At Pillar Nonprofit Network, we believe in partnerships that matter. That is why we are proud to join forces with Western University’s RECAP Program to strengthen how nonprofits and researchers at Western collaborate in more meaningful, reciprocal, and equitable ways.
What Is RECAP?
RECAP (Research Engagement Collaborative Alliance with Partners) is Western’s initiative to support research that is grounded in real-world needs. It is designed so that non-academic partners such as community groups, nonprofits, and grassroots organizations are not just “subjects” but co-creators in meaningful research. RECAP provides tools, training, and networks to ensure collaborations are ethical, reciprocal, and impactful.
Through this program, RECAP helps:
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Researchers connect with partners who bring lived expertise and local insight
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Researchers and community partners shape research questions and design
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Push toward outcomes that benefit communities, not just academia
Why Pillar Is Involved
Since 2023, Pillar and RECAP have teamed up with the goal of creating research partnerships that are fair, collaborative, and useful to communities.
Some highlights of this partnership:
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Co-location at Innovation Works: RECAP became a co-tenant at Innovation Works London in May 2025, giving nonprofits and researchers a natural space to connect.
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Joint programming: RECAP is offering workshops and drop-in hours through Pillar’s Pathways to Impact series.
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Network access: By working within Pillar’s membership and the broader community, RECAP can better connect with nonprofits in London and beyond, helping spark collaborations rooted in trust.
A Resource to Guide Your Own Approach
As part of this collaboration, Pillar has developed “Community-Academic Research Partnerships: Conditions for Ethical, Impactful Collaboration.”
This document shares what Pillar has identified as the minimum requirements for entering into equitable community-based research. We offer it as an example that other organizations can use in whatever way is most helpful, whether that means adapting it to fit your own context or using it to spark internal conversations about what your organization requires before engaging in academic research partnerships.
The goal is not to prescribe a single approach but to encourage nonprofits to set clear expectations that protect their time, knowledge, and contributions, and to help ensure that research partnerships are truly reciprocal. Read the summary here
What to Expect November 4, 2025
On November 4, we are inviting nonprofit organizations to gather for a special event: Turning Ideas into Impact: Partnering with Western’s RECAP Program. The goal is simple but it represents important work that lays the foundation for stronger partnerships
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Introduce RECAP as a resource
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Share tools, learning modules and entry points for community partners to get learn and get involved
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Spark ideas on what kinds of partnerships your organization might explore
Why This Matters
Too often, research is done on communities instead of with them. That leads to findings that do not reflect lived experience or fail to be useful for real change.
Through the Pillar-RECAP partnership, we are working to honour community knowledge, leverage local expertise, ground outcomes in real needs, and protect shared power in decision making to drive real impact in our city and beyond.
An Invitation to You
We encourage you to join us on November 4. Registration is free. Register here.
For more information on the RECAP Western Program click here
Together, we can co-create research that does not just sit on a shelf but helps communities thrive.