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Summer/Fall 2003
Newsletter
Table of Contents
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Human Resources in the Voluntary Sector
by
Kirstin Beardsley
-
Volunteer Recognition by Laura
Berezan
-
10 Things You Can Do to Improve Your Site
by
Adam Shannon
-
Courses
-
Conferences &
Workshops
-
So
You Want To Be A Board Member
-
Provincial Inspections of Charitable Organizations
by Scott Hood
-
New Reference and
Audio Resources at the RCVO
-
RCVO Resources: Publishing the Nonprofit Annual Report by Caroline Taylor
-
Human
Resources in the Voluntary Sector: Do we have what it takes to
compete? by
Kirstin Beardsley
The increasing
competition for skilled employees has been much publicized in Canada. The
upcoming retirement of the baby boom generation and fewer people in line to
replace them means that it will become increasingly challenging for
organizations to attract the right paid staff. Government and the private
sector can (and do) invest large amounts into their human resource
programs…but does the voluntary sector have what it takes to compete? Can
we become an employer of choice?
The Capacity
Joint Table of the Voluntary Sector Initiative – a joint initiative of the
Government of Canada and the Voluntary Sector – identified human resource
capacity as a major issue for voluntary sector organizations now and into
the future. The Government of Canada, through the Voluntary Sector
Initiative has funded the Developing Human Resources in the Voluntary Sector
(HRVS) project to address these issues. The HRVS project is led by
Community Foundations of Canada in partnership with United Way of Canada –
Centraide Canada and the Coalition of Voluntary Sector Organizations (NVO).
The goal of the HRVS project is to help voluntary sector organizations
attract, support and keep skilled and committed paid employees by providing
practical human resources tools, resources and information. HRVS was
initially funded for one year ending August 2003 and a proposal has been put
forward to continue this work. See What’s Next below for more details.
What’s
Available Now
The products
developed by the HRVS project, as well as additional links to resources for
voluntary sector organizations are available online at www.hrvs.ca. Here’s
what’s available now:
Good Human
Resources Practices Tool Kit
contains three major sections:
-
Information
about Employment Legislation – direct links to government web sites
containing legal information that, as employers, voluntary sector
organizations must keep on top of.
-
HR Policies
& Procedures – information and sample policies on 17 topics (hiring,
leaves, vacation, etc.) to help managers and Board members develop or
update human resource policies for their organization.
-
In-depth
modules focused on small organizations cover six topics: employee
development, attracting and keeping good employees, managing and measuring
employee performance, hiring practices, the movement of employees in the
voluntary sector, and managing a variety of employment relationships
HR Planning
Guide
This guide
allows organizations to be strategic in their human resource practices. It
can be used to assess current HR needs, plan for future HR needs and align
HR practices with the mission of an organization.
Awareness
Campaign
HRVS has
worked with focus groups to develop an awareness campaign targeted at Boards
of Directors to promote the importance of investing in human resources. As
the legal employers and those who set budgets and strategic goals for an
organization, Boards have a key role in determining HR priorities. HRVS has
developed a brochure and an enhanced power-point CD-ROM with Boards in
mind. These products are available to voluntary sector organizations free
of charge - visit the web site (www.hrvs.ca) for a preview and contact us to
order copies.
Employee and
Retirement Benefits
Two HRVS
research reports expand our understanding of the struggle many voluntary
sector organizations have in providing employee benefits. Report #1:
Barrier Identification examines the specific obstacles organizations
face in providing benefits. Report #2: Recommendations for Action
looks at concrete solutions to overcome these barriers. An additional
report on retirement benefits is also available online.
HR Peer Group
Pilot Projects Over the past year, pilot projects were held in four communities across
Canada to assess the value of using HR peer groups to share and expand human
resource knowledge in voluntary sector organizations. The HRVS web site
provides information about each pilot project. A summary report shares what
we learned from these pilots: that participants were very enthusiastic about
the opportunities the pilots offered for learning and networking. The
report includes a framework to help organizations start their own HR peer
group, and an annotated bibliography offers additional information.
HR Learning
Opportunities
HRVS has
developed a partnership with HRPAO – the Human Resources Professional
Association of Ontario – that will allow voluntary sector organizations to
access HRPAO members’ expertise. Organizations will be able to get
assistance with their human resources challenges, such as developing human
resource priorities, reviewing an HR policy manual, setting up an employee
development program or any number of other issues. We are hoping to expand
this kind of partnership to other provinces soon.
Why should
human resources be a priority for your organization?
Voluntary
sector organizations are working in an increasingly complex environment, and
demands on every organization’s resources are high. Human resources should
be a priority for your organization because:
-
Without the
right employees in place, your mission won’t be fulfilled.
-
Attracting
and supporting skilled and committed employees is a key factor in building
a strong organization.
-
High staff
turnover can be far more expensive for an organization than the cost of
investing in current employees.
-
Many
voluntary sector organizations strive to make the world a better and more
equitable place. This philosophy of caring should be extended to the paid
staff of an organization.
The world
outside the voluntary sector is changing…baby boomers are getting ready to
retire and a skilled labour shortage has been widely predicted. Young
workers have different priorities; they focus on work-life balance, learning
and development opportunities and want to have real decision-making power in
their organizations. While not always a top priority for workers, salary
and benefits are very important in an increasingly uncertain world. By
striving to provide an attractive workplace, voluntary sector organizations
will be able to engage the right team to fulfill its mission.
An investment
in human resources is an investment in the future and ongoing success of
your organization.
What’s Next?
The HRVS
project was initially funded for one year. We have submitted a proposal for
funding for “HRVS Phase 2” that will allow us to continue the work of
developing and disseminating practical HR tools, resources and information
for voluntary sector organizations. The key products planned for HRVS Phase
2 include:
-
Case studies
of innovative employee development efforts in the voluntary sector.
-
Sample HR
policies and procedures on 20 additional topics.
-
Access to HR
management training for employees of voluntary sector organizations on a
reduced or no cost basis.
HRVS Phase 2
activities will also focus on spreading the word throughout the sector so
more organizations can access our HR management information and tools.
Recognizing
that human resources will continue to present challenges and opportunities
for the voluntary sector, a second proposal was submitted to HRDC to look at
the feasibility of establishing a human resource council for the voluntary
sector. A human resource council is an organization that involves key
stakeholders from a particular sector to address common HR challenges. This
project is expected to begin in October 2003 and run parallel to “HRVS Phase
2” until early 2005. The main goal is to consult broadly with the sector to
validate the role of a human resource council and to address issues of its
governance and organization.
In the
evaluation of the HRVS project we heard again and again that, while tools
and information are necessary and important, more is needed. People with HR
responsibilities in voluntary sector organizations are looking for
opportunities to interact with colleagues, learn from experts and apply
human resources knowledge to real situations. In the next phase, if
resources are available, HRVS plans to develop and pilot a set of human
resources workshops to complement the materials available on the web site.
Visit the HRVS
web site often to access human resources tools and information – and to
learn about new developments and opportunities for your organization:
www.hrvs.ca.
Watch for
Alberta training opportunities related to this project in early 2004. For details, see the RCVO website (www.rcvo.org) or call 780-497-5616/
toll free in Alberta at
1-877-897-5616.
“In coming years, the non-profit sector will find itself competing with both
the government and the for-profit sectors for skilled workers as the Baby
Boom generation retires. This places the spotlight on the workplace - the
quality of jobs, access to training opportunities and human resource
management practices.”
- Kathryn McMullen and Grant
Schellenberg, Mapping the
Non-profit Sector
Canadian Policy Research Networks: 2002
To contact the HRVS project, please email Lynne Toupin, HRVS Project
Director at
ltoupin@community-fdn.ca or call her at 613-236-2664, ext. 310.
Kirstin Beardsley, author of this article, is the Communications and
Research Officer for Developing Human Resources in the Voluntary Sector (HRVS).
Contact her at
kbeardsley@community-fdn.ca or by phone at
613-236-2664, ext. 308.
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Volunteer Recognition: Linking Motivation with Recognition
by
Laura Berezan
Volunteer
recognition is often thought of in the narrow confines of the formal banquet
or a small gift that is given to acknowledge a person’s voluntary
contributions to an organization. According to Betty Stallings, Volunteer
Management Trainer, “recognition needs to be considered an integral part of
a total management philosophy that continually seeks to notice and value
individual contributions. Powerful and meaningful recognition begins when we
recognize the talents and desires of prospective volunteers and offer them
the job that responds to the motivational needs they are looking to fulfill
through volunteering. The remainder of meaningful recognition is the myriad
ways we formally and informally say, ‘I noticed’ and ‘thank you.’”
1
I believe it
is important to identify the power of recognition in our own lives before we
can effectively address recognition of volunteers within our organization.
Our experience and assumptions shape the way that we approach all aspects of
our program. If we do not take the time to look at how we have been
recognized and acknowledged by the organizations we have donated our time
to, then we allow those experiences to dictate how we think the volunteers
in our program ought to receive recognition. This allows for the
opportunity to look at recognition as a philosophy or attitude that can
permeate our entire organization. Recognition needs to be an ongoing part of
how we manage staff (paid and volunteer); it can be informal and formal and
to be truly meaningful the recipient needs to find it meaningful.
Formal
recognition is important to volunteer programs. It builds community within
the organization, publicly recognizes the contributions made by the
volunteers and can act as a recruitment tool for potential volunteers. It
feels good to have people acknowledge the contribution that you have made.
Volunteers do not begin to offer their time with this as a stated
expectation or desire. If they have been with your organization for a long
period of time or have contributed significantly to a program or project, it
is important to find a way to publicly appreciate their involvement.
Unfortunately, many people spend all of their resources on the public,
formal event and leave the informal to chance. Taking time to identify the
opportunities for informal recognition with others in your organization will
ensure that acknowledging volunteers’ contributions are an integrated part
of the management process.
Making
recognition meaningful is an art that can be learned. Recall your
motivation for volunteering for a particular program or project. How could
the organization have demonstrated to you that they appreciated your
contribution? Here are two examples from my own experience where there were
different motivations and I received recognition appropriate to the
motivation.
In the first
instance, I volunteered with the Community League who offered an informal
catered dinner to all league volunteers once a year. My reason for
volunteering was mostly social and to ensure that my child had a place to
play soccer close to home. I did not need formal recognition because it
would not have been meaningful. An informal dinner allowed me to get to
know some of my neighbours that would not have happened in a more formal
environment. In the second, I was never publicly acknowledged for my
various board positions. I was encouraged to increasingly take on more
responsibility and develop new skills. At the time, I was a little annoyed
but in retrospect the experience that I gained was far more valuable to
future employment opportunities than the good feelings created by a formal
presentation. The National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating
(NSGVP) states that 96% of people donate their time because they believe in
the cause, 78% want to put skills to use, 66% are personally affected by the
cause, and over 50% want to explore their strengths.2 The point
is that understanding what motivates people to give their time to your
organization can help determine the best way to acknowledge their
involvement.
Betty
Stallings offers eight key principles for successful recognition of
volunteers.
-
Job
placement in a position that is most suitable to their motivations and
talents
-
Recognition
must be meaningful to the person receiving, not to the person giving
-
Formal
awards should feel sincere and recognize the number of hours and the
impact of the work
-
Recognition
must be timely
-
Criteria for
awards must be clear so that people feel that they are fair
-
Recognition
can be spontaneous and personal which doesn’t have to be costly
-
Short-term
volunteers need to be acknowledged at the work unit level
-
Longer term
volunteers generally like being recognized within the larger group setting3
Developing a
philosophy or attitude of recognition within your organization that is an
integral part of your management process will ensure that people who
volunteer for you will be there the next year. Knowing what motivates them
will ensure that your acknowledgement is meaningful to them. Training all
staff who interact with the volunteers in this attitude will have a colossal
impact on the volunteer program.
1
Betty Stallings, “Training Busy Staff to Succeed with Volunteers:
Recognition,”
Building Better Skills: Pleasanton, CA, 1996, I-2.
2
Norah McClintock, “Volunteering Numbers: Using the National Survey of
Giving, Volunteering and Participating for Volunteer Management,” Canadian
Centre for Philanthropy: Toronto, ON, 2000, 7-34.
3
Betty Stallings, “Training Busy Staff to Succeed with Volunteers:
Recognition,” Building Better Skills: Pleasanton, CA, 1996, H-2.
Laura Berezan is an Information and Referral Consultant with the RCVO. She
can be reached by phone at 780-497-5616, 1-877-897-5616 (toll free in
Alberta) or at
BerezanL@macewan.ca
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10 Things You Can Do to
Improve Your Site by Adam
Shannon, Oxygen Communications
-
From the
simple to the slightly technical, these tips can make a positive impact on
your site.
-
Do another
round of registrations with search engines and directories. Identify
which search engines don’t index your site by running a few searches
yourself, and then focus on these engines. Wait six weeks, and if they
still don’t include you, try again. Be persistent - sometimes it takes
awhile.
-
Update your
site’s design to be accessible for all users, including those with visual
disabilities who use a text reader to navigate the web.
-
If you have
a “Links” page, clean out all the outdated items. Add a one-line
description of each organization or resource on this page.
-
Ask a small
sample of your target audience to review your site. Get detailed,
meaningful feedback from them, and consider how this could be used to
enhance your site.
-
Include some
forms to allow visitors to submit feedback, suggest new resources, add
items to a calendar of coming events, order publications, or take a
survey.
-
Create a
search feature that will allow users to instantly find information on your
site.
-
Use a
website traffic monitoring program to track the number of people who come
to your site (the front page and major internal pages), how they found
you, and how often they come back.
-
Try to
update at least one document on your site every week. Try to add
significant new information or a new document to the site at least every
quarter. Make sure to purge old information like stale event listings and
old news.
-
Start
sending periodic updates to your mailing list, highlighting new and
important additions to your site, and including a link directly to the new
pages. Do not flood your list with unwanted notices - keep it simple and
focus on alerting them to valuable information they might not otherwise
see.
-
Repeat items
1-9 regularly!
Reprinted
with permission from Building an Effective Website: A Guide for Nonprofit
Organizations, 2000 by Adam Shannon, Oxygen Communications, 2036 17th Street
NW, Washington, DC 20009,
www.oxygencommunications.com, e-mail:
adam@oxygencommunications.com
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COURSES
Voluntary
Sector Management Program
2003-2004
Voluntary Sector Learning Opportunities at Grant MacEwan College
New Fund
Development Courses!
This fall the
Voluntary Sector Management Program launched new Fund Development courses.
The courses have been designed with contemporary information and are offered
in manageable time blocks allowing for flexible learning. For the busy
person, time slots of two days or several evenings are now offered. It is
not necessary to be enrolled as a full-time program student to take
advantage of these courses. They are also available through distance
delivery.
Sign up for
courses of your interest.
For more
information and to receive the program catalogue, contact:
Pat Sonnenberg
at 780-497-5268
E-mail:
sonnenbergp@macewan.ca
WWW:
www.business.macewan.ca/vsm
Donor
Stewardship in Fund Development
Donor
motivation and needs are introduced with emphasis on effective donor
development and stewardship. Relationships with individuals, foundations,
corporations and government are explored.
Classroom:
VSFD 139 (740)
Tues., Oct.
14, 21, 28, Nov. 4, 18, 25, Dec. 2 & 9, 2003, 6 - 9 pm
$365 (includes
materials),
2 credits
Information
Management and Financial Stewardship in Fund Development
This course
provides an overview of financial and information practices appropriate to
Fund Development. It introduces budgeting, reporting and financial policy
issues, as well as information management and analysis useful to charitable
fundraisers. Legal and ethical issues related to these issues will also be
considered.
Classroom:
VSFD 145 (740)
Thurs., Oct.
23, 30, Nov. 6 & 13, 2003, 8 am - 4 pm
$182 (includes
materials),
1 credit
Fund
Development Approaches I: Grant and Proposal Development
This course
provides an overview of research techniques appropriate to identifying
prospective granting organizations and proposal development, related to fund
development applications, will be introduced.
Classroom:
VSFD 142 (740)
Thurs., Nov.
27 & Dec. 4, 2003
8 am - 4 pm,
$182 (includes materials), 1 credit
Applied
Marketing and Communications in Fund Development
Applies
marketing principles to charitable fundraising strategies and includes the
exchange relationship between donors and the organization, development of a
marketing plan, creating effective marketing communications and public
relation strategies, and implementing the marketing process.
Classroom:
VSFD 140 (740)
Tues., Jan. 6,
13, 20, 27, 2004
6 - 9 pm, $182
(includes materials), 1 credit
Strategic
Management of Fund Development Campaigns
In this
course, students will learn how to plan, develop, manage and evaluate
effective fund development campaigns. Emphasis will be placed on analysis
of successful campaigns and application of implementation strategies.
Classroom:
VSFD 141 (740)
Thurs., Jan.
8, 15, 22, 29, 2004,
8 am - 4 pm,
$365 (includes materials), 2 credits
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CONFERENCES & WORKSHOPS
Having the Willpower to Eschew Obfuscation* II:
Building a
Willing Staff and Board Team for Fund Development
* Latin for
“avoid confusion”
Tuesday,
November 4, 2003
5:30 - 7:30
p.m., Grant MacEwan College, CN Conference Theatre, Room
5-142, City
Centre Campus
(104 Ave. &
105 St.)
For those of
you who wished you had brought board members with you to last year’s
session, we’re going to do this again – with added information:
-
communications: what the staff member said, what the board member heard,
and how it could have been said more effectively
-
some useful
handouts for you to take with you
-
more details
about roles – who does what, when, where and why
Join us for:
-
lively
reenactments of interactions between board members and staff
-
key fund
development issues discussed from board and staff perspectives
-
strategies
to create amazing fund development teams
Presented by:
Kathy
Hawkesworth
Director of Donor Services
Edmonton Community Foundation
Karen Platten,
LLB,
Estate Lawyer
McLennan Ross
Leona Yez,
CFRE
Director of Communications
Edmonton Community Foundation
Last year
people commented that they wished they had a board member attend with them,
so we encourage you to bring at least one board member. Register jointly!
To register or for more information, call 780-426-0015.
Cost $10 per
person, payable with registration. Light dinner will be provided.
“Open for
Business” Seminar Series
MacEwan
Corporate Learning and Capital City Savings are teaming together to present
the 2003 “Open for Business” seminar series. Join them for these half-day
sessions that are designed to make a real difference to the way you do
business. Call 780-497-5718 for more information.
Safe and
Secure - or is it? Protecting your proprietary information
November 26,
2003
David Ray
The integrity
of the proprietary information your business collects is under threat from
both internal and external sources. Learn about the types of proprietary
information, the problem of identity theft, potential threats to the
information and techniques to protect it.
Presenter
David Ray is an independent security consultant and former manager of
Corporate Security for Shell Canada Limited.
Meaning what
you write - writing what you mean
January 20,
2004
Don McMann
Strategies for
circumlocution avoidance, the elimination of obfuscation, and the
efficacious transformation of opacity into transparency in persuasive or
informative written communication produced in the workplace environment.
OR...Tips to help you write clearly, persuasively and informatively at
work.
Don McMann is
the director of the MacEwan School of Communications. His experience and
expertise extends to the publishing, communications, public relations and
advertising industries.
Ethical
Leadership: Is it Really Black or White?
February 24,
2004
Linda Maul
Alberta
Fundraising Conference 2004
Inspiring
Philanthropy: Strategies to Build, Invest and Connect
February 7
to 10, 2004
Capri
Centre, Red Deer, Alberta
(Hosted by
AAFRE, AFP Calgary, and AFP Edmonton)
Start
planning now to attend “Inspiring Philanthropy: Strategies to Build, Invest
and Connect”, a fundraising conference of excellence. Over the years this
conference has developed a reputation for outstanding presenters, both local
and international, and the opportunity for broad networking. In addition,
you can meet with Exhibitors who deliver services to the fundraising
sector. Why not invite a board member to join you at this conference?
Events
begin with a pre-conference “primer” on Saturday, February 7th.
This day-long session provides an introductory overview of fundraising
strategies and techniques. As the conference opens and unfolds, you will
hear keynote/plenary speakers including Kevin Burns, Ted Hart and Gordon
Floyd who will tackle the topic of “Inspiring Philanthropy”. Each one of
these brings a very different and passionate perspective on philanthropy and
will provide lively comment. Other keynote speakers are Richard Walker and
Harvey McKinnon who will debate “Fundraising: Relationships or Results”.
The audience will be asked to express their opinion and vote on the
topic–not to be missed. Added to this will be 36 information sessions to
choose from.
The Red
Deer location at the Capri Centre makes the conference both accessible and
affordable (rooms start at $88.00, single or double occupancy). Early bird
registrations start October 15 and run until December 15. Early
registrants are entered into a draw to win one of two free bi-level suites
for the entire conference.
Click on
www.albertafundraisingconference.ca for more information. The
site will include speaker profiles, program schedule, regular updates and
registration information. For further details, contact Steven Leard,
Conference Secretariat, at 780-414-1663.
Alberta
Fundraising Conference 2004
Inspiring
Philanthropy: Strategies to Build, Invest and Connect
February 7
to 10, 2004
Capri
Centre, Red Deer, Alberta
(Hosted by
AAFRE, AFP Calgary, and AFP Edmonton)
Start
planning now to attend “Inspiring Philanthropy: Strategies to Build, Invest
and Connect”, a fundraising conference of excellence. Over the years this
conference has developed a reputation for outstanding presenters, both local
and international, and the opportunity for broad networking. In addition,
you can meet with Exhibitors who deliver services to the fundraising
sector. Why not invite a board member to join you at this conference?
Events
begin with a pre-conference “primer” on Saturday, February 7th.
This day-long session provides an introductory overview of fundraising
strategies and techniques. As the conference opens and unfolds, you will
hear keynote/plenary speakers including Kevin Burns, Ted Hart and Gordon
Floyd who will tackle the topic of “Inspiring Philanthropy”. Each one of
these brings a very different and passionate perspective on philanthropy and
will provide lively comment. Other keynote speakers are Richard Walker and
Harvey McKinnon who will debate “Fundraising: Relationships or Results”.
The audience will be asked to express their opinion and vote on the
topic–not to be missed. Added to this will be 36 information sessions to
choose from.
The Red
Deer location at the Capri Centre makes the conference both accessible and
affordable (rooms start at $88.00, single or double occupancy). Early bird
registrations start October 15 and run until December 15. Early
registrants are entered into a draw to win one of two free bi-level suites
for the entire conference.
Click on
www.albertafundraisingconference.ca for more information. The
site will include speaker profiles, program schedule, regular updates and
registration information. For further details, contact Steven Leard,
Conference Secretariat, at 780-414-1663.
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-
Imagine
being approached to sit on a board with an invitation that sounds like this
– “…we need a board member, there is no work involved, … just a meeting
every month or so.” How would you respond? Would you know what questions
to ask? Here is some information to help you in this kind of a situation.
When
considering an invitation to sit on a board, consider the following:
Do you
share the values and community responsibilities of this board?
Community
Responsibility and Values
It is
important to put the role of a board member in the bigger context – that of
public trust. Being on a board means that you share the values of the
organization AND that you recognize that you have responsibilities to the
broader community as well. You are managing publicly raised funds on behalf
of the organization for the benefit of the community at large.
Before
committing to sit on a board, you should also ask yourself:
-
Do I want
to see this organization develop and grow?
-
Do I
understand what the organization does and how it contributes to society?
-
Can I be
an active advocate for the organization?
Recognizing
your bigger responsibilities as a board member and having values that are
consistent with the organization are an important starting place!
Performance Expectations
As a board
member you are expected to adhere to the following guidelines:
Loyalty
– You uphold the interests of the organization and the membership.
Conflict of
Interest
– You will act in good faith and in the best interests of the organization.
Individual
Authority
– Boards speak with “one voice” and you will not use your position to try to
exercise individual authority over staff or parts of the organization.
Conduct
– In all of your work you will reflect the values of fair play, ethics and
straight forward communication.
Meeting
Preparation
– You will prepare for all meetings in advance.
Active
Participation
– You will attend all board meetings and develop a working knowledge of
meeting procedures.
Board and
Staff Relations
– You will encourage a friendly working relationship with board members,
staff and service volunteers, while recognizing that the board hires only
one person (the senior staff person) and will have guidelines for formal
communications with that person.
Confidentiality
– You will respect the board’s policy on confidentiality, generally keeping
the details of board business and matters of a delicate nature confidential.
Image
– You should present a positive view of the organization to the public.
Fundraising
– Boards have the responsibility for ensuring adequate resources are
available for the operation of the organization and your board may have
policies (written or unwritten) on your active involvement in fundraising
activity and making personal donations.
What About
Liability?
A growing
number of individuals are reluctant to join boards because of concerns about
liability issues. Here are some pointers to help you understand and evaluate
these issues in the context of your board opportunity.
When
organizations incorporate, board members’ individual liability is
limited. Liability is not entirely eliminated. The board must
follow its constitution and bylaws and board members should avoid the
following areas of potential personal liability:
-
Non-management – Disregarding your duties as a board member (e.g., not
attending board meetings)
-
Negligence or wilful mismanagement – Conducting your duties poorly,
improperly or dishonestly (e.g., knowingly hiring an unqualified staff
person or approving an incorrect financial statement)
-
Conflict
of interest or self-dealing – Gaining personally from a transaction made
by the organization
Generally
speaking, in instances where boards (and board members) are aware of their
public trust responsibilities and identify (and live up to) specific
performance expectations, individual liability should be a non-issue.
Practical Information
Having set
the context for making a decision about joining a board, it is now time to
identify specific pieces of information that will make your decision easier:
Orientation
– How are new members oriented? Are there specific resources made available
for orientation (manuals, videos, mentoring, etc.)? Is there an emphasis on
clearly communicating the organization’s values?
Meetings
– When does the board meet? For how long? What are the other meeting
expectations (executive committee, other committees, retreats, special
events, etc.)? Can individual board member’s specific needs be accommodated?
Job
Description
– Is there a job description for each board position? Is there an election?
Is there an evaluation? Does it include duties and expectations?
Strategic
Plan
– Can the organization provide information about where it is going and how
it intends to get there?
Code of
Conduct
– Is there a description of the ethical and professional conduct required of
each board member?
Costs
– What are the costs of belonging to this board in time (meetings, phone
calls, special events), membership fees, out-of-pocket expenses, and
personal donations?
Training
– Are there expectations about participation in board development events?
Are there opportunities for developing individual and team skills?
It Is A Big
Decision – But You Are Not Alone
Making the
decision to invest your time and energy as a board member is a BIG step!
Hopefully, this short article will help you gather enough information to
make an informed choice.
If you are
still unsure about a specific board opportunity or need more information
about what it means to be a board member, there are a number of resources
available to help:
The Board
Development Program (BDP) publishes “newsletters” (including one entitled
“So You Want To Be A Board Member”) with information on various aspects of
board governance. It has also developed a series of self-guided workbooks
and co-sponsors “open” workshops focusing on board governance. To view the
resources available through the BDP, go to their website at
www.cd.gov.ab.ca/bdp.
Alberta
Community Development has regional offices in Stony Plain, St. Paul,
Cochrane and Lethbridge. The Volunteer Services Branch has staff in each of
the offices and resources that you can access. Use the RITE line 310-000
and ask the operator to connect you.
Contact
your local Volunteer Centre. This link will tell you how -
http://www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca/volunteercentres/volunteercentresA.html.
The
Resource Centre for Voluntary Organizations at Grant MacEwan College has
excellent resources and very knowledgeable staff! Contact them at
http://www.rcvo.org/.
* This is
an abridged version of the Board Development Newsletter “So You Want To Be A
Board Member” published in September 2002. It is available from the Board
Development Program or online at the Board Development Program website:
www.cd.gov.ab.ca/building-communities/volunteer-community/programs
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Provincial
Inspections of Charitable Organizations
by
Scott Hood
Policy Advisor
Alberta Government Services, Consumer Programs
Is your
organization fulfilling all the requirements of the Charitable
Fundraising Act of Alberta? Many charitable organizations operating in
Alberta are surprised to find that the answer is “no”.
Alberta
Government Services has an initiative underway to monitor charities’
compliance with the disclosure requirements of the Act and its
associated Regulation. Charitable organizations are asked to send in their
financial statements and solicitation materials for inspection.
On the whole,
cooperation from the charities chosen for inspection has been excellent,
with only two organizations failing to send the requested information in
2002. These organizations’ licenses will not be renewed until their
submissions are received.
While
cooperation has been excellent, full compliance with the Act and
Regulations has been rare, with the majority of the charitable organizations
inspected in 2002 not disclosing all the required information in their
financial statements and solicitations.
The
information most often missing from financial statements was the amount paid
to employees whose primary duties involve fundraising, with 42% of
organizations not disclosing this amount. The most common information to be
missing from solicitations was an estimate of the amount of money to be
raised and the costs associated with raising that amount. Fifty-three
percent of the participating organizations were not disclosing this
information to potential donors before accepting a contribution.
Charities who
were found not to be disclosing all the required information were notified
of their areas of non-compliance and asked to make the necessary
adjustments.
From the
organizations’ reactions to learning they were not in full compliance with
the Act and associated Regulation, it is clear that the problem is
not deliberate violations, but rather a general lack of awareness of the
requirements of the Act in the charitable fund-raising community. On
the whole, the organizations contacted expressed surprise that they had been
operating in contravention of legislation, and committed to making the
revisions required.
The goal of
this inspection process is to enable Alberta charities and the Province to
work together towards the common goal of ensuring donors are provided with
the information they need in order to be able to make informed decisions
about the charities they wish to support.
If you
would like more information about the disclosure requirements of Alberta’s
Charitable Fundraising Act, please visit the Alberta Government Services
website at
www.gov.ab.ca/gs/ or call 1-877-427-4088 for tip sheets on
this and many other consumer related topics.
RCVO ON THE
ROAD
RCVO on the
Road is a mobile information resource for voluntary organizations in
Alberta. It brings current information and support to Alberta’s voluntary
sector on topics pertaining to agency management, board development, fund
development, and volunteer management.
Thanks to
funding from TransCanada Pipelines Ltd., On the Road services are enhanced.
We are now able to provide speakers at events.
Planning
and scheduling has occurred for the fall and requests for the spring are
starting to come in. If
your community is interested in hosting “On the Road”, contact Laura
Berezan, toll free in Alberta at 1-877-897-5616, or e-mail:
BerezanL@macewan.ca
Here are
the places you’ll find us this fall.
October 1
(Wednesday): 1-8 pm – Bow Valley
College in Airdrie
Includes a
speaker on Volunteerism within your Agency
October 2
(Thursday): Display from 5-7 pm – Alberta
Community Economic Development Expo
October 15
(Wednesday): 2:00- 9:00 pm – Blunden Memorial Hall in Granum. Includes a Workshop on Board Roles & Responsibilities (3:00-4:30 pm)
October 20
(Monday): 4:00-10:00 pm – St. Albert Place
November 4
(Tuesday): 1-8 pm – Athabasca. Includes a workshop on Fund
Development
November
6-7: Display from Thursday 6:30-9:00 pm and Friday 7:30 am-4:00 pm – Alberta
Provincial Literacy Conference in Edmonton
2004
Requests
February
7–10
– AAFRE
Conference
Mid April -
High River
Volunteer
Week - Wetaskiwin
End of
April – Victim Services Training
End of
April – Alberta
Library Conference
-
New
Reference and Audio Resources at the RCVO
The RCVO
recently acquired a set of reference resources published by the Alberta
Gaming and Liquor Commission. The set includes: Charitable Gaming
Policies Handbook, Bingo Terms and Conditions and Operating
Guidelines and Casino Terms and Conditions and Operating Guidelines.
Visit the RCVO to view these materials or contact Alberta Gaming to purchase
your copy.
The RCVO
recently received a gift of speaker tapes from the last Canadian
Association of Gift Planners Conference. Tapes cover 42 sessions including
the plenary with Lloyd Axworthy on “The Role of Charities as a Global
Citizen”. Other topics are “Taking Stock of Your Gift Planning Program”,
“Finding Prospects: A New Approach” and “The Donor Visit”.
Copies of
The Muttart Lecture 2003, “Value Versus Values”, by Linda McQuaig are now
available for loan on audio tape or CD.
To borrow
audio resources, regular RCVO procedures apply – contact us at 780-497-5616
or at
BerezanL@macewan.ca
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-
BOOK
RESOURCES: Publishing
the Nonprofit Annual Report by Caroline
Taylor
HG4028.B2.T39 2002
Your
organization’s annual report just came rolling off the press. It took a lot
of hard work but it’s everything you hoped for: the report is well written,
attractive, and cost-effective. It accurately and persuasively communicates
your organization’s mission and values.
How can
your nonprofit organization make this dream a reality?
Publishing
the Nonprofit Annual Report offers your nonprofit organization – no
matter what your size or mission – hands-on guidance to help you create a
valuable communications, marketing and image-building tool that goes beyond
fulfilling your financial reporting responsibilities to help further your
mission. Written by Caroline Taylor – a consultant who has more than twenty
years of experience producing award-winning annual reports –Publishing
the Nonprofit Annual Report takes you through the report-writing cycle
from start to finish. Step by step, she shows how to create a plan, fit the
report process into the overall schedule, assign tasks, develop the
executive message, work with designers to integrate visual elements, and get
the report printed on time and within budget.
This
valuable guide is filled with real-life examples from winning annual reports
that will help you create an annual report that is just right for your
organization. Taylor also includes handy checklists, worksheets, and
helpful comments and suggestions from experienced writers, designers,
accountants, and printers.
To borrow
this book from Grant MacEwan’s Learning Resources Centre, contact Michelle
Bezenar, Interlibrary Loans, phone 780-497-5857, fax 780-497-4566, e-mail:
bezenarm@macewan.ca
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RCVO
Contributors
Kirstin
Beardsley
Laura Berezan
Scott Hood
Adam Shannon
Editor: Lynda
Robertson
Production:
Wendy Kuzio
QUOTES
Waiting until
everything is perfect before making a move is like waiting to start a trip
until all the traffic lights are green.
Karin
Ireland
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