CharityVillage Connects: Should Money Talk? Inequities in Funding and Influence in the Nonprofit Sector

With a keen understanding of social trends and the ability to leverage research to drive strategy, Steven empowers organizations to make strategic decisions that maximize their impact and sustainability, often working on strategic plans, social and market research, policy, and social enterprise strategies. Common Good Strategies’ client portfolio has included organizations such as YMCA Canada, Imagine Canada, the Diversity Institute, the Toronto Foundation, the Toronto Zoo, ParticipACTION, YMCA Toronto Prosper Canada, and dozens of other local and national organizations. 

• GIV3’s first significant advocacy work focused on an increased Disbursement Quota from all grant-making foundations.
• Currently, GIV3 is advocating for the creation of a new Social Sector Fund to empower a stronger charitable and social “for benefit” sector.

John also started a social enterprise research firm, Sector3Insights (2017) to leverage his professional career to bring new unique research + insights to better understand generosity and the charity sector.   He continues to run Sector3Insights in support of various charities in The USA and Canada.  All profits are used for charitable purposes.

About GIV3 and Sector3Insights:  

Outside of his professional research career, and the above, John has also been active in other non-profit organizations as a volunteer (past or present, the list includes): 

• GIV3, current President/Chairman
• Sector3Insights, current President/Chairman
• Veritas Foundation (Selwyn House School)
• Selwyn House School (Chairman of the Board) (past)
• Bishops College School, Board of Directors (past)
• The Study School Foundation, Board of Directors (past)
• Montreal Children’s Hospital Foundation, Board of Directors, and Co-Chair of Leadership Circle (past)
• The Brome Lake Land Foundation, Board of Directors (past)
• Montreal Medical International, Board of Directors (past)
• Optimal Health Care Foundation (Chairman) (past)

John also writes articles and OpEds about charitable topics for publications.

John has been a philanthropic leader in many campaign initiatives in his community.  Recognized and awarded by: The Montreal chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP); and the Montreal Jewish Community Foundation.

John is also happily married, with three adult children, and is constantly exercising, cooking, sculpting (bird life), painting, and exploring the far corners of the natural world.

Mark is particularly interested in the regulation of non-profits and charities in Canada, philanthropy, transparency requirements for the voluntary sector, providing accessible information on regulatory issues, and the use of data to make more informed decisions on the charity sector. 

Mark is quoted regularly in print media and appears frequently on radio and television on topics relating to philanthropy and the regulation of charities in Canada.  Mark has also appeared on a number of occasions in front of the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance on topics such as charity regulation, transparency, accountability and tax incentives for philanthropy. Mark has also made presentations to the Charities Directorate Annual All Staff Meeting as well as the Annual Divisional Staff Meeting of the Determinations Section of Charities Directorate. Mark has presented to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) when the FATF conducted an evaluation of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism in Canada in 2015.  Mark spent 6 years on the Advisory Committee for the Master of Philanthropy and Nonprofit Leadership (MPNL) at Carleton University. Mark is on the Board of the Canadian Charity Law Association. 

Mark was on the Charities Directorate Technical Issues Working Group for 4 years, which is a bi-annual meeting between the Charities Directorate, the Department of Finance and the charity sector to discuss technical and policy issues pertaining to registered charities and the Income Tax Act (Canada). Mark was a member of the Canadian Bar Association National Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Section for 6 years. Mark is a member of the Exempt Organizations Committee of the American Bar Association. 

Mark lectures frequently to various industry and professional groups on charity compliance issues including the Chartered Professional Accountants Canada (CPA Canada), as well as CPA Ontario, BC and Alberta, the Canadian Bar Association, Ontario Bar Association, Canadian Association of Gift Planners, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Ontario Hospital Association, and many other organizations. 

Mark has a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Toronto, an LLB from the University of British Columbia and an LLM from Osgoode Hall Law School in Tax Law. 

You can contact Mark at mark@blumbergs.ca or 416-361-1982 locally or 1-866-961-1982 toll-free.