Big Brothers Big Sisters of Innisfail has hired a new executive director who aims to expand the local non-profit's resources so it can provide more in the community.
Tim Howard began work at Big Brothers Big Sisters on May 6. He comes to Innisfail with over 20 years of non-profit/charitable experience working in corporate, trade association and non-profit environments. He worked most recently as the executive officer for the Canadian Home Builders Association in Edmonton. Before that, he worked as a business manager for the Canadian Society of Petroleum Geologists, as a development officer for the Royal Tyrrell Museum and with the Museum of the Regiments in Calgary (now known as the Military Museums of Calgary). He also served in the Canadian military. He has been married to his current wife for 28 years and has five adult children.
Howard believes a business-type approach can help Big Brothers Big Sisters of Innisfail, considering his mandate to grow the organization through resource development.
“What I'm bringing to this organization is more of a business approach, which is characteristic of trade and professional organizations, as well as the benefit of working as part of a large organization. I bring a strategic approach to the needs of Big Brothers Big Sisters,” Howard said.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Innisfail provides children in town and the surrounding area, including Penhold, Bowden and Spruce View, mentoring in various environments. Volunteer mentors will spend a few hours per week individually with a child of a single-parent family or will spend an hour per week in school with elementary school children in need of extra attention. The goal is to foster a sense of belonging in children and their families which helps develop resiliency.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of Innisfail matched 80 local children with mentors in the past year, but the need is much greater, Howard said, considering a total student population in the area of about 2,500.
“It doesn't take long to figure out that, as a percentage of the total school population, we are really just scratching the surface,” Howard said.
That's why the organization is looking to expand programming, he said. To do that he aims to attract more community involvement, expand its volunteer base and to attract more support from the business community. To do that, he said it's important to outline to potential sponsors a return on their investment.
“They need to see a return on their dollar. It's not always financial, but they need to see a benefit to their staff and a benefit to their shareholders.”
Howard said he sees no challenge in demonstrating the benefits Big Brothers Big Sisters provides.
“When you look at the dropout rate in Canada, the number of kids who drop out of school and compare it to other developed countries, it's horrific,” he said.
“If we can do nothing other than keep a few more kids in school and help them get into post-secondary education after they graduate from high school, that's a massive plus in itself. Beyond that, if we can keep kids from embarking on risky lifestyles, whether it's drugs, smoking or any other pitfalls, that's great. Our mentors can encourage children to be active in their lives and pursue positive activities. These are some of the things that this organization can do and we are one of the few agencies that actually directly services kids.”
Adele McKecknie chairs the Big Brother Big Sisters of Innisfail board of directors. She said Howard was hired because of his experience working with non-profits and his experience with raising funds for organizations.
“We feel this is going to be a very positive move,” she said.
