The strength of the ISW has always been its community. As institutional budgets tighten globally, we are finding creative, community-driven ways to ensure our long-term sustainability. During recent feedback circles at the Virtual ISW Conference and the Zoom PD Session for Local Reps and Trainers, many of you generously expressed a willingness to support the Network through individual financial contributions. After extensive discussion throughout 2025-26, the Executive Team has developed a new sustainable strategy.
The Network operates within a distributed leadership model to ensure both strategic guidance and broad regional community engagement. We anticipate Local Reps and other members of the global ISW Community will continue to provide leadership for local, regional, and network-wide activities for ISW Facilitators and Trainers. The ISW Executive Team is always eager to hear ideas for possible Workbees and PD events. Invitations for volunteers to contribute to emerging project activities are extended through the ISW Newsletter and occasional email communications to those on the ISW Registry.
While ISW Network activities are maintained through volunteer leadership and service across our community, we do incur essential annual operational expenses at the Network level including web licenses, technical support, remote meeting hosting (Zoom), and other basic administrative costs. Historically, these expenses were sustained through a one-time start-up grant, Network-sponsored multi-group FDWs, and revenue from our seasonal Spring and Fall Institutes. None of these remain feasible revenue streams for the Network.
To ensure long-term sustainability, we are now working to build a modest reserve to ensure continuity of services and resilience for future needs. Therefore, the ISW Network Executive has set a goal of raising a minimum of $10,000 CAD annually.
Our core commitment remains unchanged: providing the Network services openly, free of charge, to any institution or educator offering the ISW program. To ensure sustainability, we are inviting voluntary financial support from those who benefit from and value the presence of our global ISW Community.
Moving forward, you can support the network financially in two ways:
- Voluntary annual contributions; and
- Occasional contributions for selected services such as virtual ISW Network events.
Please note: Those on the ISW Registry will continue to have access to ISW Network resources and events even if not making financial contributions.
This is an ongoing invitation to invest in our shared future so that ISW Facilitators and Trainers across the Network can continue to benefit from and support the ISW.
Thank you for helping to keep this Network strong, accessible, and self-sustaining through your leadership and participation in local, regional and network-wide activities and through your financial contributions.
How to contribute
The ISW Network Executive Team is currently testing Zeffy to handle online financial contributions. We selected Zeffy because 100% of your contribution can go directly to the Network without incurring processing fees.
Important Information Regarding Tax Receipts: Although the ISW Network is a non-profit organization, we are not a registered charity. Therefore, we cannot issue charitable tax receipts. However, your contribution receipt and standard acknowledgement letter may be eligible for other uses (e.g., as an allowable professional development expenditure through your institution).
More details to come.
Updated August 2026