Monday, November 25, 2013
39 more organizations accredited by Imagine Canada’s Standards Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Monday November 25, 2013 – Imagine Canada, the national umbrella for Canada’s charities and nonprofits, today announces that 38 organizations have recently achieved accreditation through its national Standards Program. This brings to 82 the number of organizations that have been accredited since the program began in 2011.
The Standards Program is a Canada-wide set of shared standards for charities and nonprofits designed to strengthen practices in five fundamental areas: board governance; financial accountability and transparency; fundraising; staff management; and volunteer involvement.
Builds excellence and strengthens public confidence
The Standards Program’s goals are to build excellence within Canada’s charities and nonprofits through common standards of practice and to strengthen confidence in the sector. Accredited organizations are awarded a program Trustmark so they can showcase their achievement in their material, for example tax receipts, program brochures, website etc.
What accredited organizations have to say about their Standards Program experience:
“It was rigorous and challenging but created the opportunity for our Board to have conversations we may not have had otherwise. We are better and stronger for it.” - Sharilyn Hale, Governance Committee Chair, Canadian Feed The Children
“The Aurora Cultural Centre sought Accreditation through Imagine Canada to clearly demonstrate our commitment to charitable best practices. We look forward to proudly showcasing the Trustmark on our materials and website.” - Laura Schembri, Executive Director, Aurora Cultural Centre
Transparent, peer-review process
Organizations’ policies and procedures in the five areas of the standards are examined by a panel of volunteer peer reviewers from the sector. Organization must comply with all standards to be accredited.
What a peer reviewer had to say about her Standards Program experience:
"Participating in the peer review process has been extremely valuable on a personal level. We are strengthening the common understanding of good governance for all charities. The dialogue that emerges in the peer review process is forging a shared approach that will create strong value for donors.” - Susan Bower, VP Business Operations, Boys and Girls Clubs of Canada
Newly accredited organizations
Aspen Family and Community Network Society
Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support - Threads of Life
Autism Canada Foundation
BC Cancer Foundation
British Columbia SPCA
Cambridge Shelter Corporation
Cuso International
Edmonton Food Bank
Elizabeth Fry Society of Greater Vancouver
FEED NOVA SCOTIA
Fondation SEMAFO
Foundation Fighting Blindness
Hospice Wellington
John Howard Society of Waterloo-Wellington
KidsAbility Foundation
Lake Simcoe Conservation Foundation
National Service Dogs
Parkinson Society Canada / Société Parkinson Canada
Partners for Mental Health / Partenaires pour la santé mentale
PLEA Community Services Society of BC
Reh-Fit Centre
Reh-Fit Foundation
Rick Hansen Foundation / Fondation Rick Hansen
Royal Ontario Museum Governors
Sage (Seniors Association of Greater Edmonton)
Sarnia Community Foundation
Save a Child's Heart, Canada
Special Olympics Ontario
St. Thomas Elgin General Hospital Foundation
The Arthritis Society / La Société de l'arthrite
The Calgary Foundation
The Food Bank of Waterloo Region
The John Howard Society of Canada
The Primate's World Relief & Development Fund / Le fonds du Primat pour le secours et le développement mondial
The Special Needs Employment Service Inc.
Tourette Syndrome Foundation of Canada
United Way Northumberland
United Way of Fort McMurray
YWCA Lethbridge and District
The full list of accredited organization is available at imaginecanada.ca/accreditedorganizations.
The Standards Program is made possible with the financial contributions from Founding and Presenting Sponsor Great-West Life, London Life and Canada Life; funded by BMO Financial Group and The Printing House; and, friends KCI (Ketchum Canada Inc.).
