Jill Umbach

Jill Umbach is the Planning Network Coordinator for the Bruce Grey Poverty Task Force and Coordinator for the Grey Bruce Children’s Alliance. Jill has over 35 years of experience working with local, national and international humanitarian aid agencies such as the United Way of Bruce Grey, Care Canada and the Canadian Centre for International Studies and Cooperation; and human rights-based and community service organizations such as Amnesty International. Her work has focused on poverty alleviation, community and women’s empowerment, human rights, advocacy/policy development and humanitarian needs response. In her 10 years with the Poverty Task Force, she has led its formation, development, and policy/advocacy campaigns. She has contributed to Tamarack’s TEN Guide: Engaging with People with Lived Experience, Getting to Impact, RentSafe research and formation of BGDISC.ca.

For the past four (4) years, Jill has been an active Board member of M’Wikwedong Indigenous Friendship Centre and played an active role in the formation of Giiwe Sharing Circles, Two Spirit Mentor Program, and Indigenous Housing Support Program. She has successfully designed and obtained funding for programmes to support rural and urban communities, internally displaced persons, and refugees; mentally and physically challenged persons. Jill has over 30 years of extensive travel and work overseas. She has worked in more than 12 countries (Asia, Africa and Canada) to identify, design and evaluate community-based development and humanitarian aid projects/programs.
Jill grew up in Hanover, Ontario, Canada. She currently resides in Owen Sound, Ontario with her 16-year-old daughter.