September 2009 E-bulletin
FEATURE
ARTICLE
Imagine Canada's Ethical Code
RELATED
RESOURCES
Resources on Ethical Standards
Tips and Tools
Establishing Charitable Accountability
SPECIAL
EVENTS
Writing Email That Works
5th Annual Volunteer Manitoba Funders Forum
The Art of Collaboration: Success Through Synergy
ANNOUNCEMENTS
2009 CCED Net Gathering: Stronger Together
Manitoba Fitness Council: Encouraging Recreation Leaders to Become Accredited
Follow Volunteer Manitoba on Facebook and Twitter
FEATURE
ARTICLE
Imagine Canada's Ethical Code
Written by Erik Butenschon, Community Outreach Coordinator
Charities have an overwhelming level of trust amongst Canadians, but the trend in the non-profit sector has been towards donors demanding more and more transparency and accountability. This has been in part because of a rise in cynicism towards our institutions and an increase in the flow of information. Donors are demanding as much information as they can get.
One of the best ways to ensure successful fundraising is to have your donors see your organization as trustworthy, transparent, and accountable. A simple, practical, popular, and effective tool to help you demonstrate this very clearly is the “Ethical Code” program from Imagine Canada.
Use of this “trustmark” clearly demonstrates to your donors and potential donors that your organization uses ethical fundraising and financial accountability practices. As a member of the program you will join over 200 other organizations, representing over $1 billion in fundraising revenue. Imagine Canada works with all of these organizations collaboratively to raise public awareness about the charitable sectors commitment to ethics and accountability.
Other benefits to joining the program include:
• Recognition on Imagine Canada’s website and in their annual Maclean’s magazine supplement on ethical fundraising
• Access to resources and assistance designed to help you implement the Ethical Code effectively
• An invitation to attend at least one webinar per year on a relevant and timely issue
• Special recognition as a program participant on CanadaHelps.org
For more information and to register for the Ethical Code program visit www.imaginecanada.ca.
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RELATED RESOURCES
On-line Resources Dealing with the Ethics of Giving:
Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP): Donor Bill of Rights
http://www.afpnet.org/ka/ka-3.cfm?content_item_id=9988&folder_id=898
AFP created this Donor Bill of Rights, which is endorsed by several nonprofit organizations.
Better Business Bureau: Charitable Accountability Standards http://www.bbb.org/canada/SitePage.aspx?id=17bb80bf-6055-4c57-949d-2fbf26869c53
20 standards are listed here to help charitable organizations establish and maintain public trust.
Charitable Giving – Be a Wise Donor
http://www.legal-info-legale.nb.ca/showpub.asp?id=143&langid=1
This online booklet was produced in part by the Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick (PLEIS-NB) and Canada Revenue Agency. It provides general information about charitable giving and describes unique aspects of registered charities, such as their ability to provide official donation receipts.
Imagine Canada Programs & Services: Ethical Code Program http://www.imaginecanada.ca/?q=en/node/21
Registered Canadian charities are invited to join this program, which helps to show donors that they comply with the Code’s fundraising and financial accountability standards.
Public Trust and the Charitable Sector
by Don McCreesh, Imagine Canada Board Chair
http://www.weinspireandbuildleadership.ca/vantagepoint/2008-06/pubtrust.html
This online article from Volunteer Vancouver’s publication Vantage Point contains public trust statistics and describes why the Ethical Code Program is also a donor assurance program.
For a list of books available to borrow from our resource library, plus other websites follow this link...
To borrow any of our resources, contact our Resource Coordinator at 204-477-5180 ext. 223, or Toll-free at 1-888-922-4545 ext. 223, or via e-mail vmresource@mts.net
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TIPS AND TOOLS
Establishing Charitable Accountability
Excerpt from the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance Standards for
Charity Accountability
The BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards for Charity Accountability were developed to assist donors in making sound giving decisions and to foster public confidence in charitable organizations. The standards seek to encourage fair and honest solicitation practices, to promote ethical conduct by charitable organizations and to advance support of philanthropy.
The following are examples from the 20 recommendations.
• Have a board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization’s performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions required to achieve its mission.
• Submit to the organization’s governing body, for its approval, a written report that outlines the results of the aforementioned performance and effectiveness assessment and recommendations for future actions.
• Avoid accumulating funds that could be used for current programs activities. To meet this standard, the charity’s unrestricted net assets available for use should not be more than three times the size of the past year’s expenses or three times the size of the current year’s budget, whichever is higher.
• Make available to all, on request, complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
• Include on any charity websites that solicit contributions, the same information that is recommended for annual reports, as well as the mailing address of the charity and electronic access to its most recent Revenue Canada return.
For the full list of 20 recommendations, click here.
To borrow any of our resources, contact our Resource Coordinator at 477-5180 ext. 223, or Toll-free at 1-888-922-4545 ext. 223, or via e-mail vmresource@mts.net
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SPECIAL EVENTS
5th Annual Volunteer Manitoba Funders Forum
Volunteer Manitoba will be hosting the 5th Annual Funders Forum with sponsorship from Health In Common:
Friday, September 18th, 2009
8:00am and 12:00pm
Delta Hotel Winnipeg, 350 St. Mary Avenue
This forum focuses on how non-profit organizations can maximize their fundraising capacity, and features succinct presentations from funders and a full breakfast. Funders represented will be from different sectors such as government, corporate, and foundation. Attendees will have the opportunity in the morning to network directly with the funders. The morning will also feature a keynote address from Rolande Kirouac of Spadrole Communications. For more information and registration details click here.
Writing Email that Works
Email is the workhorse of communication in today's world of business. In spite of its importance, email is frequently dashed off with little thought given to clarity, tone, or the needs of the reader. The result? The image of the writer and the organization are undermined. Learn strategies to avoid these pitfalls at Volunteer Manitoba’s brown-bag series workshop titled “Writing Email that Works” on October 7. The workshop runs from 12:00pm – 1:00pm. For more information and registration details click here.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
2009 CCED Net Gathering: Stronger Together
Over four hundred delegates from community, the non-profit sector and government will come together on October 23rd at St. John’s High School for the CD/CED Gathering to share ways to reduce poverty in Winnipeg. This event gives community-minded people and organizations an opportunity to work together and learn about CED in Manitoba. More information to come shortly for online registration and workshops! Visit www.ccednet-rcdec.ca
Manitoba Fitness Council: Encouraging Recreation Leaders to Become Accredited
The Manitoba Fitness Council, the accrediting organization for fitness leaders in the Province of Manitoba, is looking to get fitness leaders in Manitoba certified. Becoming accredited is important not only for those who wish to become fitness leaders, but also for those who have been teaching for years. For those entering the field, certification is a great way of showing you have the training to safely teach programs. For those who are already fitness leaders, certification allows for insurance coverage while instructing classes and allows for continuous learning. There are currently five levels of certification available: Resistance Training; Group Fitness; Aquatic Fitness; Active Older Adult; and Individual Fitness Leader.
For more information about the Manitoba Fitness Council and their programs please visit www.manitobafitnesscouncil.ca or call 204-235-1245.
Follow Volunteer Manitoba on Facebook and Twitter!
Now you can stay up to the minute with everything happening at Volunteer Manitoba by following our Facebook and Twitter accounts. Find out about upcoming workshops, see the latest volunteer opportunities, or read an interesting article about the non-profit sector just by following us! Sign up for our Facebook page by clicking here, and our Twitter page by clicking here.
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