Collaborating for Social Development: Government and Nonprofit Sector Partnership

1. SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANADA The Government of Canada and the Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector: Moving Forward Together Presentation to Civil Society Excellence: International Seminar on Strategies and Agreements between the Public Sector and the Nonprofit Sector March 2005 Marie Gauthier, Director Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Affairs Division Community Development and Partnerships Directorate Social Development Canada

2. Purpose • Why we work together • Where we’ve been • Challenges • Approach to moving forward

3. Profile of Canada’s Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector • Diversity in size, scope and purpose • 161,000 incorporated non-profit and voluntary organizations, • 80,000 registered charities • $112 billion in annual revenues; $109 billion in assets (2003) • Provides jobs to 2 million paid employees • 6.5 million volunteers giving 2 billion volunteer hours *Source: NSNVO, StatsCan, 2004

4. Contribution of the Non-Profitand Voluntary Sector • A key pillar in Canada’s social infrastructure • Gives voice to community needs • A key partner in promoting social well-being and creating bridges • A key driver of social innovation and an important contributor to the social economy • Providers of services to Canadians

5. Why We Work Together • The Government of Canada and the non-profit and voluntary sector share a commitment to improving the well-being of Canadians and the communities they live in • Since we share common goals and interests, combining our efforts makes us more effective in reaching our shared goals

6. Where We’ve Been • Long history of collaboration in some departments with some non-profit and voluntary sector organizations • More recent history of a more formal collaboration with the non-profit and voluntary sectorthrough the Voluntary Sector Initiative (VSI)

7. Voluntary Sector Initiative Designed to Support the Sector • Voluntary Sector Initiative (VSI) • Five-year, $94.6 million joint initiative (launched June 2000) • $6 M over two years announced March 2004, extends partnership to March 2006 • Objectives of VSI to • Strengthen relationship between the sector and the Government of Canada • Increase capacity of the voluntary sector to meet the needs of Canadians

8. VSI Accomplishments Strengthening the Relationship • An Accord Between the Government of Canada and the Voluntary Sector. • Two related Codes of Good Practice - on Funding and Policy Dialogue.

9. VSI Accomplishments Regulations Improved • Adoption of 70 changes that improve the regulatory framework in which non-profit organizations and charities operate. • Creation of an Advisory Committee to Canada Revenue Agency

10. VSI Accomplishments Increasing Knowledge • Canada Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating • National Survey of Nonprofit and Voluntary Organizations • Satellite Account • John Hopkins International Comparative Study

11. VSI Accomplishments Capacity Enhanced • Increased capacity to recruit, retain and manage both paid and unpaid human resources • Increased policy capacity through direct experience and new resources • Increased technology capacity

12. Continuing Challenges • Voluntary Sector • Human resources • Financing • Liability Insurance • Capacity • Government of Canada • Horizontal integration • Culture change

13. Where are We Going: A Continuing Priority for the Government of Canada • 2004 Speech from the Throne identified “strengthening Canada social foundations” as one of four priorities for action. • $6 million over two years announced in 2004 Federal Budget to: • strengthen the sector’s capacity to collaborate and innovate and • support a stronger voice for philanthropic and charitable organizations in local, regional and national public policy dialogue.” • This extends the Government of Canada’s commitment and support to the non-profit and voluntary sector to March 2006

14. Moving Toward an Integrated Communities Strategy • There is now an opportunity to move ahead to address ongoing and new challenges for both Government of Canada and the voluntary sector as part of an integrated communities strategy. • Phase One – Moving Ahead in the Short-term • Initiatives to complete VSI. • Phase Two - Incremental • Initiatives to address ongoing challenges in the context of the budget announcements. • Phase Three – Transformative • Longer-term community agenda

15. Immediate Initiatives • Initiatives agreed to by the government and the sector will include: • Horizontal Integration: • Promote the implementation of Accord and Codes as a way of “doing business” throughout GoC. • Performance Reporting • Annual reporting to Canadians on the implementation of the Accord and Codes. • Public Awareness: • Enhance public awareness of the value of the voluntary sector • Establish a Voluntary Sector Portal to connect people and organizations to information and services.

16. Incremental Initiatives • Financing • Task Force on Community Investments • Implementing Regulatory Reform • Human Resources Capacity Building • Regular data collection on size and scope of the non-profit and voluntary sector • Work with the key national, regional and local non-profit and voluntary sector organizations on a transition strategy to move beyond the VSI.

17. Citizen-Led, Community- Based Processes Active and engaged citizens Citizens Integrated government services Business & Labour Growth of Social Enterprises Civil Society Strong, innovative voluntary sector Governments Vibrant, socially responsible businesses Learning Institutions Transformative Initiatives: Toward an Integrated Communities Strategy New partnerships Strong, Vibrant, Innovative, Sustainable Communities and synergies

18. As We Move Forward.. • We need to continue to develop a more effective and collaborative partnership with the non-profit and voluntary sector at the national, regional and local community level to meet the needs of Canadians by promoting: • “bottom-up” policy dialogue networks • innovation to identify and meet local community needs • horizontal collaboration across the Government of Canada and sector

19. Contact Marie Gauthier Director, Non-Profit and Voluntary Sector Affairs Division Community Development and Partnerships Directorate Social Development Canada E-mail: marie.gauthier@sdc-dsc.gc.ca (819) 997-6673 Website: www.vsi-isbc.ca

20. Annex A Major VSI Achievements to Date Strengthening the Relationship • An Accord Between the Government of Canada and the Voluntary Sector. • Two related Codes of Good Practice - on Funding and Policy Dialogue. Capacity Building • National research and the compilation of first-ever national data on the voluntary sector in Canada (three major studies, one on the contribution of the voluntary sector to Canada’s economy, one on organizations in the sector, and one on the contributions of citizens to the sector). • Adoption by the Federal Government (in Budget 2004) of 70 changes that improve the regulatory framework in which non-profit organizations and charities operate. • Tools for human resource management and information technology. • Capacity development projects (67) involving voluntary sector organizations in policy dialogue with 17 departments, and a formative evaluation of the experience. • Initial work to develop a Voluntary Sector Internet Portal. • A feasibility study for a Sector Council on Human Resources in the Voluntary Sector.

21. Annex B Outstanding Joint VSI Activities Strengthening the Relationship • Ongoing implementation of the Accord and Codes. Capacity Building • Work to establish a Sector Council on human resources to follow the Human Resources in the Voluntary Sector Initiative. • Completion and launch of the Voluntary Sector Internet Portal. • Release of new national data on the voluntary sector, including data from the newly-established StatsCan Satellite Account, the National Survey on Non-profit and Voluntary Organizations (both in September 2004) and the Canadian Survey on Giving, Volunteering and Participating (in the spring of 2005). • National awareness campaign on the voluntary sector (Request for Proposals issued in July 2004). • Final summative evaluation on the impact of the VSI.

22. Annex C Governance Structure • Joint Steering Committee (JSC) • To provide coordination and oversight for the remaining work of the VSI, for the implementation, dissemination and delivery of VSI products and services and advance new directions for the voluntary sector within an integrated communities strategy. • Director General Steering Committee (DGSC) • To strategically ensure horizontal integration across departments and agencies. • Provide a strong advisory role to ADMs on the JSC to advance work on immediate, incremental and transformative initiatives. • Champions Network • To engage members across the government and voluntary sector in further entrenching the Accord and Codes into daily business. • To engage in discussions about the role of the voluntary sector in communities.