Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration 400 University Avenue, 4 nd Floor Toronto, ON M7A 2R9 Ministère des Affaires civiques et de l Immigration 400, avenue University, 4 e étage Toronto ON M7A 2R9 Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Voluntary Sector Relations Unit Citizenship Branch Ontario s Pan/Parapan American Games Volunteer Legacy - Gateway Initiative Letter of Intent Guidelines Deadline for Letter of Intent: December 11, 2013 5:00 p.m. Applying for funding under the Pan/Parapan American Games Volunteer Legacy - Gateway Initiative is a two-step application process. Step One in the application process is the submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) to undertake the Gateway initiative. These Guidelines address this stage of the process. Based on the criteria outlined in these Guidelines, the Ministry will identify Applicants that will be invited to proceed to Step Two of the process, the submission of a Full Application, expected in early 2014. Please review these Guidelines before submitting a Letter of Intent.
TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION Page 3 1.2 Volunteering in Ontario Page 3 1.3 Description of Gateway Initiative Page 4 1.4 Objectives Page 5 1.5 Key Dates and Timelines Page 5 2. ELIGIBILITY Page 5 3. PREPARING A LETTER OF INTENT Page 6 3.1 Section K: Letter of Intent Page 7 3.2 Proposed Budget Page 7 3.2.1 Eligible and Ineligible Expenses Page 7 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. INQUIRIES ASSESSMENT DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION MINISTRY SERVICE STANDARDS PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION APPENDIX A Ontario Human Rights Code Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 10 Page 10 Page 11 2
1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 About the Pan/Parapan American Games and Ontario s Pan/Parapan American Games Promotion, Celebration and Legacy Strategy The Games, a globally recognized major international sporting event, will take place throughout the Greater Golden Horseshoe in summer 2015. The Games will host an estimated 10,000 athletes and officials from 41 countries across the Americas that are expected to participate in 51 Pan and Parapan sporting events. Ontario has not benefited from hosting a multi-sport international event since 1930 (Commonwealth Games in Hamilton). The Pan/Parapan American Games Secretariat is part of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, and is responsible for overseeing Ontario's financial commitments in the Games and, with the involvement of partner ministries, delivering Ontario s Pan/Parapan American Games Promotion, Celebration and Legacy Strategy. Toronto 2015, the community-based committee tasked with the responsibility of planning, managing and delivering the Games, expects to recruit approximately 20,000 volunteers to support the operations of the Games and anticipates receiving 5 times the number of Applicants than will be required. Ontario will have a key opportunity to leverage an anticipated surge in interest in volunteering generated by the Games, in order to increase the return on investment from hosting the Games for communities across the province, long after the closing ceremonies of the Games. Volunteer legacy initiatives will ensure that all Ontarians (including residents outside Toronto and the Greater Golden Horseshoe regions) interested in volunteering in their communities will benefit from the Games investment, as will not-for-profit organizations seeking qualified volunteers, and businesses looking for corporate volunteering opportunities for its employees. The Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, in collaboration with the Pan/Parapan American Games Secretariat, is responsible for the implementation of two Volunteer legacy initiatives: a) A Volunteer Legacy Gateway, and b) A Volunteer Legacy Certification Program These two new initiatives will support and increase opportunities for volunteerism in Ontario, and will form part of Pan/Parapan American Games Promotion, Celebration and Legacy Strategy. Each of the initiatives will be developed concurrently and set to launch in time for the Games. 1.2 Volunteering in Ontario Volunteers are a vital part of Ontario s not-for-profit sector operations, with approximately 6 million Ontarians volunteering in about 46,000 organizations annually. The Ministry is committed to supporting civic engagement and active citizenship through policy and program initiatives that aim to strengthen volunteerism in the province. Ontario s volunteers play a key role in the delivery of essential human services that respond to the complex needs of Ontarians from all stages and circumstances of life. 3
Ontarians seek on-line volunteer opportunities by going directly to not-for-profit postings or through sites such as Charity Village, Craigslist or through local Volunteer Centres. Ontario s 24 Volunteer Centres work in local communities to strengthen volunteering and citizen engagement. Each Volunteer Centre s name, size, structure and services reflect the unique characteristics of their community. Many Volunteer Centres are independent not-for-profit organizations, while others are part of a United Way, Social Planning Council, Community Information and Referral Centre or municipal services. Though diverse in many ways, they share the following common functions: promoting volunteering; facilitating connections between people with local volunteer opportunities; building the capacity of organizations to engage volunteers; and providing leadership on issues related to volunteering and citizenship engagement. It is envisioned that Ontario s Volunteer Centres will be included in the planning and delivery of both initiatives. 1.3 Description of the Gateway Initiative Volunteer Centres in Ontario, as well as Charity Village, currently provide the main link between organizations volunteer opportunities and the general public. All Volunteer Centres utilize some form of volunteer matching infrastructure to connect volunteers with opportunities, but they are not integrated into a single site. The Ministry, in collaboration with the Pan/Parapan American Games Secretariat, is seeking an organization to design, develop, and maintain a bilingual web application that draws together volunteer opportunities from various online volunteer matching services throughout Ontario and displays it in a single online location for the potential volunteer s convenience. This aggregator-style website is envisioned as the one place for potential volunteers to look for traditional and non-traditional volunteer experiences, as well as for up-to-date volunteer resources and tools. Following the Games, Toronto 2015 will promote the Gateway to its database of volunteers by providing the Gateway link to those interested in continuing to volunteer in their community. Development of the Gateway will include ensuring that all Ontario s Volunteer Centres have online volunteer matching systems in place that would allow their successful integration to the Gateway. The Gateway will also allow potential volunteers to access and search for opportunities with large scale corporate sponsored events and organizations that currently do not post on Volunteer Centre sites. The Gateway will be made available in English and French and be AODA compliant as required. Volunteer postings and resource materials will be aggregated from existing websites and will appear on the Gateway only in the language of the original site(s). The successful Applicant will be responsible for the sustainability of the Gateway following March 31, 2016 for a period of at least five years thereafter. 4
The Gateway will be a made-in-ontario product that will be branded as a part of the Pan/Parapan American Games Volunteer Legacy. 1.4 Objectives: The Gateway will: 1. Assist Ontarians and the not-for-profit sector by offering one-stop access volunteer matching services at a single online location; 2. Provide the private sector with opportunities to access corporate volunteering opportunities; 3. Facilitate access to volunteer resource materials; 4. Connect Pan/Parapan American Games volunteers and overflow volunteer applicants with other volunteer opportunities. 1.5 Key Dates and Timelines Milestone Date Step 1: Deadline for Letter of Intent (LOI) December 10, 2013 Step 2: Deadline for Full Application (by invitation only) Early 2014 Anticipated initiative start date March 1, 2014 Funding end date - (Recipient responsible for maintaining March 31, 2016 Gateway Initiative following March 31, 2016) 2. ELIGIBILITY To be eligible to apply for funding, organizations must: Be incorporated as a not-for-profit or charitable organization in any jurisdiction in Canada and operating in Ontario for at least two (2) years Have an elected Board of Directors Have by-laws that outline procedures for reporting and accounting to their membership for the organization s operations and performance Demonstrate adequate cash flow management and funds in reserve Satisfy the Ministry that they can receive, handle and account for public funds in a responsible manner Have commercial general liability insurance of not less than $2,000,000 for property damage, bodily and personal injury for the activities/projects being funded Be compliant with Ontario s Human Rights Code 1 and all other applicable laws, such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act 2005 (AODA). 1 Please refer to Appendix A for more information about the Ontario Human Rights Code. 5
The following are not eligible to apply 2 : Municipalities and other levels of government Hospitals For-profit corporations Individuals Preference will be given to Applicant organizations that can demonstrate a history of developing and delivering successful large scale programs (preferably with the same target audience) and accountability for public funds. Preference will also be given to proposals that involve collaborations or partnerships between organizations. Any collaborative applications must designate a lead Applicant that meets the eligibility criteria. The ability for an Applicant to undertake both initiatives for which the Ministry is responsible (i.e. Certification and Gateway) will be considered an asset if organizational capacity to deliver both is satisfactorily addressed. Applicants are required to submit a separate LOI for each initiative.. 3. PREPARING A LETTER OF INTENT All Letters of Intent must be submitted online in either English or French through Grants Ontario (www.grants.gov.on.ca). To access the Letter of Intent application, you must create a ONe-key account and enrol for a Grants Ontario account. You will not be able to access Grants Ontario otherwise. Please visit www.grants.gov.on.ca and click on the How to Apply link for information on how to get an account. You can also refer to the Grants Ontario System Registration Guide for Applicants for instructions, which is also found on the Grants Ontario website under Grants Ontario Help. Once you are registered and have access, the next step is to complete an application through Grants Ontario. If you have any questions or difficulties during this process, do not hesitate to contact the Grants Ontario Customer Service Line at (416) 325-6691 or 1-855-216-3090, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or by email at GrantsOntarioCS@Ontario.ca When completing your Letter of Intent, please note the following: a. Refer to the description of the Gateway Initiative (See section 1.3) to review specific requirements. b. The Ministry may refuse to consider LOIs that arrive after the deadline or are incomplete. c. Other than attaching a preliminary budget no other attachments will be considered as part of the submission (please see section 3.2 for more information). 2 Although these organizations are not eligible to apply on their own, eligible organizations may choose to partner with them for the delivery of this project. 6
3.1 Grants Ontario Letter of Intent Application Please note the following in Section K of the LOI application form: Question 5 Target Sector please indicate N/A Question 6 Host Municipality please choose the most appropriate option Question 7 Project Priority please indicate N/A Question 9 Project Description you must include the following: o stakeholder engagement strategy, including volunteer centres o comprehensive training program for stakeholder users o marketing campaign that includes digital products and social media. o partnering organization(s) if any, their level of involvement, and how they will contribute to the initiative o plan to create an advisory committee to meet regularly to provide input and advice for the development and implementation of the initiative. The committee may include representation from Toronto 2015 and the volunteer sector. o sustainability plan that demonstrates how you intend to maintain the certification program following March 31, 2016 for a period of at least five years thereafter. NOTE: Although the LOI does not require the identification of performance metrics or an evaluation plan, these will be required at the Full Application stage. 3.2 Proposed Budget Identify the overall budget estimate, including key areas of expense and upload as an attachment to your online Grants Ontario application. 3.2.1 Eligible and Ineligible Expenses Funding will be made for a one-time, multi-year grant to support 100% of the cost of development and launch of the initiative. Funding may be used for: Personnel costs including salaries and benefits of program staff directly involved in the initiative or professional service fees Program costs such as: I and IT software/hardware, contracted services, materials, resources, transportation, marketing and promotion, stakeholder engagement, training, equipment, rent, creating a sustainability plan, and liability insurance for the project. The Ministry will not fund: Ongoing operating costs of the initiative after March 31, 2016, or of the Applicant and/or partner organizations Components of the initiative already funded by another source Activities that have been completed or costs incurred before a Funding Agreement is signed with the successful Applicant Major capital expenditures such as the purchase, renovation or construction of facilities Budget deficits Religious, sectarian and/or political activities Activities that could be deemed discriminatory, as defined by the Ontario Human Rights Code Programs, activities or services outside Ontario 7
4. INQUIRIES Questions regarding the LOI may be submitted by e-mail to the Ministry at the following e-mail address: OntarioVolunteers@Ontario.ca The Ministry will circulate responses to all questions received to interested parties. Please notify the Ministry by November 28, 2013 at the e-mail address above if you would like to be added to our distribution list. Please submit your questions regarding the LOI by December 2, 2013. The Ministry will circulate Qs and As to the distribution list by December 5, 2013. If you need technical support at any time regarding Grants Ontario or how to apply online, do not hesitate to contact the Grants Ontario Customer Service Line at (416) 325-6691 or 1-855- 216-3090, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or by email at GrantsOntarioCS@Ontario.ca. 8
5. ASSESSMENT Upon review and assessment of the LOI, the Ministry will invite selected Applicants to submit a Full Application in early 2014. Only selected Applicants will be sent the Full Application materials. LOIs will be assessed and scored according to the following criteria: 1. Organizational Capacity The Applicant demonstrates its eligibility and the organizational capacity to deliver the proposed project effectively. The Applicant demonstrates history in developing and delivering successful large scale projects, and accountability for public funds. 2. Key Project Activities The Applicant demonstrates a clear linkage between the proposed activities and the program requirements, e.g. creation of an advisory committee, user training, compatibility considerations, marketing, and sustainability plan. 3. Partnership Engagement The Applicant demonstrates the capacity to engage relevant stakeholders to become involved in the proposed project in order to achieve the program objectives. The Applicant identifies partners to provide support throughout the implementation of the project. 4. Overall Budget The Applicant identifies an overall project budget and outlines key areas of expense. 5. Impact on Target Audience and Community The Applicant clearly identifies the specific target audience and how they will benefit from the proposed project. The review process will assess the LOI to determine the degree that the application has met the program requirements. The Ministry may consult with its key stakeholders and other ministries. The Ministry will advise Applicants as to whether they will be invited to proceed to Step Two, the submission of a Full Application. NOTE: There is no guarantee that submission of an LOI will result in being invited to the second stage, and if selected to the second stage, there is no guarantee that funding will be granted. 9
6. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION LOIs submitted to the Ministry are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection Privacy Act ( FIPPA ). FIPPA provides every person with a right of access to information in the custody or under the control of the Ministry, subject to a limited set of exemptions. All Applicants are advised that the names and addresses of grant recipients, and the amount and the purpose(s) for which grants are awarded is information made available by the Ministry to the public including the posting of grant awards on the Ministry website. Copies of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. F. 31 are available on the Internet at: www.e-laws.gov.on.ca. 7. MINISTRY SERVICE STANDARDS The Ministry has a commitment to providing quality service to our stakeholders. We can guarantee that: Applicants will receive written acknowledgement of the receipt of an LOI within 15 business days of the posted deadline. LOIs will be assessed fairly and consistently against program criteria, organization eligibility criteria and potential targeted outcomes. Once a funding decision has been made, Applicants will be notified in writing, in a timely manner. Applicants will be updated, in writing, on the status of their application if they have not received notice of a funding decision within 14 weeks of receipt of the LOI. All LOIs that are submitted in French will be responded to in French. 8. PROGRAM CONTACT INFORMATION For further information, please contact the Voluntary Sector Relations Unit, Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration, using the contact information listed below: Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration Voluntary Sector Relations Unit, Citizenship Branch 400 University Avenue, 4th floor Toronto, ON M7A 2R9 E-mail: OntarioVolunteers@ontario.ca 10
APPENDIX A Ontario Human Rights Code Ontario s Human Rights Code provides for equal treatment in the areas of services, goods, facilities, accommodation, contracts, and employment without discrimination on the grounds of race, ancestry, place of origin, colour, ethnic origin, citizenship, creed, sex, sexual orientation, disability, age, family status, marital status, the receipt of public assistance (in accommodation only), and record of offences (in employment only). For more information about the Ontario Human Rights Code, please visit the following link: http://www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/html/statutes/english/elaws_statutes_90h19_e.htm 11