What is StartWork?

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In partnership with the Government of Alberta and Northpine Foundation, the Institute for Community Prosperity is testing a brand new mode of community investment. If successful, this form of investment could radically upend existing community investment practices across government, foundations and corporate sponsorship. Far too often, social impact initiatives are funded in a hyper-competitive environment with short-term grants from an increasingly smaller pool of capital. StartWork has applied an outcomes procurement approach in working with the Government of Alberta to address the high demand for Alberta Income Support.

What is Outcomes Procurement?

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Outcomes procurement follows procurement practices already widely used in government to create social benefit while saving the government money. This is in contrast to the government's existing relationship with non profits as funders which creates a competitive and constrained environment for non profits to deliver their services. Outcomes procurement modernizes the relationship between non profits and overburdened government agencies while leveraging the marketplace to ensure non profits have the resources they need to to create transformative impact in the communities they serve.

StartWork would not be possible without the incredible work of community partners with expertise working with refugees and those with significant barriers to employment. StartWork provides

• Four pathways to employment
• Access to free driver’s license training
• Connections to others new to working in Canada 
• Job mentorship to remain employed

 Who is involved?

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This novel, collaborative approach, to ensuring refugees have access to good jobs, employment wages and benefits above and beyond Alberta Income Support is made possible thanks to the pioneering support of Northpine Foundation and the Government of Alberta.

StartWork Coordinator

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