Celebrating Talent: Bruce MacDonald

As Canada’s leading consultancy to the non-profit sector, at KCI we measure our success through the success of our clients. It’s energizing to look back at 20 years of KCI Search + Talent candidate ‘placements’ to see what the leaders we’ve placed have accomplished for organizations all across our country.

It’s also gratifying to see that many people ‘placed’ by KCI have stayed and thrived in their roles long past the average tenure that we see in the sector. These are people whose loyalty, expertise, and passion for the mission drives long-term impact for their organizations, and the people and communities they serve.

We are celebrating these individuals through this ‘Celebrating Talent’ series of short profiles and interviews. We hope you enjoy reading about these inspiring sector leaders and celebrating their success along with us!

Celebrating Bruce MacDonald​, President & CEO, Imagine Canada

Why did you originally consider joining Imagine Canada?

In my last few years at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada, I was becoming more and more convinced that some of the challenges facing the organization were bigger than the organization itself. They were at the systems level. So, when I was thinking about leaving I wanted to find a role that would allow me to make a contribution in shaping and changing the system within which the sector operates. Imagine Canada was a natural fit for this kind of work and I was very fortunate that an opportunity came along.

What’s kept you with Imagine Canada for 11+ years?

I’d say it’s a few things. The work itself is varied, challenging, and meaningful. Every day is a bit different and I’ve been very fortunate to have the opportunity to shape strategy, try new things and connect with people right across the country on a weekly basis. The second thing has been the people that I’ve had the opportunity to work with. From an incredibly talented and dedicated group of staff to committed volunteers, especially the Board Directors, they have made the job so enjoyable.

What are you most proud of accomplishing during your time there?

This is a tough one. If I think about the system’s changing nature of why I wanted to work for Imagine, I would say that the successful inclusion of the sector in the major federal government support programs initiated during the Covid-19 pandemic ranks at the top. It was both a public policy first – being included in stimulus funding – and was a major contributor to ensuring the continuation of services during the pandemic. This was so critical as more and more Canadians turned to charities and nonprofits for support. The Canada Emergency Wage subsidy alone invested over $4.3 billion in charities when many other revenue streams collapsed. This advocacy work was accomplished through a strong, cohesive effort and it was great that Imagine played a lead role.

Other accomplishments or “proud of’s”?

Again, it’s hard to choose. For this one, I would say the transformation of our work culture. This has been a work in progress and has resulted in a workplace that is fully distributed – with Imagine staff across the country – is operating in a four day work week, has prioritized training and development and has a fully aligned system for organizational strategy and individual workplans. Much of the credit for this transformation has come from the team itself and it is exciting to see it continue to evolve.

What’s Next for Imagine Canada? What do you want people to know about the work that Imagine Canada does?

We have just approved an updated strategic action plan that will guide our work for the next few years. This plan, which had extensive participation from our members and stakeholders, calls for greater focus and bolder action. I’m excited to move forward with a renewed mandate for action! If I was to think about what people should know about the work we do, it is that we are growing stronger in our ability to advocate for the importance of our sector and the services it provides in communities – whether that is in relation to the federal government or directly to Canadians.

One piece of career advice you’d give to others?

If I could only pick one, I would say that ‘relationships are everything’. As we live in a more polarized world, ensuring that all of the people in our networks are treated with respect and dignity is job one. At times we are going to have differences of opinion and at other times we will agree. For me, the most important thing is that those conversations take place in a way in which the overall relationship is preserved. It seems harder to do in these challenging times. But without it, we simply retreat into our own corners.