2004/05

Telling Your Story to the Media

Beth Haddon, Communications Consultant and Senior Lecturer in Journalism, University of British Columbia, School of Journalism
Over the last year I have had an opportunity, partly triggered by being out of the media for awhile, by teaching journalism at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, by reading and by working with a number of voluntary organizations and nonprofits, to reflect on the state of the media and on a particular approach to publicity and communications which I call a “public affairs” approach.

Financial Management and Reporting

Walter Ross, FCA, Retired Partner of Ernst & Young, and former Director, Laidlaw Foundation
Accounting and accountability – we hear these words a lot, but do we know what they mean? Accounting refers to the activity of keeping track of things in orderly ways, and of measuring them over time. This activity can become obsessive – it fits nicely into a mechanistic and control-obsessed view of the world. We must never forget that there are lots of things, often the most important, that cannot be measured in any meaningful way. It is fairly easy to keep track of financial things denominated in monetary units but there are also many non-monetary things that can usefully be accounted for, monitored and measured. A good example would be the contribution made by the volunteers in your organizations. Finally, some things really cannot be measured – the quality of relationships developed within your organization and by your activities with clients, for example.

Advocacy

Sean Moore, Partner/Public Policy Advisor, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP
The ability to effectively influence decisions of government is a major challenge for small nonprofits as well as large organizations. However, there are specific steps which nonprofit organizations can take to improve their relationship with governments and their effectiveness in lobbying them.

Board Governance

Tom Williams, Professor, School of Policy Studies, Queen’s University
Bright people working together to achieve laudable goals in nonprofit organizations would seem to be a recipe for harmony. Yet, all too often these organizations fall victim to energy-sapping internal disputes. Governance, the ‘g’ word, is very much on people’s minds. Everyone is seeking a silver bullet that will make the policy and decision-making processes of these organizations work well. Yet, there is no ‘single’ answer that will work for all organizations. Rather, there are a series of guiding questions that will assist individual organizations to develop governance processes that work, can be adapted to new realities and that meet the standards of accountability, transparency and responsible partnership.

Vision, Ideas and Money

Paul Born, President, Tamarack – An Institute for Community Engagement
Paul Born has spent most of his adult life developing ideas that raise funds. The vast majority of these ideas, which have received more than $30 million in funding over the last 20 years, were conceived as partnerships with donors, funders and the people who delivered and/or received the service. Paul used examples and stories to provide insight into developing ideas that raise funds from private, public and foundation partners.

Talking to the City of Toronto

Sean Goetz-Gadon, Special Housing Advisor to David Miller, Mayor of Toronto
The City of Toronto plays a large role in the life of its residents, delivering a wide range of services and programs from police and fire services to housing, parks and social services. There are also new opportunities and priorities from a new relationship with other orders of government, to the rejuvenation of Toronto’s waterfront, to a city-wide architectural and cultural renaissance. Everything hinges on reinvesting in the public realm, including transit, affordable housing, and programs that build strong, safe communities. There are a number of ideas of how you can enhance your organization’s ability to engage the new administration.

Approaching Grantmakers Successfully

Robin Cardozo, CEO, Ontario Trillium Foundation
There’s more to applying for a grant than filling out a form! Good ideas include strategies for understanding the expectations and priorities of a funder. Are the goals of the funder compatible with the mission and priorities of your organization? Will the pursuit of the funder’s money take you off that mission? Can you put yourself in the grantmaker’s shoes? It’s important to consider the “fit” from the start.

Managing Consultant Relationships

David Pecaut, Chair, Toronto City Summit Alliance and President & CEO, iFormation Group
Fundamentally a consultant should be someone who is helping your organization become more successful. However, in order to ensure that you are receiving the best work possible, you need to understand the parameters of the consultant/client relationship and to provide a structure that avoids common pitfalls and produces concrete results.