Business Support Series: Planning Strategically in the Time of COVID-19

Business Support Series 
The Business Support Webinar Series will explore timely topics with  industry experts to provide key insights and answers on the best ways to succeed as a business.  Hosted by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, this series will feature a wide range of topics on how to survive and thrive.   

Planning Strategically in the Time of COVID-19:
The Perspective of a Core Not-For-Profit Organization

Join us for a Business Support Series on planning strategically in the time of COVID-19 where we'll take a look at the COVID-19 experience of Alliance Française Halifax, a small non-profit language and cultural centre, as it struggled to manage the initial impacts of the pandemic and rallied to reposition itself in the 'new normal'.

Alliance Française Halifax boldly decided to keep its entire staff at full salary when the crisis hit in March 2020. Entirely auto-financed, total shutdown was not an option. The presentation will look at lessons learned during the emergency response period through to the concerted strategic planning effort currently underway.

These lessons are applicable to any small-to-medium non-profit organization. Crisis and opportunity are two sides of the same coin. 

Three takeaways from this webinar:
 

• The case for planning in non-profit associations (contingency "Staying alive" & strategic "getting ahead of the curve")

• The Board-Operations symbiosis

• Finding the silver lining in the COVID-19 crisis

How does this topic help support the business community?

Nova Scotia's non-profit sector is a major economic contributor ($1.7B to GDP annually; 20,000+ people employed; 74M volunteer hours.) Communities throughout NS rely on the work of both core and government non-profits for a multitude of services to enjoy a standard of life that NS can be proud of.

Non-profits are by nature skilled at partnerships and often join forces with the private and public sectors in what can be rightly called "win-win" activities. COVID-19 did not spare this sector, particularly the small and medium sized non-profits. It is important to share experiences and lessons learned in a concerted effort to keep the non-profit sector strong and relevant.

MEET YOUR PRESENTER:

DIANE KENNY, CHAIR, ALLIANCE FRANCAISE HALIFAX

Diane Kenny retired from a position as Executive Director of policy and planning with the Nova Scotia government in 2010.

Shortly thereafter, she joined the Board of Directors of Alliance Française Halifax, a non-profit French language and cultural centre.

Currently board chair, she is committed to seeing Alliance Française Halifax through the COVID-19 challenge and repositioned for a bright and successful future.

Ms. Kenny holds Master degrees in French literature and in Public Administration.