ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: November 16, 1999
Author/Local: B. Wong/6637

C.Cuthbert/6044

RTS No. 1110

CC File No. 2151

Council: November 30, 1999

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Community Services, Social Planning
SUBJECT:	1999 Partners in Organizational Development Grant Allocation

RECOMMENDATION

THAT Council approve a Partners in Organizational Development grant of $18,000 to the United Way of the Lower Mainland for subsequent distribution to 9 community services organizations in the amounts listed in Appendix AI of this report, source of funds to be the 1999 Community Services grants budget.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services submits the foregoing for Council’s CONSIDERATION.

POLICY

Approval of grant recommendations requires eight affirmative votes.

PURPOSE

This report recommends approval of the City’s contribution to the Partners in Organizational Development (POD) program for community service agencies in Vancouver.

BACKGROUND

On March 30, 1999, Council approved allocation of $18,000 in the 1999 Community Services Grants budget for the community service component of the POD program.

The Partners in Organization Development program was initiated in 1989 as a jointly funded partnership of the Vancouver Foundation, United Way, Department of the Secretary of State and the City of Vancouver to help non-profit groups deal with common organizational problems and thus to function more effectively.

In 1993, an independent evaluation of the program indicated that it was meeting real needs in the community, that it should be continued, and that other funding partners should be found so that the program could assist more organizations.

In addition to funding the various organizational development activities which the program has always supported (identified as the “Organizational Development Stream”), POD also includes the “Access Stream” to help non-profit organizations become more inclusive and responsive to community diversity.

To reduce costs and red tape the United Way has always handled the administration of the POD program, co-ordinating mailing lists, distributing applications, and mailing out one cheque to each successful applicant. The United Way receives a 6% administration fee from all of the POD funders as reimbursement for these administrative services.

DISCUSSION

This year’s POD program funding partners are: United Way of the Lower Mainland, B.C. Immigration & Multiculturalism, Vancouver Foundation, Health Canada and the City of Vancouver with a total of $147,800 available.

POD grants are reviewed by a committee of staff representing each funder. Proposals are assessed on the basis of completeness of the application, eligible activities and costs, documented need, clear activity plan and long-term benefits to the organization as a whole. Copies of the 1999 POD brochure describing the program, including eligibility and evaluation criteria, are attached as Appendix B.

A total of 120 applications were received. Of this total 29 were from Vancouver. Although the program is province-wide, Vancouver funds are allocated only to Vancouver-based organizations, while the other funders contribute both to Vancouver groups and non-Vancouver groups. For this cycle, contributions are as follows:

Funder: Community Services	Total
City of Vancouver	$18,000
Vancouver Foundation	$42,400
United Way	$42,400
BC Immigration & Multiculturalism	$25,000
Health Canada	$20,000
TOTAL	$147,800

Grants recommended to 9 Vancouver community services groups are listed in Appendix AI, together with the City’s contribution. The 20 Vancouver groups not recommended are listed in Appendix AII.

Although only 9 Vancouver community services groups are recommended for grants in Appendix AI, some additional groups which serve Vancouver residents were supported by other POD funders. These agencies include: B.C. Federation of Foster Parents, the B.C. Centre for Ability, B.C. Sport and Fitness for the Disabled, B.C. Institute Against Family Violence, Osteoporosis Society of B.C., and the Western Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

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1999 POD COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS RECOMMENDED
VANCOUVER ORGANIZATIONS

The following 9 Vancouver community service organizations are recommended for Partners in Organizational Development grants:

Organizations	Purpose	Request	Grant	City’s Share
Collingwood Neighbourhood House	- to organize community planning sessions to build and strengthen relationships and to develop a plan for the next 2 years	$1,500	$1,500	$1,000
Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre	- to complete a strategic plan	$3,500	$3,500	$2,000
411 Seniors Centre	- to set goals, objectives and activities for the organization based on consultation with members	$4,000	$4,000	$2,000
Little Mountain Neighbourhood House	- to develop a short and long term marketing plan	$4,200	$4,000	$3,000
Lookout Emergency Aid Society	- to develop a 5 year strategic plan	$5,000	$5,000	$2,500
S.U.C.C.E.S.S.	- to do a consultation and planning process to develop an action plan for transforming a primarily social service organization into a multi-service one	$5,000	$5,000	$1,000
Urban Native Indian Education Society	- to develop a fundraising plan	$5,000	$5,000	$1,920
Vancouver Society of Children’s Centres	- to work on strengthening the organization as it goes through a period of growth including: reviewing Board/Committee structure and the role and involvement of clients in defining and delivering services in the downtown core	$4,000	$3,000	$2,000
Vancouver Status of Women	- to do an organizational review and strategic plan	$5,000	$3,000	$1,500
Total Grants		$37,200	$34,000	$16,920
United Way Administration Fee	- 6% of the City’s $18,000 contribution to cover United Way’s costs for administering the POD grant process			$1,080
TOTAL		$37,200	$34,000	$18,000

The following 20 Vancouver community service organizations are not recommended for POD grants from the City of Vancouver allocation.

Organization	Request
Developmental Disabilities Foundation	$5,000
Downtown South Residents’ Rights Association	$3,750
Hispanic Community Centre	$5,000
HOPE House	$5,000
Inner City Foster Parents Project	$5,000
Nous Tous un Soliel/ One and All	$2,420
Prostitution Alternatives Counselling and Education	$5,000
Seniors Well Aware Program	$5,000
Shalom Vancouver	$5,000
Stanley Park Ecology Society	$4,000
West End Seniors’ Network	$3,000
Together We Can	$5,000
Tradeworks Training Society	$4,200
United Native Nations	$5,000
Unity in Diversity Association and Self-Help Resource Association of B.C.	$5,000
Vancouver Adapted Music Society	$5,000
Vancouver Aids Society	$5,000
Vancouver Area Network Drug Users	$5,000
Vancouver East Cultural Centre	$5,000
Volunteer Vancouver	$7,800

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Partners in Organizational Development 1999 (brochure).

(Not electronically available)

(c) 1998 City of Vancouver