Voluntary Sector Network
Projects Across Canada
The Canadian Federation of Voluntary Sector Networks is currently exploring a number of projects on behalf of the voluntary sector.
National
The Canadian Federation of Voluntary Sector Networks is pleased to announce that we will be working with the Canada Revenue Agency over the next two and a half years to roll out an educational program which will help registered charities to complete their required paperwork correctly and on time.
The Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (ECVO) hosted a session of the “Administration Module” of the CRA project on May 3, 2007.
Read the official Canada Revenue Agency news release on the project. For more details, download the Fast Facts PDF document.
National
The Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development, in collaboration with Strategic Leverage Partners, has released the first national study of non-profit board governance practices in Canada. This study identifies the key issues facing today’s non-profit boards and provides an inventory of proven successful practices. The study found that while many non-profit boards are making an effort to improve their governance and are achieving some success, many are experiencing challenges in trying to keep up with new standards and trends. To review the full executive summary and full report please visit http://www.cvsrd.org/eng/board_governance/index.html.
Alberta
The Alberta Voluntary Sector Insurance Council (AVSIC) has released a new easy-to-use guide that offers practical tips, tools and checklists to help charities and nonprofits understand their insurance needs and navigate the complex process of finding the appropriate insurance coverage. The Insurance Toolkit for the Voluntary Sector: A Guide for Nonprofits and Charities was developed for AVSIC by the Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations. The Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations has also been a key partner in the work of the Council.
The Alberta Voluntary Sector Insurance Council (AVSIC) brings together members of Alberta’s voluntary sector, the insurance industry, and the Government of Alberta to address insurance-related issues affecting charities and nonprofits. To learn more about AVSIC, visit www.ibc.ca and click “What’s New.” Organizations can also download an electronic version of the toolkit from Volunteer Alberta’s website at www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca. Volunteer Alberta’s website also has information about how organizations from across Alberta can request an insurance workshop for their community.
To help organizations learn more about their insurance needs, free insurance toolkit seminars are available across Alberta from April to December 2006. The free seminars are led by an insurance professional and offer a hands-on learning experience based on the toolkit. The seminar is an opportunity for organizations to find answers for the insurance dilemmas they face. The seminars are open to both staff and volunteers. The development of the toolkit was supported by generous funding from the Insurance Bureau of Canada, the Wild Rose Foundation, Volunteer Alberta and the Canada Volunteerism Initiative.
Newfoundland and Labrador
From the coast of Labrador to the Southern Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, the Connecting for Community program is training about 200 new and existing volunteers to use information technology and to help local community groups.
Connecting for Community is building volunteer capacity through information technology (IT) training in rural and remote communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. The program is being delivered during 2005, 2006 and 2007 in five regions of the province. It will support community capacity building and lifelong learning in a multi-phased approach with people learning IT skills, sharing these skills with local voluntary organizations, and gaining practical experience using technology. People who complete the training will do 120 hours of site placements with non profit and voluntary organizations.
Go to www.envision.ca and click the icon for Connecting for Communities.
Ottawa
The Ottawa Chamber of Voluntary Organizations recently received a three year commitment for funding from The Ontario Trillium Foundation and the Community Foundation of Ottawa. These funds will allow the OCVO to move forward on many of the priorities identified by its members.
A three-year funding commitment has allowed OCVO’s Steering Committee to hire a part-time staff member. This will enable the organization to offer consistent service to its members and to move forward on many of the projects that the community has requested. OCVO is currently working on updating its website, http://www.cvsrd.org/eng/ocvo.html. .