Fundraising Goal $50,000.00
Circles for Reconciliation (CFR) is announcing a “Fundraising for Reconciliation Efforts Campaign” to continue with our circle activities and events.
Updates: The landscape is changing fast for reconciliation efforts and all non-profits. On January 16th, 2025 CFR received two emails within 1.25 minutes of each other, indicating our project was not selected for continuous support funding. The total of these two grants were one million dollars for three years of core and growth funding. Our organization was shocked as we were patiently waiting most of the 2024 year to hear back from these partners. Then this sad news came our way.
This unexpected and devastating turn of events has created a temporary cash flow crunch for our operations as we await the outcome of pending grant applications. Word is expected sometime in July, 2025. It’s been necessary to lay-off a Circle Coordinator and cut-back hours for another. They are dedicated and committed to coordinating the circles’ activities that so many are waiting patiently for their journey. There have been 158 Circles held since 2016 and 20 Facilitator Training Sessions . We all work virtually from our homes, so there are no overhead expenses. We are still maintaining our regular circle activities at a reduced pace with utilizing valuable time, skill and energy donations from our volunteers. The good news for everyone is that we are continuing to plan for our biggest annual event, our National Indigenous Peoples Day Community Barbeque in June!
This immediate fundraising need is for bridging the gap to enable our ongoing activities to move forward in their normal timeframes.
Your legacy donations of any size will make a huge impact and allow us to foster important relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people. They will continue advancing reconciliation through proven pathways.
Our track record from over nine years of growth demonstrates that our core approach of facilitating balanced Talking Circles between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people is a personal way to bring minds and hearts together to initiate that all important change and unity through our reconciliation process.
The TRC Commissioners wrote: “Survivors told us that Canadians must learn about the history of residential schools in ways that change both minds and hearts.” (page 234). Bringing these words to life is a large-scale systemic transformation!
Welcome to our journey and a heartfelt “Thank you in advance for your contribution that means so much to many Indigenous and non-Indigenous people creating deep and relational commitments to one another”.
Mínwastá Kákike (to repair forever)
Circles for Reconciliation Team Members.
CFR appreciates the volunteer drone photography and editing services provided by Colin Bennett for this meaningful video.
How to Respond
Please use the red “Donate” button below to bring up a “pop-up” donation form using the secure technology of CanadaHelps.
DONATE
Should the form not function on your system, this link provides an alternative secure page.
What we do
The aim of Circles for Reconciliation is to establish trusting, meaningful relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples as part of the 94 Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).
The means to achieve this is the creation of small gatherings of an equal number of Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in discussion circles.
Every Circle needs five Indigenous and five non-Indigenous participants. Relationships are built by equal voices.
How we do it
- Each group of ten participants, led by two trained facilitators, meets weekly or biweekly for seven gatherings 90 minutes in length.
- These seven meetings allow for the beginnings of respectful relationships, which the TRC stresses is the basis of reconciliation.
- The participants sit in a circle, providing greater opportunities for sharing and being respectful of traditional Indigenous values and customs.
- Themes for each Circle continue to be developed and, where necessary, are being adapted to different Indigenous customs and practices across Canada.
The Circles for Reconciliation team is pleased to present our 2024 Newsletter in a “flip book” style which can also be downloaded. We know that you will find many stories of hope and advancement of the reconciliation journey within the pages.
Edited and designed by Leena Tetrault
Click on the small image to view.
This particular edition is dedicated to the hard work and life of Rick Demas (our previous editor) as a Residential School Survivor and all others who were in or never returned home from these terrible schools. Rick passed away suddenly on April 8, 2024.
Mínwastá Kákike (to repair forever)