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| Path: Main Street : NewsWeek : Archive : NewsBytes : Article |
This is an archive of CharityVillage NewsWeek. To find a word on the page,
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at their publishing date, the quick-changing nature of the web means that some
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To view other articles in the archive, use our Chronological Index.
NewsBytes: August 2007
Articles are arranged in reverse chronological order.
New community arts program announced in Newfoundland
August 27, 2007
The Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council (NLAC) announced a new Community Arts Program. The program will offer community-based arts organizations and groups project grants for new creation, arts workshops, and presentations. It ensures that amateur or community arts are recognized and supported as a vital part of the province's arts scene. "It has been difficult for us to respond effectively to community arts groups," said Reg Winsor, executive director of the NLAC. "They have been applying to the same programs as professional organizations. These groups are run mainly by volunteers, so they don't have the same human resources as many professional groups have. But that does not mean their contribution is any less significant and, of course, they deserve to be supported." The first deadline for proposals is September 30th. For more information, visit: www.nlac.nf.ca.
August 27, 2007
More than two thousand breast cancer survivors and supporters recently took part in British Columbia's fourth annual Weekend to End Breast Cancer. Together they raised $5.1 million to fund research on better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat the disease. “This multi-day event is for people wanting to do something bold in the fight against breast cancer,” said Dr. Karen Gelmon, head of the BC Provincial Breast Tumour Group. “Progress in research needs a sustained commitment over years to combat breast cancer and we are truly grateful for the continued support from so many walkers and donors." For more information, visit: www.endcancer.ca.
August 27, 2007
In an unprecedented contribution to municipalities, the Ontario provincial government is uploading the total cost of the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) and Ontario Drug Benefits (ODB) for social assistance recipients. "The downloading of these programs stands as one of the worst misjudgments of the previous government," said Premier Dalton McGuinty. "They've been a burden to every municipality and we're taking them back in full." By the time it is fully implemented in 2011, the upload will save municipalities $935 million. For more information, visit: www.premier.gov.on.ca.
Fast Fact: Socially responsible investments show major growth in Canada
August 27, 2007
A recent survey shows that socially responsible investments currently stand at more than half a trillion dollars in Canada, representing nearly 20% of assets under management. This is a significant increase from $65.5 billion in 2004, which represented a market share of less than 4%. The survey also found a total of $809 million in community investment assets in Canada as of June 30, 2006. This is a 48% increase from the level of $546 million in 2004, and substantially more than $69 million in 2002. -- Social Investment Organization
August 27, 2007
A report released by the Washington, DC-based Urban Institute finds that many nonprofit boards are not actively engaged in basic stewardship responsibilities and are not diverse or reflective of the populations they serve. Nonprofit Governance in the United States surveyed nonprofit chief executive officers/executive directors of more than 5,100 nonprofit organizations of different size, type and geographic location. Only 29% of boards were described as “very active” in fundraising, while 35% were ranked as "not at all active".Other areas where a significant percentage of respondents ranked their boards’ performance as only fair or poor included: monitoring the board’s own performance (51%); educating the public about the organization and its mission (42%); community relations (36%); planning for the future (30%); and monitoring programs and services (29%). The study also found that, on average, 86% of board members are of white, non-Hispanic background, while just 7% are African-American or black, and 3.5% are Hispanic/Latino. To download the complete report, visit: www.urban.org.
August 27, 2007
Hydro One is launching a new grants program to support and enhance children’s sports and recreation facilities in Ontario communities. The PowerPlay program, open to municipalities and registered charities in Hydro One-served communities, offers grants up to $25,000 for capital projects for community centres, indoor or outdoor ice rinks, playgrounds, splash pads and sports fields, where the primary purpose is to support children’s community sports and active play. This includes new facilities and renovation of existing facilities that are open and accessible to the community at large. Additional funding may be available where energy efficiency measures are incorporated into the project. For more information or to apply online for funding, visit: www.hydroone.com.
August 27, 2007
The Alberta government currently has funding available to assist communities to plan, upgrade and develop large community-use facilities and places in order to enhance community life and citizen well-being. The Major Community Facilities Program will provide funding support to municipalities, not-for-profit organizations and Aboriginal communities for projects that are identified as a priority by a community. Projects that meet the criteria for the program include sports, recreational, cultural or other related family and community wellness facilities. To assist communities with targeted infrastructure needs, $140 million will be available in the current fiscal year and another $140 million in 2008-09. "I expect this program will also help communities deal with their aging recreation infrastructure," said Hector Goudreau, Minister of Tourism, Parks, Recreation and Culture. "As a government, we recognize the importance of community infrastructure that helps Albertans maintain active, healthy lifestyles." For more information, visit: www.tprc.gov.ab.ca.
August 27, 2007
Last week, the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation accepted a donation of $505,000. The funds were raised during CN's Miracle Match initiative at the 2007 CN Canadian Women's Open, held recently in Edmonton. "We are truly honoured to be the beneficiary of this year's tournament," said Dianne Young, president and CEO of the Stollery Children's Hospital Foundation. "Edmontonians have again shown that this is the City of Champions. Their generosity has enabled CN's Miracle Match to make this substantial contribution to the work that we do. This will have a very positive impact on children's health." In the last two years, CN has donated nearly $1 million to children's hospitals through its CN Canadian Women's Open sponsorship. For more information about the CN Miracle Match, visit: www.cnmiraclematch.ca.
August 20, 2007
Last week, the Niagara Health System (NHS) received the largest private donation ever made in the Niagara region. The Walker Family and Walker Industries Holdings Limited donated $5 million toward the construction of the Niagara Regional Cancer Centre, to be built at the site of a new community hospital in St. Catharines. "As a family and a business that has had strong roots in the region for over 120 years, we feel a certain responsibility to support a regional facility of this importance to the community," said Sheila (Walker) Bonapace, one of the company shareholders. "The Walker family is extremely pleased to be able to continue the legacy of philanthropy established by the previous generations of our family in supporting the needs of the citizens of Niagara." For more information, visit: www.niagarahealth.on.ca.
August 20, 2007
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) is restarting its 2006 State of Fundraising Survey Canada, and all AFP Canadian members are urged to participate. The survey has been shortened to 43 questions, along with four demographic queries. It should take about 20 minutes to complete, and fundraising data for 2005 and 2006 is needed. “It is critical that as many members as possible complete the survey because we use the data in a variety of ways,” said Andrea McManus, CFRE, AFP’s vice chair of professional advancement. “Not only does it provide a snapshot of fundraising success, but it also helps AFP to identify key challenges and additional services and programs we can provide to overcome those challenges. In addition, we present the data to the government and the media as we highlight the importance of fundraising and how those sectors can support us." For more information, visit: www.afpnet.org.
August 20, 2007
More than three quarters (79%) of Canadian volunteers say that their volunteer activities help them with their interpersonal skills, such as understanding people better, motivating others, and dealing with difficult situations. Sixty-eight percent say that volunteering helps them to develop better communication skills, while 63% report increased knowledge about issues related to their volunteering. And although volunteering is often seen as an opportunity to acquire job-related skills and improve job opportunities, only one quarter (23%) of volunteers said that they volunteered for this reason. -- NSGVP
August 20, 2007
Despite numerous warnings and audit actions by the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), taxpayers continue to participate in tax shelter gifting arrangements. The CRA now plans to audit all tax shelter gifting arrangements. Every audit completed thus far has resulted in a reassessment of tax, plus interest, and in many cases the CRA has denied the “gift” completely. To date, the CRA has reassessed more than 26,000 taxpayers who participated in these schemes, and denied about $1.4 billion in donations claimed. For more information, visit: www.cra-arc.gc.ca.
August 20, 2007
Recreation Nova Scotia released a research report, The Volunteer Experience of Women in Sport and Recreation, to serve as a provincial benchmark for female volunteerism within the sport and recreation sector in Nova Scotia. It also provides critical data to help develop strategies that will address the under-representation of female volunteers within the sector, particularly in leadership and decision-making positions. "There has been very little research done on female volunteerism in recreation and sport," said Dawn Stegen, executive director of Recreation Nova Scotia. "The data compiled in this report will be useful to the governing boards of sports and recreation organizations looking for ways to increase the number of female volunteers. The data will also serve as a benchmark against which organizations can measure their progress in improving the volunteer environment for women in sport and recreation in Nova Scotia." To download the complete report, visit: www.recreationns.ns.ca/women.
August 20, 2007
The Alberta Cancer Foundation announced that 1,321 participants raised $4 million in Edmonton’s 2nd annual Weekend to End Breast Cancer event, a 60 kilometre walk to raise funds for breast cancer research and care in Alberta. The multi-day event was held in Calgary several weeks ago and both events together raised $9.6 million this year. For more information, visit: www.endcancer.ca.
August 20, 2007
Nominations are now being accepted for the 2007 Rights and Freedoms Prize. Pierre Marois, president of the Commission des droits de la personne et des droits de la jeunesse, has invited 2,000 organizations, institutions and community groups to nominate candidates for recognition. Since 1988, the prize is awarded each year by the Commission to mark the anniversary of the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on December 10, 1948. It recognizes the exceptional achievement of a person or group working in Quebec to defend human rights and youth rights. The deadline for nominations is October 12, 2007. For more information, visit: www.cdpdj.qc.ca or call (514) 873-5501.
August 20, 2007
The Gilbert Center is seeking research papers for the new Journal of Online and Integrated Fundraising, Winter 2008 Edition. This is the third new title in the journal series and serves as a practical complement to the previous two titles, which focus on information technology in social change and on networks and civil society. The center is interested in rigorously designed research addressing all aspects of online and integrated fundraising. The journal asks for researchers and practitioners to submit papers and proposals dealing with a number of related topics including:The deadline for proposals is September 21st. For more information, visit: www.gilbert.org/journals/oif/CallForPapers.
- Network centric and "viral" fundraising
- Opportunities for greater cultivation and stewardship
- Donor centered fundraising and organizational boundaries
- Many to many communication and the role of "scaling up listening"
August 20, 2007
Prime Minister Stephen Harper appointed the Honourable Josée Verner as the new Minister of Canadian Heritage last week during his cabinet shuffle. Verner switched places with the Honourable Bev Oda who has gone to replace her at International Cooperation. According to a statement from the Canadian Conference of the Arts, "her main challenge will be to present to the Canadian cultural community a vision of what arts and culture really mean for the current federal government, whose actions in this area, while often laudable, have not appeared to be related to any coherent cultural framework." For more information, visit: www.pm.gc.ca.
August 20, 2007
The United Nations recognized the Ontario government's plan to plant 50 million trees in southern Ontario as the most ambitious project of its kind in North America. "We're working hard to reduce emissions, and today we're taking a bold new step that will make Ontario more beautiful and our environment healthier," said Premier Dalton McGuinty. "We're tackling climate change in a lot of different ways, but all our efforts have one thing in common: we need Ontarians to work with us and do their part." The United Nations Environment Programme has launched the Plant for the Planet: Billion Tree Campaign. People around the world are encouraged to enter tree-planting pledges online with the objective of planting at least one billion trees per year worldwide. Ontario's commitment represents the biggest pledge in North America. For more information, visit: www.unep.org/billiontreecampaign.
August 13, 2007
The federal government and the Government of Ontario announced more than $173 million in funding to create over 2,700 new affordable housing units in 41 towns and cities across Ontario under the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Program Agreement. “Canada's New Government is working to give Canadians access to safe and affordable housing,” said the Honourable Monte Solberg, Minister of Human Resources and Social Development Canada. “We are pleased to work with our partners in both the public and private sector to help individuals, seniors, and families in Ontario who are working towards building a better and stronger future.” The Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Agreement includes a commitment of $301 million from each of the two levels of government. The agreement brings the total amount invested in affordable housing in Ontario by federal, provincial and municipal governments to at least $734 million over the life of the program. For more information, visit: www.mah.gov.on.ca.
August 13, 2007
The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University and Google partnered in early 2007 to estimate how much of the charitable giving by households in the US focuses on the needs of the poor. Their report, entitled Patterns of Household Charitable Giving by Income Group, found that less than one-third of the money individuals gave to nonprofits in 2005 was focused on the needs of the economically disadvantaged. Of the $250 billion in donations, less than $78 billion explicitly targeted those in need. The study also determined that lower- and middle-income donors are far more likely to give to charities that benefit the poor than are upper-income households. To download the full report in PDF format, visit: www.philanthropy.iupui.edu.
August 13, 2007
Last week, the National Citizens Coalition (NCC) announced the launch of the Face the Facts: Help Cure Canadian Healthcare website, featuring Dr. Albert Schumacher. This website marks the beginning of a new grassroots consultation on the state of healthcare in Canada. The NCC-sponsored site is the beginning of a nationwide dialogue that will engage Canadians and listen to their vision for the future of Canada's healthcare system and its delivery. "This new dialogue recognizes that access, quality and safety are the first building blocks to the healthcare system that Canadians want," said Dr. Schumacher, a family physician and leader in the medical field. "As Canadians we have a great advantage over many of our economic competitors that used to stem from our healthcare system and we want to hear from the grassroots on how we can re-establish and strengthen that advantage," he added.
August 13, 2007
According to Giving USA 2006, corporate giving fell by 7.6% to $12.72 billion last year. Despite the overall decline, many corporations (56%) actually increased their charitable giving in 2006, while 44% gave less. Thirteen percent of companies increased their giving by more than 30%, which offset the decrease in giving by other companies. There was also an increase in international giving by corporations. Philanthropy to overseas charities, as a percentage of total giving, increased from 10% in 2004 to 13.5% in 2006. -- Giving USA
August 13, 2007
The Calgary Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (CCVO) recently released its new In Brief publication to inform nonprofits about Alberta's Lobbyists Act, as well as the federal Lobbying Act. It provides a summary of new and existing legislation that pertains to government communications and lobbying efforts of the nonprofit sector and points to the potential impact of proposed regulations on the work of these groups. Already, significant concerns have been raised regarding the impact the new acts could have on the voluntary sector. The provincial Lobbyists Act, in particular, casts an extremely wide net in terms of who would be affected, what information would require reporting, and what work would no longer be permitted. To download the publication in PDF format, visit: www.calgarycvo.org
August 13, 2007
The 2008 Governor General’s Canadian Leadership Conference is encouraging young leaders from Canada’s voluntary and nonprofit sector to apply to join the two-week conference. “The conference brings together 230 young leaders from sectors and communities across Canada,” said Penelope Rowe, CEO of the Community Services Council of Newfoundland and Labrador, and a member of the conference National Executive. “We want to ensure that Canada’s social economy is represented by our best, brightest and most promising young leaders.” The conference opens June 6, 2008 in Banff, Alberta, and closes two weeks later in Ottawa-Gatineau. The deadline for applications is September 30, 2007. For more information, visit: www.leadershipcanada.ca.
August 13, 2007
Each year the McMaster Students Union (MSU) hosts a gala event known as the McMaster Charity Ball. In the past nine years, the event has raised more than $115,000 for local Hamilton and area charities. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event, where an anticipated $30,000 plus will be raised. The MSU is currently seeking proposals from charities as to how they could use the money raised. Your proposal should include the following:Please submit your proposal to events@msu.mcmaster.ca and charityball@msu.mcmaster.ca. The deadline for proposals is September 1st.
- Why your organization is in need of funds.
- The number of people benefiting from the funds.
- How the funds will be used. (Note: the funds donated by the MSU must stay in the Hamilton community and have a local impact.)
- How your organization will help leading up to the event.
- How your organization will be involved the day/night of the event.
August 7, 2007
In the coming months, we'll be redesigning several sections of the CharityVillage.com website, including our job, volunteer and event listings. We're making improvements to the infrastructure of the site, as well as to the public side to help make it easier to use and a better fit for your needs. We've been planning and working on these changes for more than a year now, and many of the enhancements have come from ideas that our advertisers and visitors have suggested. To learn more about what's happening, please visit: www.charityvillage.com/cv/charityvillage/mlrchanges.html.
August 7, 2007
Twenty-eight nonprofit agencies from across Canada are in the running for $70,000 in prize money as finalists for the 10th annual Donner Canadian Foundation Awards for Excellence in the Delivery of Social Services. The Donner Awards are Canada's largest nonprofit recognition program, established in 1998 to recognize and encourage best practices in nonprofit management and to increase public confidence and support for Canada's nonprofit sector. This year, more than 600 nonprofit programs from across the country applied for the awards. Participating organizations are ranked on their performance in 10 key areas, including management and governance, the use of staff and volunteers, innovation, program cost, and outcome monitoring. The top organization in each of nine categories of social service delivery will win $5,000 awards, while the $20,000 William H. Donner Award for Excellence will be presented to the highest performer overall. For more information and a complete list of finalists, visit: www.donnerawards.org.
August 7, 2007
Volunteer Canada has named Ruth MacKenzie as the organization’s new president, effective August 1, 2007. She succeeds Marlene Deboisbriand, who joined the Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada. Ruth first joined Volunteer Canada in 2001 and has been a member of the senior management team since 2003. Following Marlene Deboisbriand’s departure in April, she assumed the role of interim president and led the organization through the transitional period. “Ruth is passionate about volunteering. She is a strategic thinker and a trusted leader,” said Barney Ellis-Perry, chair of Volunteer Canada’s board of directors. “We are honoured to have her as our president and the board is committed to supporting her in this new role.” For more information, visit: new.volunteer.ca/en/about/media/president.
August 7, 2007
The latest Quarterly Index of National Fundraising Performance, covering the first quarter of 2007, shows a continuing decline in the number of donors that dates back to 2005. The donor population in the U.S. fell by 0.9% in the first quarter of 2007 when compared to the first quarter of 2006. The first quarter 2006 to first quarter 2005 comparison reveals a loss of 3.7% of the donor population. Since the first quarter of 2002, the median number of donors in the index has decreased a total of 0.7%, even as the U.S. residential population has grown by 4.8% annually. The index warns that organizations have been able to compensate so far for the drop in donors by seeing increases in revenue per donor. However, if the trends continue, revenue per donor will no longer be able to make up for the decline in donor population, and overall revenue will suffer. -- Target Analysis Group
August 7, 2007
The US-based Foundation for Child Development has released its 2007 Child Well-Being Index, which analyzes child well-being in the United States compared to the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The report assembles 19 key international indicators of child well-being within seven domains of social life. It finds that:For more information or to download the full report, visit: www.fcd-us.org
- The percent of households without an employed adult is lower in the United States than in all comparison countries, and poverty rates are higher in the United States than in all comparison countries.
- Canada, Australia, New Zealand and the United Kingdom have better outcomes than the United States in the health domain. Relatively high rates of infant mortality and children who are overweight and obese disadvantage the United States in this domain.
- Teen birth rates in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand are lower than in the United States.
- The United States has a relatively high proportion of young adults who complete high school and obtain baccalaureate degrees. However, the proportion of children who attend preschool is lower in the United States than in all countries except the United Kingdom.
August 7, 2007
The Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation announced more than $3,260,000 in grants to agricultural and environmental organizations in the Greater Golden Horseshoe. "A fine example of our passion is our commitment to greenbelt farmers to grant an additional $1 million to help them green farm operations through the Greenbelt Farm Stewardship Program," said Burkhard Mausberg, president of the foundation. With this additional funding, thousands more acres of land will benefit from environmental improvements such as reduced pesticide use, improved waste management, decreased water pollution, and new habitat for wildlife. To date, the Friends of the Greenbelt Foundation has awarded almost $10 million in grants to not-for-profit organizations working in support of farming, the environment and rural communities located in the Ontario Greenbelt. For more information, visit: www.ourgreenbelt.ca.
August 7, 2007
The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) invites members to participate in the second annual Fundraising Effectiveness Survey. The survey is part of the Fundraising Effectiveness Project (FEP) and is an effective method of benchmarking your organization’s fundraising success against similar organizations and identifying areas for growth and improvement. The survey measures growth in giving from 2005 to 2006, and all of the information you provide will be kept strictly confidential and reported only in aggregate form. The survey runs from August 1st through September 30th. More information about the FEP project, including a link to the online survey, can be found on the AFP website at: www.afpnet.org/fepsurvey.html.
August 7, 2007
According to a new poll, stress has a detrimental impact on emotional intelligence (EI) and this can spell professional problems. Overall, 41% of working Canadians say they frequently experience stress in the workplace (as a result of work or personal experiences). Fifty-three percent of survey respondents experience headaches, clenched jaws, indigestion, constipation or diarrhea, increased perspiration, and fatigue or insomnia due to stress. Psychologically speaking, 55% of working Canadians experience anxiety, irritability with co-workers, defensiveness, anger, mood swings, and feelings of helplessness or of being trapped. And 52% say stress in the workplace makes them impatient, procrastinate, quick to argue, withdraw or isolate themselves from others, neglect responsibility, and perform poorly. -- Multi-Health Systems
August 7, 2007
Wal-Mart Canada and Evergreen, a nonprofit environmental organization, recently announced the first 48 community recipients of the five-year, $2.5 million Wal-Mart Evergreen Green Grants program. Funded by Wal-Mart Canada and led by Evergreen, the grants offer as much as $10,000 to public groups introducing or revitalizing green space in Canadian communities. The grants are available nationwide and awarded by Evergreen on the basis of merit and an application review process. The next application deadline for the Green Grants program is October 31, 2007. For more information, visit: www.evergreen.ca.
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