Aunties’ Place is an expansion of our Indigenous-led member organization services. It is a bundle of offerings where we practice skill building, provide organizational support and nourishment, build connections , receive sector training, tools, and accompaniment. Ultimately it re-directs resources from Settler Philanthropy to strengthen Indigenous-led organizations, and uplift Indigenous wisdom and ways of being in the work.
Aunties’ Place provides a culturally safe, nourishing and supportive hub for Indigenous-led projects, organizations and initiatives in so-called canada. We welcome you as kin, to a place where we honour dignity, autonomy, protocols and practices. It is a place grounded in Indigenous ways of being. It is by and for Indigenous organizations. We create a space for learning, community, uplifting expertise and wisdom to share with one another.
Aunties’ Place is reciprocal. Information you share will strengthen Indigenous-led organizations and leverage the philanthropic sector to be more impactful in wealth redistribution to Indigenous communities. Any information or cultural knowledge you share in Aunties’ Place will be credited appropriately and confirmed with you – in real time.
“Aunties’ Place was born out of the Auntie relationship that we know and love and when designing the program offerings, we focussed on the rich experience, stories and good energy of our own Aunties. It’s where you go for support. It’s a shoulder to cry on, a place to stay in times of crisis, or a kick in the butt and a soft landing place for our Kin”.
-Kris Archie
Our Indigenous-led Member Organizations can explore two types of offerings at Aunties’ Place:
- A series of skill building and legacy building opportunities available to ALL current Indigenous Organization Members of The Circle. These include: The Pathway to Participation; virtual learning series; access to tools and resources, and ‘office hours’ with Circle team.
- Full administration hosting (invitation only) is for Circle member organizations who have no more than five paid employees, with annual budgets less than $500K, Indigenous women-led organizations, and whose need for admin support matches the Circle’s capacity. Full admin hosting includes running payroll, stewarding grants, and managing all finance and administrative tasks on the organizations’ behalf.
The House Tour
The pathway to participation is a workbook which includes a series of questions that help uncover your organization’s goals and current realities. This step allows our team to offer the right type of supports and gives organizations space to reflect and consider how they want to achieve those goals. Completing the workbook is part of the pathway towards full admin hosting.
Where we show up for people and provide thoughtful resources that support our team. Unlike conventional “human resources,” we centre abundance and wellness in our policies and practices. Tools include role templates, employment contracts, and The Circle’s wellness bundles.
Where we nurture and tend to decision making and leadership, providing tools and opportunities to focus on shared power and shared decision making processes. Governance tools include decision-making support, right-relating bundle (policy examples) and other governance documentation and approaches.
Where we hone in on telling our origin stories, practice weaving in impact and purpose so we can build transformational relationships with funders. We focus on the stewardship of resources vs gatekeeping. Resources include grant management tools, organizational and fundraising how-to’s, and communication and donor management approaches.
A collection of tools, nourishment, resources and wisdom that is found and used in Aunties’ Place. It’s for our Indigenous-led member organizations to access when they most need them and a wide range of topics are included. Inside this living repository, you will find everything from Admin System tools, Indigenous-led Governance tools, Financial tools; Resourcing Humans tools; Harvesting and Fundraising tools.
Aunties-in-Residence are Indigenous leaders who are ready to pause in their work, to take time to reflect and share wisdom. Stays are typically 6 months and include a financial stipend to support this time for rest and reflection.
Where we turn the lights on to see financial and administration systems. The first step to access full admin hosting is to apply for Circle membership and complete the Pathway to Participation. Possible eligibility will be determined in your membership onboarding.
What Aunties’ Place Kin have said….
My connections with Aunties’ Place have been really encouraging. The team has been willing and able to support me in the work and that’s so welcomed. I want to be connected to a community. Connecting with the Aunties’ Place team is real and heart-work. I really needed this connection.
– Rosalie LaBillois, Pathway Participant
Having Auntie’s Place support us not only as an admin partner but also as a thoughtful caring circle of Kin has been instrumental to our success. They affirmed our gifts, helped us notice the red flags that naturally accompany this kind of work, and celebrated us through our hard work. Truly caring and holding us the same way our own aunties would in community.
– Ron Gamblin from National Learning Community
Aunties’ Place FAQs
Aunties’ Place is an expansion of our Indigenous-led member organization services. It is a bundle of offerings where we practice skill building, provide organizational support and nourishment, build connections , receive sector training, tools, and accompaniment. It includes the Pathway to Participation, learning/training opportunities, and where there is organizational alignment, might include full admin hosting for some members.
Full admin hosting is for Circle Indigenous-led member organizations who have no more than five paid employees, is Indigenous women-led, have annual budgets $500K or less. The first step to access full admin hosting is to apply for Circle membership and complete the Pathway to Participation.
The Circle’s team provides support like contract administration, payroll, accounts payable, legal responsibility, financial reporting, compliance guidance, charitable status/filings, and annual financial reporting.
Reciprocity is determined on a sliding scale depending on the size of your organization. Rates are reviewed with potential Kin during the introductory and Pathway to Participation process.
ALL of our Indigenous Organization Members are invited to Aunties’ Place!
Request an information session with the Circle’s Membership team to get started on the Pathway to Participation.
Depending on the kind of support you’re receiving and the availability of the Aunties’ Place team, you can come to Aunties’ Place at any time and stay as long as you need.
A workbook that contains a series of inquiries and prompts to uplift, celebrate and feature the work that you are doing in your organization. It’s a kind of ‘mirror-work’ that can reveal the full picture: the macro (values, programs, etc) and the micro (systems). It will provide documentation and language for organizational planning, funding applications and decision making. The Pathway is not walked alone, our team joins you along the way to support your process.
Once the Pathway is complete, you will receive a document that will provide you with tangible documentation of the process, the opportunities for growth and development, and specific tools to assist you in the future.
- Your time – the pathway takes between a minimum of 3, 90 min calls (4 hours).
- Your openness to an emergent process.
- Your consent as the Pathway is reciprocal – the information you share on the Pathway may be harvested and uplifted so other Indigenous-led organizations can learn from your experiences. Anything that we do share, will be done with your sent and we will provide context on why and how it is shared.
Contact Information
For more information about Aunties’ Place and Circle Membership, please reach out to members@circleonphilanthropy.ca