Benessere North (not-for-profit)
Benessere North (not-for-profit)
Elora, Ontario, Canada
Description

This is a Canadian start-up not-for-profit that helps women with any of a number of chronic health conditions (high blood pressure/ cholesterol, weight issues, pre- and type 2 diabetes, PCOS, menopausal symptoms, Hashimoto's and other autoimmune diseases, and many other chronic health concerns) who want to reverse, suspend, and prevent disease, primarily by using the healing power of plant-based nutrition.

Dr. Vivian Polak coaches the clients and offers courses and a women's community for on-going expert guidance and support. It has been enormously helpful to have a few people volunteer from time to time to help get the message and assistance out to the public - with video editing, marketing, website design, other IT support, etc.

Number of employees
2 - 10 employees
Industries
Hospital, health, wellness & medical Non-profit, philanthropic & civil society
Representation
Community-Focused Public benefit corporation (pbc) Rural-Based Small Business Social Enterprise
+ 2

Recent projects

Grant Writing and Creation of Women's Health Info Session Presentations

We invite employers to collaborate with Benessere North (not-for-profit) to help us develop ethical, compelling, well-researched presentations on the healing power fo whole food plant-based nutrition to reverse and suspend various health conditions, including both mental and physical health, as well as to apply for grants to support the activities of the nonprofit. We are seeking learners who are experienced in research and writing, including but not limited to writing grant proposals. They are therefore adept at articulating theory of change (which has been completed), and linking activities to intended outcomes in a structured and evidence-based way. The overall mission of Benessere North is to help women with chronic health conditions to reverse and suspend them with nutrition and lifestyle, with a view to reversing chronic diseases, and getting their energy and vitality back. With research skills, our learners can conduct desk reviews of international best practices, ensuring that the recommended strategies are consistent with global standards and applicable to the organization's context.  Students will collaborate directly with the CEO of the non-profit. The grant proposals may be for specific grant calls or general funding needs. Working in groups, students will take on the challenge of conceptualizing and drafting comprehensive grant proposals as well as researching topics to create slide decks for Dr. Polak to present to the public to help advance the education component of the nonprofit. The grant proposals will begin with a clearly defined problem statement, identifying the core issues the organization aims to address, in collaboration with the CEO for each grant proposal or presentation topic. Students will then elaborate a detailed project description, outlining the goals and objectives of the proposed initiative. To ensure the proposal's effectiveness, students will use our Theory of Change document to articulate how the proposed activities are expected to lead to the desired outcomes. They will also track progress and measure success of their grant proposals and info session presentations.

Admin Vivian Polak
Matches 4
Category Grant writing + 4
Open

Grant Writing Project for Benessere North (a not-for-profit)

The main goal for the project is to research and apply for grants to support the non-profit organization, Benessere North, in its mission to help women struggling with high blood pressure, weight issues, and chronic health concerns. The project will involve the following tasks for the learners: - Researching available grants and funding opportunities for non-profit organizations focused on women's health and chronic disease prevention. - Developing grant proposals and applications tailored to the specific needs and goals of Benessere North. - Collaborating with Dr. Vivian Polak to understand the organization's vision and effectively communicate it in grant applications. - Assisting in the preparation of necessary documentation and materials required for grant submissions. - Tracking and managing the grant application process, including deadlines and requirements for each funding opportunity.

Admin Vivian Polak
Matches 0
Category Fundraising + 1
Open

Prepare the legal documents needed for a plant-based non-profit for women's health

The main goal for the project is to create a Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy documents for Benessere North that are in line with industry standards and best practices. This will involve several different steps for the learners, including: - Researching industry standards and best practices for terms and conditions and privacy policies. - Analyzing the specific needs and requirements of Benessere North. - Drafting the terms and conditions and privacy policy documents. - Reviewing and revising the documents based on feedback from stakeholders. - Ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.

Admin Vivian Polak
Matches 0
Category Law and policy
Open

Healthy Eating Tracker Website

Benessere North, a not-for-profit organization, seeks to develop a mobile-optimized website that allows Users to track their daily food and drink intake for feedback by experts with a view to helping them reverse chronic diseases. The primary goal is to enable Users to log in, submit photos of everything they consume throughout the day, and receive feedback from designated Reviewers. Users should be able to add comments or notes to their submissions, providing additional context for their dietary choices. Reviewers will have access to view each User's photos, organized by time of day and date, and will provide feedback on the user's dietary habits. This project aims to create a user-friendly platform that encourages healthy eating habits through personalized feedback. It should ideally be compatible with deployment on Cloudflare using Github - because my website is currently on Cloudflare and uses Github for the storage of the source code for the site. Other types of tech we would like the students to use include Sveltekit, Tailwind, and Daisy UI. These are what we are currently using for my website, so it will make it easier for my tech people to maintain the software the students develop.

Admin Vivian Polak
Matches 1
Category Website development + 4
Closed

Latest feedback

Abigail Fung
Participant
August 28, 2025
Project feedback
Vivian was so great to work with! She is a very kind person and truly wants to make the world a better place. Being able to work on this project with her was very rewarding and an exciting experience.
University of Saskatchewan Level UP
USask Level UP: Summer 2025
University of Saskatchewan Level UP
Benessere North (not-for-profit)
Grant Proposal Writing and Fundraising Strategy Development for Benessere North
Benessere North (not-for-profit)
Kanika Gupta
Participant
August 26, 2025
Project feedback
Working with Benessere North on this project was a highly positive experience. The team demonstrated clear communication, professionalism, and a strong commitment to advancing women’s health and wellbeing.
University of Saskatchewan Level UP
USask Level UP: Summer 2025
University of Saskatchewan Level UP
Benessere North (not-for-profit)
Grant Proposal Writing and Fundraising Strategy Development for Benessere North
Benessere North (not-for-profit)
Sharon Umeh
She
Participant
June 17, 2025
Project feedback
Vivian is great to work alongside! She is encouraging towards the work of student volunteers and in addition is almost always available for clarification and feedback. She has incredible patience and is a passionate collaborator. My only difficult came in defining the scope of the project. I'd say as as a designer it is ideal to have an exact number of deliverables in mind and take time noting the time or complexity of each item as reference for future client work. Our team was eager to take on every new project she had for us, but we learned what a challenge it is to navigate a growing non-predetermined workload. Working with Vivian was a pleasure and I encourage anyone to take the opportunity to do so.
Bow Valley College
Fall 2024 - Graphic Design & Visual Communication
Bow Valley College
Benessere North (not-for-profit)
Video creation/ editing for Social Media for Benessere North
Benessere North (not-for-profit)