we're invited not only to celebrate progress, but to confront the systems that still shape inequality in the world of work. One of the clearest examples is the experience of mothers in the workplace - a reality nearly every organization assumes it understands, yet few have truly designed for. For decades, workplace structures were built around outdated assumptions: that caregiving would happen quietly, outside the workday, and without disrupting professional life. While change has come, many of those foundations remain. Mothers continue to face discrimination, stalled advancement, pay gaps, and workplace cultures that treat caregiving as a complication rather than a contribution. In Canada's nonprofit sector - where 77% of workers are women - these challenges are especially urgent. In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by Allison Venditti, Founder and CEO of Moms at Work, Canada's largest community for working mothers and a leading voice on pay equity, caregiving, and workplace transformation. Allison is a Certified HR Leader, pay transparency expert, and a driving force behind national policy shifts aimed at creating more equitable workplaces. Together, Bruce and Allison explore the "motherhood penalty" (and subsequently, the "fatherhood bonus"), the persistent disconnect between workplace policies and real caregiving needs, and what it means to build leadership models grounded in trust, autonomy, and care. They discuss how nonprofits can take meaningful action on pay transparency, redesign pathways to leadership for mothers, and move beyond performative flexibility toward structural change and accountability. Make sure to check out our full episode list . This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. https://imaginecanada.ca/en/lets-imagine-podcast Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/1vvy2SN7XVA

February 5, 2026Episode 3834 min

Celebrating Black Changemakers: Leadership, Culture & Community Care (with Nathan Hall)

As we mark Black History Month, we honour the vision, courage, and generosity of Black leaders whose work has long shaped Canada's nonprofit and charitable sector. From grassroots mutual aid to community organizing and philanthropy, Black leadership has powered social change - often without the recognition it deserves. At the same time, Black leaders and professionals continue to navigate workplaces where difference, power, and identity shape how leadership is experienced and supported. In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by Nathan Hall, CEO of Culture Check, an organization dedicated to helping workplaces confront racism, strengthen psychological safety, and create environments where Black, racialized, and marginalized employees can thrive. Nathan is also the creator of The Work of Us, a framework that reframes culture as shared movement and challenges teams to design better conditions rather than "fixing people." Throughout the conversation, Nathan invites listeners to rethink culture as the rhythm we move to together, and why learning to move in the same direction, in the same way, is essential for nonprofit effectiveness. He shares insights on creating spaces where disagreement is safe, individuals aren't pressured to represent an entire group, and shared movement keeps teams connected rather than pushed apart. Whether you're a nonprofit leader, board member, or someone committed to building healthier, more equitable workplaces, this episode offers thoughtful reflections and practical guidance on leadership, culture, and community care - during Black History Month and beyond. Make sure to check out our full episode list . This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Read the full transcript here

January 8, 2026Episode 3724 min

Good Governance and Leadership in Founder-led Organizations

Founders are often the spark that launches nonprofit organizations - bringing vision, passion, and relentless drive to meet urgent community needs. But founder-led organizations can also face governance pressures such as blurred boundaries between board and management, over-reliance on a single leader, and the risks of "Founder's Syndrome." Without thoughtful structure, succession planning, and clear roles, even strong organizations can stumble. In this episode of Let's Imagine, host Bruce MacDonald is joined by Dr. Susanna Kislenko, a governance researcher and practitioner with the University of Oxford and Carleton University, and co-author of Imagine Canada's new guide, Good Governance and Leadership in Founder-led Organizations . Drawing on research and real-world experience, Susanna explores what makes governance in founder-led nonprofits different, how boards can provide effective oversight while supporting the founder's vision, and why succession planning should be seen as a measure of founder success - not a threat. Whether you're a founder, board member, or nonprofit leader, this conversation offers practical insights to strengthen accountability, prevent harm, and build resilient organizations that can thrive beyond any one individual. Make sure to check out our full episode list . This episode is also available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube. Read the full transcript here: https://share.descript.com/view/N7vYzx6ysZf