NEED TO KNOW

We are incredibly proud to be able to announce that the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues has been officially certified as a Great Place to Work. Great Place to Work is a global leader in workplace culture, helping organizations create a consistently and overwhelmingly positive employee experience. In their words, "A great workplace is one where employees trust the people they work for, have pride in the work they do, and enjoy the people they work with."

This recognition comes after several years of work on our part, in an effort to make EFCL a leader in employee satisfaction and retention in the non-profit space. Our belief is that satisfied, secure employees provide the best support to our members, and we are proud that our efforts have begun to pay off, not only in the form of wider recognition, but in our ability to attract and retain talented employees committed to strengthening the Community League movement. 

We're also happy to be able to extend the experience that has helped make us a recognized employer to Leagues. Join us at our You Didn't Sign Up for HR workshop for a crash course in the biggest issues that face Leagues and time-tested methods for addressing them. We'll take you through our new EFCL HR Toolkit, and detail our HR Fee-for-Service and Employer of Record programs, which can help take HR issues off your plate for minimal cost. 

And, of course, for any ongoing issues with employees, hiring or anything else, you can always reach out to our staff at leaguesupport@efcl.org. Not only can we say we're happy to help, now we have the data and certification to back that up.

COME CELEBRATE OUR BIRTHDAY AT CITY HALL
You have to admit we're looking pretty good for 105! Come join us for a celebration of our ageless grace — and, more importantly, all the incredible work Community League volunteers do for the city —  at our 105th Birthday Party on Friday, January 23 at City Hall. We'll be sipping, munching, skating and dancing the night away as part of the Edmonton Arts Council's Ice Grooves series.

It will be a chance to meet Community League volunteers from all across the city, and take part in that quintessential Community League experience — bonding together on the ice! If you'd like to come out, please RSVP on Eventbrite, so we know how much hot chocolate and cake to bring.

We hope to get a chance to celebrate with you

• Book a 15–30 minute session at a time that works for you.
• Meet virtually for tailored support on your League’s infrastructure and amenities questions.
• No formal agenda — just accessible advice when you need it.

GRANTS

• General Eligibility: Applications are open to registered not-for-profit community leagues in Edmonton that are members in good standing with the EFCL.
• Maximum Funding: Up to $400,000 per project, covering 50% of eligible expenses.
  
• Deadline: January 28, 2026

• General Eligibility: Applications are open to local non-profit organizations or Indigenous governments/organizations that have successfully hosted the same festival within the last two years
• Maximum Funding: Up to $200,000 per project, covering up to 100% of eligible expenses.
  
• Deadline: January 31, 2026
  

FROM OUR PARTNERS

UPCOMING EVENTS

• January 15 - You Didn't Sign Up for HR: How to Handle Employees Without the Headache
• January 22 - Hall Rentals Quarterly Meet-up
• January 23 - EFCL's 105th Birthday Bash
• January 27 - SPICE Up Your Life: Simplified Solar for Community Leagues
• January 29 - Ask Us Anything: The New CLOG Calculation 

ASK AN ADVISOR

David Berry

Senior Communications Advisor 

A: We absolutely get that you're busy, engaged people, and Community Leagues keep your calendars filled enough without making it out to EFCL events. So, as much as we like to see you, we do everything we can to share resources and learnings we have at our workshops to wider audiences. 

The easiest way to get all the information shared at a specific event is still just to sign up for that event. Follow-up emails with links and resources go out to everyone who signs up, regardless of whether they make it or not (we've even recently added an option to our form that allows you to specify that you're just interested in resources, and not actually planning on attending, to help manage our muffins and coffee budget). We've also begun recording some of our online workshops, and will share out the links in these follow-up emails. 

If you forgot to sign up or even just saw a past event that you would have liked to attend, you can always reach out to League Support, and we'd be happy to share the relevant resources with you. And if you're eager to learn more about any topic, you can always check out our online resource library, which is updated regularly and includes everything from workshop documents to in-depth guides on every aspect of League life. 

Still, though, from the ability to ask your specific questions to getting a chance to talk to and learn from your fellow League board members, nothing beats coming out. And the best way to make sure you have time is to plan ahead. Check out our full slate of events on our website, where we have our calendar planned all the way until summer. We hope to see you out at one!

EFCL NEWS