Grant to Enhance Governance in For Public Benefit Organizations Call for Proposals

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1 APPLICATION DEADLINE 11:59 AM Tuesday September 18, 2018 Grant to Enhance Governance in For Public Benefit Organizations Call for Proposals 2018 Grant Program Guidelines City of Toronto Community Funding Social Development, Finance & Administration Division

2 Application Process How to complete the Application: 1. Review these guidelines to ensure your group and your proposal are eligible for funding. 2. Call the Agency Review Officer at the City if you have any questions or need clarification. 3. Submit the completed application, budget and work plan to by the deadline of 11:59 AM on Tuesday September 18th, If you are applying as a partnership, include a letter of support from each partner. All eligible applicant organizations will be assessed based on their full application. Applicants may be contacted in September to provide additional information. Please keep a copy of the application on hand to answer questions from staff or provide additional information as needed. Question & Answer Session Please join us in Committee Room 4 at City Hall, 100 Queen St W, on Wednesday August 1st from 10:30 AM 12:00 PM if you have questions about this grant call. How to get in touch with us If you have questions or need more information, please or call the Agency Review Officer listed below. Please ensure you have read these Grant Guidelines before calling: By cgis@toronto.ca Before August 24th: Kin Wah Siu (416) or kinwah.siu@toronto.ca After August 24th: Matt Brubacher (416) or Matt.Brubacher@toronto.ca Page 1 of 8

3 Overview Why is the City providing the Grant to Enhance Governance in for Public Benefit Organizations? The City of Toronto relies on For Public Benefit (FPB) organizations to fulfill multiple roles that meet residents needs, invigorate communities, create inclusive economic opportunities, and promote active democracy and community-responsive policies. The governance practices of FPB organizations are an important factor in their ability to fulfill these roles. City of Toronto recognizes that FPB organizations currently face many challenges that heighten the need for effective governance practices. The current funding environment can increase the vulnerability of small community-based groups and many large groups are stretched to their limits. As demand for community-based services grows, as new needs are identified, and as new ways of working are identified, the FPB sector is continually challenged to devise ways to increase and strengthen its capacity. 1 This grant is also being released to address a commitment made in the "Whole of Government Framework to Guide City of Toronto Relationships with the Community-Based Not-for-Profit Sector", which was passed by Council in November Through this commitment the City agreed to work "with the Sector, other funders, and other order of government to encourage decent work goal and effective governance in Not-for Profit organizations." 2 What is the funding purpose? The Grant Enhance Governance in FPB Organizations will improve the governance of FPB organizations by increasing the knowledge and skills of board members and senior leaders. This outcome will be achieved by funding an organization to develop and deliver governance training to FPB organizations through two primary methods: broad-based workshops and targeted training. The funded organization will be able to deliver the project independently or in partnership with other organizations or consultants. For the purpose of this grant, governance is defined as the overall processes and structures used by the board to direct and manage an organization s operations and activities. 3 Broad-based workshops The broad-based workshops will be provided to staff and board members from a range of FPB organizations. The grantee will identify the highest impact training topics and develop a series 1 Building Capacity in Nonprofit Organizations, Carol J. De Vita and Cory Fleming, the Urban Institute 2 Appendix 1: Proposed Objectives, Principles, Commitments. 3 Panel on Accountability and Governance in the Nonprofit Sector, United Way of Calgary, 1999 Page 2 of 8

4 of workshops to address these topics. The majority of workshops will be designed to address governance needs of small FPB organizations (budgets of under $500,000.00). Other workshops will target medium and large FPB organizations to address their governance training needs. All workshops will be delivered in accessible spaces across Toronto and also provided through webinars. The grantee will ensure recordings of the webinars are openly available for public use. The grantee will use an equity lens and adult learning principles to design the course content. The grantee will also embed peer learning opportunities into the in-person workshops where appropriate. When completing the application for this grant, organizations are encouraged to identify the number of workshops they can deliver with the available funding. Targeted training The targeted training will be provided to a minimum of 15 selected FPB organizations. These organizations will be identified by the Community Funding Unit, Social Development, Finance and Administration. The grantee will use a process for assessing the strengths and needs of the boards and attend multiple board meetings of these organizations to deliver customized training sessions or consulting supports on governance. The City s principles in supporting this funding include recognising that: The City of Toronto relies on FPB organizations to fulfill multiple roles that meet residents needs, invigorate communities, create inclusive economic opportunities, and promote active democracy and community-responsive policies. The City of Toronto invests in community-based FPBs to leverage the sector s unique capabilities to deliver high-quality, accountable and responsive services that meet local community needs. The City commits to working with the sector, other funders, and other orders of government to encourage decent work goals and effective governance in FPBs Toronto s community-based FPB sector includes organizations and groups of diverse size, function, purpose, and capacity. This diversity is vital for a healthy not-for-profit ecosystem. The City of Toronto and the community-based FPB sector rely on each other to create a vibrant and inclusive Toronto. This relationship of mutual reliance is fostered through respect, transparency, and collaboration. Having a diverse, strong board of directors is critical for established and emerging nonprofit organizations organizations to deliver successfully on their mission The City of Toronto s Community Funding Unit must act as a responsible steward of public funds Page 3 of 8

5 What are the funding deliverables? The organization selected for funding will be required to: Implement an assessment process to identify high priority training topics related to the governance of both small/emerging AND medium to large FPB organizations. In order to address needs that arise during implementation, this process should continue throughout the project to allow for the on-going identification of topics. Develop a series of governance training workshops to address the governance issues of different types of FPB organizations across the City. The training sessions will: o o o o Target senior leaders and/or board members Be interactive and practical Incorporate the principles of adult learning Include opportunities for peer learning (where appropriate) The training sessions that are developed do not need to be all new content and the grantee is encouraged utilize existing training resources where appropriate. Develop and implement a city-wide community outreach plan to ensure that non-profit organizations of various sizes, funders, and other key stakeholders are aware of training opportunities. Deliver training sessions in accessible locations throughout the City of Toronto. Deliver training sessions through webinars which are recorded and posted on the internet for public use Work with the boards of directors of at least 15 FPB organizations identified by the Community Funding Programs Unit, Social Development, Finance and Administration Division. The engagement with each board will last over multiple meetings and may last for 2 to 3 months. The grantee will: o Use a process for assessing the strengths and needs of the boards o Provide customized capacity building activities to strengthen their governance structure and address their specific capacity building needs Conduct an evaluation of the project's implementation and outcomes. Provide a final report on the project, which describes the project's activities and outputs, the evaluation findings and makes recommendations for future capacity building activities. Page 4 of 8

6 Intellectual Property All intellectual property developed through this grant will remain the property of the grantee. If the grantee has provided funding to a partner organization or a consultant to develop material, then the material may remain the property of this organization or consultant. However, the organization and its partners and/or consultants will grant the City or Toronto the on-going right to use and adapt the material, including the right to share it for use by future grantees. What is the grant size? A maximum of $250,000 is available, preference to one successful applicant Funding is available for one year Funded activities must be implemented within a 12-month period Who is eligible for funding? Given the complexity of governance issues and the scale of the project, eligible applicants are encouraged to form a partnership with other community agencies, academic institutions or experienced consultants to apply. You are required to specify the expertise, roles and responsibilities of each partner in the application and include letters of commitment if you apply with partners. The lead agency must be a FPB organization and incorporated with an audited financial statement. To be eligible to receive funding for the grant, applicants must: Have at least 5 years' experience and extensive knowledge in providing governance training activities to established and emerging FPB organizations; Have experience implementing webinars; Have in-depth knowledge and understanding of various governance issues/needs in the FPB sector and the barriers that they face through an equity lens; Have extensive experience conducting outreach to the FPB sector including established groups and emerging groups; Have at least 5 years' experience providing coaching and/or training to boards and senior staff from FPB organizations; Have experience in researching, assessing and evaluating the effectiveness of training and consulting for different organizations / groups (e.g. emerging and established non-profits) across the FPB sector; Be an incorporated not for profit organization (a not for-profit operates without financial gain for its members or directors); Be based in the city of Toronto (this means the organization's head office must be located in Toronto, and grant supported activities must take place in Toronto); Be accountable to the community through an elected board of directors or executive and must represent the community it serves; 50% or more of Board members reside in the City of Toronto; Have audited financial statements for the most recent fiscal year; Work or partner with other FPB organizations; Page 5 of 8

7 Be in good standing with the City of Toronto; Have the ability to manage the project (administrative oversight, financial management and scheduling capacity); Show a clear separation between religious and community service functions (if religious activities are provided); This City s Grant to Enhance Governance in For Public Benefit Organizations program will NOT fund any of the following kinds of organizations or groups: Organizations with mandates covered under provincial or federal legislation, such as day-cares, group homes, hospitals, schools and universities; Grant-making or third-party fundraising organizations; Individuals or for-profit businesses or ventures; Political or lobby groups; Landlord/tenant and condominium corporations. How can grant funds be used? Costs related to the effective development of the funding program model(s), such as: Staff salaries and benefits Space rental Consultant fees Liability insurance Transportation Planning and development Accessibility support costs Developing and supporting partnerships Delivery and materials costs Evaluation Interpretation and translation for events and communications; and Childminding, if applicable. Ineligible Use of Funds Requests for the following purposes are NOT eligible for consideration: Fundraising events Donations to charitable causes Reserve funds Capital costs (i.e. building repairs or renovations) Debt repayment or deficit funding Political or religious activities Page 6 of 8

8 Key Dates THURSDAY JULY 19 Grant call launches WEDNESDAY AUGUST 1 TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 18 11:59 AM Q &A session - Join us in Committee Room 4 at City Hall, 100 Queen St W, on Wednesday August 1 st from 10:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. if you have questions about this grant call. Deadline to submit your application, budget, and work plan to cgis@toronto.ca LATE SEPTEMBER Grant decision announced. A Letter of Understanding will be sent to the group that is approved for funding. Contact us: By cgis@toronto.ca Before August 24th: Kin Wah Siu (416) or kinwah.siu@toronto.ca After August 24th: Matt Brubacher (416) or Matt.Brubacher@toronto.ca Page 7 of 8

9 Special Needs Accommodation of special needs (e.g. documents in alternate formats, sign-language interpreters, off-hour meetings) is available as required to ensure that groups can fully participate in the funding process. For accommodation of special needs please contact the Supervisor, Community Funding at or by at Disclosure of Information As mandated by the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (1990) s. 27 and By-Law all information collected the application, including personal information may be subject to full public disclosure which may include posting to a web site. Questions about this collection can be directed to the Supervisor of Community Funding at City Hall, 15th floor, East Tower, 100 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2 or by telephone at Page 8 of 8