Overcoming Unprecedented Challenges With The Help of The Ontario Trillium Fund
In February of 2021, Impact Hub Ottawa received a $124,000 grant through the Ontario Trillium Foundation after a successful grant application through the Resilient Communities Fund stream. Being a collaborative coworking and meeting space, the team decided to put the funds towards improving the organisation’s capacity to cope with fast-changing workplace conventions after the onset of the COVID-19.
The funding allowed us to equip the space with adequate technology and infrastructure for virtual and hybrid meetings and remote work. Cameras, microphones, and conferencing solutions such as the one pictured on the right, were purchased to encourage patrons to adopt new ways of working amid COVID-19. And to top it all off, sound panelling is being installed around the space to dampen echos and make the workplace transition as seamless and enjoyable as possible for the coworkers.
To ensure our staff and members’ safety and comfort, we purchased sanitising stations and disinfectants. We also replaced our hallway fountain by installing a touchless infrared water bottle filling station to reduce congestion in high traffic areas like the community kitchen.
As more workplaces transitioned to remote work, Impact Hub Ottawa needed the resources to maintain a foothold in the market while still characterising itself as a catalyst for innovation and impact at scale. With the help of the fantastic team at Loop: Design for Social Good, we developed a comprehensive brand strategy to communicate our services to both existing and previously-untapped audiences properly. After enlisting the help of communications experts and web developers, we launched this new dynamic and accessible website in March of 2022.
“The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be underestimated. This grant has helped us to rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 by redesigning our programs and services for virtual and hybrid delivery, creating a safer workspace, and building capacity for long-term stability.”
— Brian Toller, Impact Hub Ottawa’s board chair.
Impact Hub Ottawa is committed to maintaining the strength of its network of impact agents and redefining how they choose to work. We hope that the changes we’ve made both to our physical space and online will continue to help us rebuild our community better and stronger.If you wish to know more about Impact Hub Ottawa, enquire about using the space, or accessing resources, please visit us.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) is an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations. Last year, nearly $112M was invested into 1,384 community projects and partnerships to build healthy and vibrant communities and strengthen the impact of Ontario’s non-profit sector. In 2020/21, OTF supported Ontario’s economic recovery by helping non-profit organisations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19. Visit otf.ca to learn more.