GOOD ENDINGS FEED HEALTHY BEGINNINGS

What stands between now and next? The Endings Hotline invites Canadians to collectively bring a different future forward.

We sense there is a quiet, widespread need in our social sector organizations to do something boldly different— to close down what no longer serves.

endings

The Hotline is an anti-authoritarian project to strengthen rather than diminish civil society for all who live on this land now called Canada. The ethos is that by care-fully attending to the social fabric, we create space for larger systems to reorganize in good ways. Endings—done with care—aren’t dead ends. They’re portals. Endings are fertile compost piles of intelligence, knowledge, relationships, and values from which the next Canada can grow. 

The Endings Hotline seeks to be frontline support for those insiders looking for strategic ways to wind things down whether through leadership transition, program ending, merger, or organizational wind-down, while remaining accountable to the communities those organizations serve. If your organization is wondering whether it’s time to close down—or transition into something else—our Navigators are standing by to help that decision. By calling on us to support you, we seek to be a bridge to connect now to next. 

for canada's

future

If a country (or “a land and its people”) is as strong as its civil society, what can be done to ensure its flourishing? 

HOW DID THAT LAND?

collage here

QUESTIONS

The ENDINGS Hotline is dedicated to openly sharing our learning with other organizations in Canada, and those doing similar work in other countries. The following inquiries will shape what we initially collect and share data about:

✸ Can civil society organizations embrace endings as part of the system’s thriving?

✸ Who is in most need of support, and what is most valuable to help them navigate good organizational endings?

✸ What is the role of funding in good endings?

✸ What unique qualities does Canadian civil society have based on our history, narratives, & culture?

✸ Can civil society closures be an active part of the reconciliation and reparations process?

✸ How can the Hotline support thinking systemically about civil society wellbeing?

OUR DEFINING

WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

In this prototype phase, we greatly need the support of those allies who see the importance of this work to take place in Canada. While sister projects such as Stewarding Loss  and The Decelerator in the UK have been fiscally supported and have had strong success, Canada lacks any large scale civil society projects focused on endings. The most critical support at this stage are:

Share your advice.

We would welcome feedback about our language and framing.

Share with others.

Please circulate this to others in civil society organizations, particularly those considering or facing endings.

Offer assistance.

If you would like to either contribute your time to helping people navigate endings or the work of those who do, please reach out.