Hello Members, 

As part of our Strategic Learning and Development Plan (SLDP 2025–2030), the NCRA/ANREC is introducing a new member-driven training stream: Task-Oriented Development Groups.

These Working Groups are designed to bring stations together to collaboratively work on real operational challenges, co-develop shared sector resources, and support long-term capacity-building across Canada’s campus and community radio sector.

Working Groups will:

• Provide peer-to-peer learning and shared problem-solving
• Build common tools, templates, and practices that benefit the entire sector
• Support long-term projects that require more than a single workshop or webinar
• Allow stations to take leadership roles in shaping national standards and operational approaches
• Create sustainable communities of practice that meet regularly throughout the year
• Align with the SLDP’s goals of professionalization, member retention, and structured skill development
  

Groups will set their own schedules, processes, and outputs using a mini-TOR, Leadership Group/Moderators, with scheduled check-ins and a wrap-up session each year at the NCRC. 

Think of this as a mix between a mailing list and a committee with a focus on specific roles or areas of interest that you can collaborate across the sector with. With this model, members have the opportunity not just to learn—but to shape the future of community radio training, tools, and best practices.

Pilot Working Group: Fundraising (Grants)

We are pleased to announce the first Working Group in this new series—a no-cost pilot project for members in good standing in 2026.

This Working Group will focus on strengthening how the sector and stations prepare for, coordinate, and deliver grant applications at both the national and station levels. The intent is to create shared tools, clearer internal processes, and stronger alignment between staff, committees, equity review, and member input.

The group will focus on:

• Improving grant readiness across the sector, such as determining whether the NCRA/ANREC should submit, whether stations should be notified about grant opportunities, and creating a list of opportunities
• Assisting NCRA/ANREC and stations in applying for a grant, including idea generation, budget development and more
• Developing shared templates, language, past grants and budget frameworks that can be adapted locally when sector-wide grants are identified.
• Exploring and supporting fundraising ideas tied to events and more (non-grant)
• Identifying recurring vs. opportunistic funding opportunities and how to plan for them
• Strengthening tracking, documentation, and institutional/sectoral memory for grant applications and reporting
• Creating clearer internal processes that support collaboration between the Fundraising & Finance Committee, staff, and Equity review

The group will not focus on advertising, partnerships or general finances.

This Working Group is intended to address current limitations in our response to funding opportunities and to move toward a more proactive, coordinated, and strategic grant-development model.

This pilot will also help shape the future of all Working Groups—testing scheduling, structure, mini-TORs, collaborative tools, and reporting models.

Pilot Details

• Cost: Free in 2026 for members in good standing
• Schedule: ~6 meetings per year, beginning in February
• Format: Collective member-led, staff-supported collaborative working sessions, email group discussions
• Wrap-Up: Final collaborative report/presentation at NCRC 2027
• Who Should Join: Station managers, board members, fundraisers, staff involved in grant writing or reporting, Equity Committee members, and anyone interested in strengthening funding capacity at the station or sector level

Sign up here: https://forms.gle/JxrRmrQnY3Ufg4997

Recommend Additional Working Groups

We will be launching additional groups based on interest and capacity, guided by the Membership Priority Survey (MPS).

Members are invited to suggest future Working Groups, including (but not limited to):

• Station Resource Sharing (Voice Overs, Equipment, Policy)
• Music Management (Receiving, Reviewing & Storing Music)
• National & Local Advertising Practices
• Audience and Programming Measurement
• Strategic Planning & Succession Planning
• Programming Schedule Review
• Community Partnerships & Engagement

If you’d like to propose another Working Group—just let us know.

Cheers,

Eloisa Veliz