BC is one of only two provinces in Canada without a poverty reduction plan, despite the fact that our poverty levels are among the highest in Canada, especially among children (18.6% of our kids kids live in poverty!) What can we do about it? Yesterday I attended a meeting regarding the Port Hardy Poverty Reduction Strategy to find out.

One thing that communities, including Port Hardy, are doing to help is creating Poverty Reduction Strategies at the local level. The Union of British Columbia Municipalities, in 2012, recommended seven pilot communities to the Ministry of Children and Family Development to develop strategies and share best practices with the Ministry, to be shared with the rest of the province. So, as part of those efforts, we have a community facilitator in Port Hardy who has been meeting with people and setting up the meeting for us to talk about how to develop our strategy.

At this gathering it was clear that the issue of poverty is a priority for many people in the community, with representatives from Port Hardy council, the RCMP, the Kwakiutl First Nation, the Gwa'sala-'Nakwaxda'xw Nations, The Ministry of Children and Family Development, Strong Start, North Island Crisis & Counselling Centre, North Island College, the Salvation Army, our local Harvest Food Bank, our local Native Friendship Centre, the Mt. Waddington Health Network, Vancouver Island Health Authority, AND North Island Employment Foundation Society! Even with that many people sitting around the table, we came up with many more who help people in poverty and/or should be helping create the plan.

This was an interesting look at just how many different people, organizations, programs etc. take on a small piece of the poverty puzzle. I can really see how, without a shared strategy, it is difficult to combine efforts to make the biggest difference for the community members who need support. I am looking forward to the work of this group, and encourage you to look up poverty reduction efforts in your own community!

Here are some sample plans, mentioned at the meeting, that might inspire you:

• Revelstoke
• Surrey

Also, take a look at the BC Poverty Reduction Coalition's website to learn more about this issue.

Here's to all of the folks scrambling today to get final reports and funding proposals in before the end of the fiscal year!

To the uninitiated, it seems crazy that so much spending and activity takes place at this time of year, but for many it's par for the course when you work on projects without permanent funding.

Over the years I have learned some tips for alleviating the stresses of end-of-year spending and reporting. Here are some favourites (which mostly apply to First Nations, but have some general applicability as well):

When you start projects:

• From the beginning of the project, make sure you are consolidating information according to the final reporting template (or, if that's not available, according to the proposal you submitted) so that you don't need to crunch all of those numbers in one day.
• My own planning mentor, Tony Wong of Quintry Management Consulting Inc. always suggested that I create a detailed list of prioritized "wants" for my program/project (computer software, cameras, office supplies, etc.). Then, when some extra funds are freed up (if, for example, you're under budget in a certain area of your project) they can be applied to the "want" list. It's a simple concept, but it gives you time to plan what you would do with extra funds, and research options, rather than blowing money on low-priority items.

Near the end of projects:

• I really like to use one-time funds to support ongoing activities in the community. For example, purchasing a three-year pro subscription to a survey program like Fluid Surveys, so that the community can continue to use the program for the next few years. 
• If you are throwing an open-house or community gathering to do end-of-project reporting back, think about how to support the community's own members and businesses with project funds. For example, using community members to cater, purchasing door prizes or gifts from artisans in the community, or using gift certificates from band-owned businesses as prizes. For example, last year my community held a big open house, and as the main prizes we gave away gift certificates to our own water taxi company, so that the winning community members could take a trip to our traditional territories. Everyone wins!
• Delegate! If you know you are going to have a ton of work to do in the last few days before March 31, and you have extra funds, hire someone to help you with basic data entry.
• Make sure to schedule some self-care in early April, to help alleviate the extra stress of this time of year!

I'm spending the day helping one of my mentees crunch numbers from some community engagement activities, and happy to be able to help out :) Do you have any favourite end-of-fiscal-year tips? I'd love to hear them!

-JH