Growing Roots: Lessons from the Social Purpose Sector in Halifax

Aerial view of Halifax on a sunny day.

On a recent trip to Halifax to visit family, Roots & Rivers’ Senior Project Lead Austin Lui was grateful for the opportunity to meet with folks from the city’s vibrant social purpose sector. Through great conversations over many cups of coffee and a few delicious meals, the trip provided a window into Atlantic Canada’s social purpose landscape. While different from British Columbia in many ways, familiar challenges and opportunities for consultants working in this space remain. Here are some key learnings Austin shared with our team:

Relationships Are Everything

Something that stood out right away was how Halifax’s social purpose section was so deeply based on relationships. Opportunities come more frequently through trusted networks, rather than open calls or requests for proposals. Funding can follow this pattern, too. Much of the funding available to the social purpose sector comes from a small group of key funders, government departments, and foundations. People I met with emphasized the importance of building direct relationships with funders to supplement formal application processes.

Valuing Local Knowledge and the Outside Perspective

For some communities, there’s a strong preference to work with consultants and collaborators who are rooted in the local context—people who know the landscape, the history, and the relationships that shape the work. Others are open to partnering with folks “from away,” recognizing that with time, trust, and respect, valuable relationships can be built despite geography.

There’s real value in both perspectives. Those grounded in local knowledge offer deep insight into community dynamics, while outsiders can bring a fresh lens by bringing national or cross-regional experience with humility and a willingness to listen. At its best, this blend allows for the sharing of best practices, creative thinking, and innovative approaches that have been tested in other places.

Earning trust as an outsider takes time. Showing up matters. Listening well and forming genuine connections are essential to establishing credibility. Relationships are the foundation for meaningful work. When those relationships are grounded in mutual respect, the learning can go both ways.

Growing Roots

At Roots & Rivers, we’re curious about how we can continue learning from and contributing to communities across Canada. As we explore opportunities to build stronger relationships in new communities, we’re especially mindful of the importance of showing up with humility, listening first, and earning trust over time.

Austin’s time in Halifax offered a chance to learn from people doing thoughtful, values-driven work. The strong spirit of collaboration and a willingness to share ideas, especially around community organizing, evaluation, and adaptive planning, reminded our team of the value in collaborating across regions, while staying grounded in local context.

While we’re still newcomers to the Atlantic region, a few areas stood out where we might be able to contribute in the future, should the opportunity emerge:

• Supporting nonprofit leaders: With a growing population and ongoing economic shifts, there’s a need for strategic thinking around governance, leadership transitions, and capacity-building.

• Exchanging best practices: Many of the approaches we encountered in Halifax mirrored challenges and innovations we’ve seen in other parts of the country—offering opportunities for shared learning.

• Building local relationships: We know that real credibility comes from showing up consistently and building authentic connections. That’s where it starts.
  

Final Thoughts

Deepening connections in a new region isn’t just about bringing expertise. It’s about understanding the local culture, building trust, and making sure your work actually helps the community. For us at Roots & Rivers, the takeaway is clear: listen first, learn from the people already doing the work, and find ways to collaborate meaningfully. Whether it’s in Vancouver or Halifax, the social purpose sector always comes down to relationships.

We’re excited to be spending time in Halifax later this year to continue investing in relationships. Our team members will be in town for the Canadian Forum on Social Innovation in June and again in October for a strategic planning session with a local client. If you know anyone we should connect with, please let us know. We're excited to grow our roots and to explore where we might be of service. Always in partnership and always at the speed of trust.