Who we are
The Tamarack Institute develops and supports collaborative strategies that engage citizens and institutions to solve major community issues across Canada and beyond. Tamarack believes that effectively strengthening community capacity to engage citizens, lead collaboratively, deepen community, and reduce poverty contributes to the building of peace and a more equitable society. Tamarack’s work is comprised of two key areas of impact: The Learning Centre and Vibrant Communities.
The Learning Centre:
Tamarack’s Learning Centre exists to empower community changemakers to achieve greater impact. The Learning Centre draws upon Tamarack's 15+ years of experience leading community change and advancing practice to support municipalities, funders, non-profits, and community leaders through on-demand coaching and consulting, in-person and digital training, and publications that guide change efforts.
Tamarack supports its learning network through readily available coaching and consulting, as well as developing five interconnected practices that lead to community change:
- Consulting & Coaching: How can we empower community changemakers to achieve greater impact?
- Collective Impact: How can we mobilize collaboration across sectors for systems change?
- Community Engagement: How can we engage residents to create and realize bold visions for the future?
- Collaborative Leadership: How can we bring the right people together in constructive ways?
- Community Innovation: How can we create, test, and scale new approaches?
- Evaluating Impact: How can we identify and amplify what works?
Vibrant Communities:
Vibrant Communities Canada supports cities and local leaders to develop and implement large-scale change initiatives through four targeted learning networks:
- Communities Ending Povertyis a network of more than 330 municipalities represented by 80+ regional partners who are working collaboratively to reduce and end poverty in their communities.
- Cities Deepening Community is a learning community dedicated to strengthening communities, neighbourhoods and citizen connections. Vibrant Communities is working with 74 neighbourhood strategy leaders in 32 cities, 54 practitioners promoting the citizens role in emergency preparedness, and are dedicated to completing 25 local deepening community initiatives in different cities over the next 5-years.
- Communities Building Youth Futures is a collective impact movement aimed at improving the future of 5,000 youth through system-wide solutions.
- Community Climate Transitions is building a network of communities committed to tackling climate change through just and equtable initiatives aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
These communities support changemakers to regularly interact with and learn from their peers to end poverty in their communities and strengthen connections between citizens.
Learn more on Tamarack's website.