Despite much of the rumbling heard around Canada and BC about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Games preparations, one thing is clear to many who work in the charity world on the west coast: the Vancouver Olympic Committee (VANOC) is going out of its way to make these games one of the most socially sustainable events ever put together.
Running hard…for the people
“When the [Vancouver Olympic] bid was originally being designed, there was engagement by a lot of…nonprofits for the development of inner-city inclusivity,” says David LePage, program manager with Vancouver-based Enterprising Nonprofits (enp).
For LePage, these games represent the culmination of years of advocacy for the emergence of an Olympics that cares about how it puts itself together and could set a standard for the future of all such landmark events.
“You have to look at the evolution; this was the first time that social and environmental sustainability was actually included in the bid. So that opened the door for discussions after the bid was won about how it would be developed. And from my perspective, there are a few significant social enterprise engagements with [VANOC]; one being the flowers that will be presented on the podium. They are being put together by Just Beginnings Flowers – a Vancouver based nonprofit that helps train marginalized women in the community to make flower arrangements,” he explains.
LePage was also pleased that the social enterprise/nonprofit taking care of the Games’ lost and found division is Vancouver’s Network of Inner City Community Services Society.
“But the biggest effect on social enterprise in terms of these Olympics is the fact that a framework for inclusion of social values in purchasing around the games was developed,” he says enthusiastically, “so that the impact on future games, like the in 2014, adapted the framework from the 2010 Olympics at a much earlier stage [in their set-up process]. The implementation in future games will be much greater. So the value of [Vancouver] 2010 is the creation of this framework that includes social enterprise.”
Enterprising Nonprofits was in on the ground level discussions for this framework outline for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. However, according to LePage, there was no possibility to implement a full framework for these upcoming games because “this framework wasn’t there pre-bid. It was limited because of the lack of a [pre-existing framework]. But the commitment of 2010 to the framework has created a great potential from a social enterprise [perspective] for years to come,” he feels.
At this stage in the Games process, LePage says his organization is still very engaged with VANOC staff in establishing what “could be the role of social enterprise” in the Olympics.
“It’s new on our side and on their side. The development of community benefit agreements and other such instruments was new to this Olympics. So a lot of it was a learning process. I compliment some of the VANOC staff for trying to figure it out and put it into place. But because so much of the games is about being on time, on budget and winning medals, the ideal inclusion of social values in the purchasing process was a pretty new development for a lot of people. This is still an emerging issue. We constantly had to demonstrate the potential value.”
Educating the OC
LePage says getting VANOC to buy into sustainable, social value purchasing was tricky in that the organizers understood the term to be linked with “green” purchasing. But projects such as buysmartbc.com – VANOC’s guidelines for its Sustainability and Aboriginal Participation Purchasing Program – and the consultants hired to show how social value could be incorporated into an Olympics, ultimately pushed the idea forward.
“This opened up doors for us to meet with [companies] like Rona and some of the other sponsors. It became a collaboration of influences and we were all learning together. But the value is that I think we’ve set a standard for future Olympics and games. I’m confident in this,” LePage says.
A VANOC spokesperson adds, “The BuySmart program is an Olympic first. We can’t comment for the IOC, but they have been very interested and supportive of our progress in this area.”
According to VANOC literature, the organizers are “committed to making sustainability a part of its planning, decision-making, performance monitoring and reporting.”
As such, its BuySmart program contains the following rules for VANOC’s purchasing policies.
- Increased social, ethical and environmental performance within business operations.
- Growth of Aboriginal and minority-owned businesses and the sustainable enterprise sector.
- Increased jobs for socially and economically disadvantaged groups.
- Higher performance venues and operations to support an “excellent Games.”
- Support the local and provincial economy.
- Increased sustainability purchasing leading to innovation, trade and investment in the sustainability sector.
- Creation of a best practice model for sustainable purchasing.
For LePage, not only will this new social values framework affect the games and allow nonprofits easier access to them, it is also forcing corporate sponsors to look into social value partnerships as well.
Moving social enterprise toward the finish line
June Strandberg, founder of Just Beginning Flowers, says the contract with VANOC has been a godsend. She says her organization won the bid to provide the victory bouquets based on her nonprofit’s experience and social mission, and meeting VANOC’s specific requirements that all flowers and foliage be indigenous to and grown in British Columbia.
Overall, she says her relationship with VANOC has been very good, with only a few “little bumps” here and there. Aside from gaining much exposure to more clients, media and the general public, Strandberg candidly told CharityVillage about her feelings on this particular contract after more than 50 years in the flower business.
“To this point everything has gone so well. I’ve trained some talented women over the past year and they are ready to be hired back to do those bouquets. I have a group of disabled students that have been trained to be our flower handlers and they are also excellent. All the students will be paid and all my lead designers will be paid. The one thing I would have done a bit different is allow a bit more time to the overall project,” Strandberg reflects. “It’s the hours that have gone into all our meetings with VANOC; it took [me] away from the business…that was something I would want to organize better. Other than that, this is a marvelous. One of my students said that every time she makes one of those victory bouquets it will be like getting a medal herself. These women are so proud to do this job. I turned 75 this year. What a great way to spend your 75th year. I might retire after this, but then again maybe not.”
Another influential player on the nonprofit/social enterprise scene in the run up to these games is BC Social Venture Partners (BCSVP).
If you build it, they will come
Cindy Pandini, BCSVP’s executive director, tipped her hat to the above-mentioned nonprofits and also noted the participation of BC’s Developmental Disabilities Association Starworks Packaging and Assembly organization – a social enterprise created to hire people with a developmental disability from the Vancouver area to perform light labour and assembly work – for its winning bid to adhere the official 2010 Olympic pins to poster board backings.
Pandini also touted the inclusion of Vancouver’s East Side charity, the Tradeworks Training Society – a BCSVP grantee – which empowers “people with job-related education, life skills counselling and job search support,” according to its website. It’s a program administered through Service Canada.
“They’ll be training people as carpenters. They’re helping to build the podiums,” she said, adding that BCSVP applauds any and all efforts that were made by VANOC to engage with the community.
“For us to see any of our grantees receive these contracts, it’s a great boon for them. It’s great for their capacity-building and their growth. I think the jury’s still out on whether [VANOC] has done enough. But even just making the commitment in general was a great step forward. It showed some leadership and hopefully will…show the world that the Canadian people have a commitment to social enterprise.”
In addition to their commitment to social enterprise, VANOC also is providing a huge number of volunteer opportunities for citizens from all walks of life. According to a VANOC spokesperson, “We are recruiting approximately 25,000 volunteers for the Games (inclusive of the Vancouver and Sea to Sky corridor – and the Olympic and Paralympic Games). Plus, we are recruiting an additional 10,000 volunteers to perform in the Opening and Closing Ceremonies.”
Andy Levy-Ajzenkopf is president of WordLaunch professional writing services in Toronto. He can be reached at andy@wordlaunch.com.
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