5. Announcement: Nonprofit Employer of Choice Awards

The Nonprofit Employer of Choice Awards program, a unique new enterprise service available to Canadian nonprofit managers was launched last month by the Hilborn Group.

For the first time, NEOC makes it easily possible for any charity with 10 employees or more to evaluate their performance as an employer each year, gather honest actionable input from its employees, and measure its talent management effectiveness against sector-wide benchmarks. For our sector, characterized by high turnover and ongoing recruitment challenges, NEOC will become an important and valued human resource management tool, used annually to measure both current performance and progress from previous years.

The assessments, based on detailed input from the senior organization management and confidential online questionnaires filled out by employees, will be completed in late Fall, and the first set of annual awards will be presented to all of the charity or nonprofit organizations that qualify at a special online virtual ceremony in early 2016.

Check it out at:
http://www.neoc.ca

 

6. Announcement: Tools 2015

A value-packed conference for nonprofits, charities and cooperatives, Tools addresses common legal, financial and big-picture issues and provides an opportunity for connecting with others in the nonprofit sector.

18 speakers, 10 workshops, 1 keynote, and great networking at an affordable price.

Tools 2015 is November 25th at U of T's Hart House in downtown Toronto. Educate yourself, your board and your team on important legal and accounting issues and much more.
 
Visit toolsconference.ca for full details and to register.

Tools 2015 is presented by Iler Campbell LLP and Prentice Yates & Clark.

 

7. Announcement: Greenbelt Funding for Small ENGOs and Community Groups

The Greenbelt Action Fund, coordinated by Environmental Defence, invites community members to apply for $1,000 to $5,000 in support of a local initiative dedicated to promoting increased protection of natural areas in and around Ontario’s world renowned Greenbelt.
 
Priority will be given to activities that support protecting and growing the Greenbelt, curbing urban sprawl, protecting natural areas, and the promotion of smart, efficient urban growth. We are particularly interested in partnering with grassroots groups who are working from the ground up to inspire discussion and call attention to Greenbelt issues within their communities.

For more information about the fund, including eligibility, the application process and contact info, please visit http://environmentaldefence.ca/greenbelt-action-fund-supporting-community-initiatives. You are also welcome to send inquiries to GreenbeltAction@environmentaldefence.ca.

 

8. Brief: Canada’s Top Retailers Raising Funds and Consumer Engagement at the Till

Sixty percent (60%) of Canadians report having made a donation to a charity at the checkout counter, the most frequently cited way Canadian brands are helping consumers make a social impact, according to a new study by Ipsos Marketing and Companies & Causes Canada. Thirty percent (30%) report making a point of sale donation within the past 30 days. Only 7% of the 1000 Canadians surveyed cited peer pressure as the reason they donate at checkout. Almost half of Canadians (47%) reported “my budget at the time” as the reason they give while 30% say, “the cause is personal to me”.

Check out this 7page article at:
http://www.companiesandcausescanada.com/canadas-top-retailers-raising-funds-and-consumer-engagement-at-the-till/

 

9. Brief: What Does the 2015 Federal Election Mean for Canadian Charities?

The Conservative loss in the 2015 Federal election and the Liberal majority government will have some impact on the Canadian charity sector.

Check out this 9 page analysis from Mark Blumberg a lawyer with Blumberg Segal LLP at:
http://bit.ly/1PcJOXC

 

10. Report: CanadaHelps on Monthly Giving

When is the best time to ask for a monthly gift?

Monthly donors are critical to helping your organization plan efficiently, invest wisely and raise more money. This white paper will teach you important guiding principles to building a solid monthly giving program, and getting more of your dedicated supporters to join. You’ll also learn how to increase monthly donor retention and giving amounts. Equip yourself and your team with the important knowledge you need to cultivate and inspire donors at any stage in the donor cycle.

Check out this 30 page report at:
https://www.canadahelps.org/en/ready-for-download-growing-your-monthly-donors-white-paper/

 

11. Report: Better Together Handbook

Are you involved with grassroots community development, pilot projects, emerging groups or collaboratives? This new handbook explores how registered charities can partner with non-charities for maximum impact. The treatment of registered charities and their use of resources in relationship to non-qualified donees (as those terms are explored in this publication) is an ever present consideration for the Charities Directorate at Canada Revenue Agency.

Check out this 41 page handbook from 2015 at:
http://www.ecccalgary.com/wp-content/Better_Together_2015.pdf

 

12. Office Space Tip of the Month: Why Have an Office?

Assuming it does, why does your organization have offices? Was this a conscious decision, or just a default when you were founded years ago as a “place for everyone to work”? And if you are considering alternative workspace solutions (e.g. work from home, telecommuting, etc.) what criteria are you using to determine the success of these efforts?

Here are several thoughts and insights based on our work with clients that have dived deeply into the question of why they have offices, and how best to use them.

- Offices are about far more than just a place to do work. They are, when used optimally, a way to reinforce culture, encourage collaboration, enhance retention, and increase team spirit and morale.  If your offices aren’t achieving those goals, why not? And if your answer is that it’s too expensive, then you may want to find help to achieve these goals within your budget.
- Alternative workspace solutions (and at the very end of the spectrum, having no offices and only a virtual space) can be a way to save on rent (or remove it entirely) and provide some employees with a benefit of working from home. But these options are not without pitfalls and risks of their own, and clearly won’t work for some staff or some organizations. The only way to assess feasibility is to get expert advice.
- Small changes can make a big impact on the “value” of your offices. When was the last time your space was freshly painted? Could you rearrange your office to make it work more efficiently – it might be worth the effort. New office furniture can change not just appearance but also utility of a space. Speaking with a designer for ideas, or a project manager to get cost estimates might show it really is possible to enhance your existing space.

Part of any real estate process for charities and nonprofits should include some time to ask why your organization has offices, and what you want those spaces to achieve in support of your mission.

This monthly feature in the Digest is provided by Jeffrey Good, VP Cresa Toronto, Real Estate, Charity + Non-Profit Practice Lead. As a Vice President with Cresa Toronto, Jeff brings a combination of for-profit expertise and charitable organization passion that is unique in the real estate world. Check out Cresa Toronto at  http://www.cresa.com/toronto

 

13. Article:  Bridgespan on The Nonprofit Leadership Development Deficit

The Nonprofit Leadership Development Deficit  highlights the results from our survey of 438 nonprofit C-suite executives on how well their organizations are finding, developing, and retaining the high-quality leaders they need to achieve long-term goals. Our research indicates one in four C-Suite leaders plan to leave jobs within two years, but only 30 percent of senior roles are being filled by internal promotion - half the rate of the for-profit sector.

The Bridgespan Group addresses the number one organizational concern expressed by nonprofit boards and CEOs year after year—succession planning. The study asserts that “nonprofit leaders are missing an answer sitting right under their nose: the home grown leader.”

Bridgespan partner and co-author of the paper, Kirk Kramer said, “Our study surfaced a broad gap in leadership development: promising leaders, frustrated at the lack of professional development and mentoring, are not staying around long enough to move up in the ranks. CEOs want to exit too because their boards aren’t supporting them, a syndrome that is coming at a significant financial and productivity cost to organizations.”
 
Check out this 9 page article at:
http://ssir.org/articles/entry/the_nonprofit_leadership_development_deficit

 

14. Smart Plan: Spitfire’s Guide to Crisis Prep and Management

Whether you are a large nonprofit, a foundation or a smaller group, the best way to deal with a crisis is to be prepared. To help, Spitfire created its newest tool, the Smart Plan: Spitfire’s Guide to Crisis Prep and Management. When a crisis hits, having a plan in place will allow you to spend precious moments and resources handling the situation rather than scrambling to figure out what to do.

The guide walks you through a four-step process to assess and minimize risks, identify potential sources of attack and leverage your strengths.
- Assess Your Risk: Where are you most vulnerable? The Smart Plan helps you identify potential threats – both internally and externally – and assess your risk level.
- Assess Your Opposition: To prepare for external crises, we ask a series of questions about your opposition to help you gain a clear picture of what you’re up against so you can prepare to counter them.
- Minimize Risk: We help you consider the actions you can take to minimize the chance of something becoming a crisis and reduce the likelihood of attack.
- Maximize Strengths: Use the Smart Plan to identify your organization’s strengths – which could include an active grassroots network, powerful allies, credibility with the media and/or a strong online community – and determine how to turn these opportunities into big wins when the time comes.

With that information in hand, your ready to put a crisis plan in place. The Smart Plan includes tips for establishing your crisis communication team, potential scenarios and appropriate response strategies. While there’s no foolproof way to predict what an attack may be or when it will come, the Smart Plan’s four-step process let’s you rest easy knowing that no matter what comes next, you’re ready to respond.

Check out this 16 page report, published in October 2015, at:
http://www.spitfirestrategies.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/SPT-SmartPlan-Updated-1.pdf

 

15. Funding: WWF Canada's Loblaw Water Fund Now Accepting Funding Applications

WWF Canada is now accepting applications for the Loblaw Water Fund, a program supported by Loblaw Companies Limited with a total of $225,000 available to distribute between selected projects across the country for the 2015-2016 granting cycle. Since 2013, the program has supported 24 action-oriented projects across the country – all with the aim of improving the health of freshwater in Canada. The Loblaw Water Fund provides grants to registered charitable organizations and not-for-profits working on critical projects that aim to protect and restore the health of freshwater in Canada. This year's Loblaw Water Fund will support projects that contribute to WWF's Watershed Reports, either through helping to improve watersheds in poor health or high threats or by contributing data to those watersheds which are data deficient. Priority regions were selected based upon health and threats assessments done for WWF's Watershed Reports.

Proposals must be submitted by email to: waterfund@wwfcanada.org by 5 pm EST on or before December 14, 2015.