ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT

Date: November 4, 1997

Author/Local: L.von Fersen

W.Au

CC File No. 2001

TO:	Vancouver City Council
FROM:	Director of Community Services, Social Planning Director, Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT:	1997 Partners in Organizational Development Grant Allocation

RECOMMENDATION

A.THAT Council approve a Partners in Organizational Development grant to the United Way of the Lower Mainland for subsequent distribution to 8 community services organizations in the amounts listed in Appendix AI & AII of this report, source of funds to be the 1997 Community Services grants budget.

B.THAT Council approve an Arts Partners in Organizational Development grant of $15,000 to the United Way of the Lower Mainland for subsequent distribution to 9 cultural organizations in the amounts listed in Appendix BI & BII of this report, source of funds to be the 1997 Cultural Grants budget.

GENERAL MANAGER’S COMMENTS

The General Manager of Community Services SUBMITS A & B for Council’s CONSIDERATION.

COUNCIL 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 8 community service agencies and 9 cultural organizations based in Vancouver.

BACKGROUND

On March 13, 1997 Council approved allocation of $15,000 in the 1997 Cultural Grants budget for the cultural component of POD and $15,000 in the 1997 Community Services Grants budget for the community service component of the POD program.

The Partners in Organizational 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.

A review of the cultural component of POD was undertaken in May of this year, involving 7 Vancouver arts organizations plus staff from the Vancouver Foundation, Department of Canadian Heritage, B.C. Arts Council, Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team, United Way and the City’s Office of Cultural Affairs. As a result, the arts component of POD has been re-named for clarity as Arts POD and strengthened in two ways:

1) The Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team has been engaged to bring their organizational development expertise to small cultural organizations by providing a needs assessment option. This provides an analytical grounding to organizations, enabling more focused and cost-effective strategic planning work.

2) Further, the Province’s B.C. Arts Council has agreed to become a partner in the program, adding $25,000 to the funds available.

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.

POD grants are reviewed by a committee of staff representing each funder. Proposals are assessed on the basis of eligible activities and costs, documented need, clear activity plan and long-term benefits to the organization as a whole. Copies of the 1997 POD and Arts POD brochures describing the program, including eligibility and evaluation criteria, are attached as Appendix C.

A total of 167 applications were received, up from 151 last year. Of this total 38 were from Vancouver, consisting of 16 community services and 22 cultural organizations. 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 Serv. Arts POD Access Total

City of Vancouver 15,000 15,000 $30,000

Vancouver Foundation 25,000 25,000 50,000

United Way 30,000 10,000 40,000

B.C.Arts Council 25,000 25,000

B.C. Multicult’l &Immigr. 47,000 47,000

Dept.Canadian Heritage ______ 25,000 ______ 25,000

TOTAL 70,000 90,000 57,000 $ 217,000

DISCUSSION

Community Services Recommendations

This year the POD program received 113 applications, of which 16 were from Vancouver groups, 27 from the Lower mainland, and 50 from throughout the Province. 20 of the applications were in the Access Stream.

Grants recommended to 8 Vancouver community services groups are listed in Appendix AI, together with the City’s contribution. The 8 Vancouver groups not recommended are listed in Appendix AII.

Although only 8 Vancouver community services groups are recommended for grants in Appendix AI, some additional groups which serve Vancouver residents were supported by other POD funders through the Access Stream . These agencies included Immigrant Services Society, Immigrant and Visible Minority Women of B.C., and Vancouver & District Public Housing Tenants Association.

Cultural Grant Recommendations

The $90,000 total for the Arts POD component of the program includes a $15,000 contribution from the City, as well as funds from Federal, Provincial and Foundation sources as set out in the table above. The City contributes only to Vancouver groups, while the other partners fund both Vancouver and non-Vancouver organizations.

Cultural organizations submitted a total of 54 applications, 22 from Vancouver and the balance from the rest of the province. Appendix AII lists grant recommendations to 9 Vancouver cultural organizations, together with the City’s contribution.

* * * * *

1997 POD COMMUNITY SERVICE GRANTS RECOMMENDED

VANCOUVER ORGANIZATIONS

The following 8 Vancouver community service organizations are recommended for Partners in Organizational Development grants:

Organizations	Purpose	Request	Grant	City’s Share
411 Seniors Centre Society	This project entails the development of a coordinated five-year fundraising and marketing plan to promote self-sufficiency, sustainability and stability for the centre. The project will be carried out through four workshops facilitated by a professional consultant and involving volunteers, board and staff.	$5,000	$4,000	$2,000
Big Sisters of B.C. Lower Mainland	Development of fundraising effectiveness assessment mechanisms and effectiveness initiatives aimed at improving yields resulting from independent fundraising activities.	$4,725	$3,500	$1,500
Crisis Intervention & Suicide Prevention Centre	An internal audit of the Centre’s fundraising efforts and a survey of the external factors and conditions which are likely to influence the Centre’s decisions on where to concentrate its efforts over the next five years.	$5,000	$3,000	$1,500
Hispano American Seniors of B.C.	To help the Board of Directors better address and evaluate the needs of at risk Hispanic seniors, and to ultimately help said seniors better integrate into mainstream society.	$2,800	$2,800	$1,400
Jewish Family Service Agency	To develop a strategic long range plan that will help JFSA identify future goals and related plans of action for both board and staff in order for JFSA to better meet community needs.	$5,000	$5,000	$2,500
Little Mountain Neighbourhood House Society	Would like to hire a consultant who would assist the Board, Staff and volunteers through a strategic planning process to review our purpose, and develop strategic directions for the organizations.	$5,000	$5,000	$2,500
Vancouver Community Network Association	Over a six to eight month period, VCN will ask for community input to help structure its goals, services and mandate in order to achieve a broader community base. Will achieve this with a public and member consultation process involving a professional consultant, board, staff, volunteers and stakeholders from the community	$5,000	$3,500	$1,500

APPENDIX AI

2 OF 2

Organizations

Purpose

Request

Grant

City’s Share

Vancouver Multicultural Society	To conduct the third phase of a strategic planing process begun in February 1997 and which would involve a facilitated discussion with Board and professional staff, on internal conditions, policies and roles/responsibilities, problem identification and action planning.	$4,425	$4,425	$2,100
Total		$36,950	$31,225	$15,000

APPENDIX AII

1997 POD COMMUNITY SERVICES GRANTS NOT-RECOMMENDED

VANCOUVER ORGANIZATIONS

The following 8 Vancouver community service organizations are not recommended for POD grants:

Organization Request

Four corners Community Development Society $3,000

National Academy of Older Canadians Soc. $1,500

Native Courtworker & Counselling Assoc. of B.C. $4,000

St. Jude’s Anglican Church $5,000

The Nationalist Vietnamese Community in B.C. Society $10,000

Tradeworks Training Society $3,200

Westcoast Youth Net Society $5,000

Young Women’s Christian Association $2,500

APPENDIX BI

1997 ARTS POD GRANTS RECOMMENDED ORGANIZATIONS

The following 9 cultural organizations are recommended for Arts POD grants. Where needs assessments are indicated, these will be delivered through the Vancouver Arts Stabilization Team for a flat fee.

Organization	Purpose of Grant	Request $	Grant $	City’s share
Powell Street Festival	Needs assessment prior to starting a strategic planning process	2,000	2,000	910
Contemporary Art Gallery	Needs assessment to review and update previous planning work	2,000	2,000	910
Music in the Morning Concert Society	Proceeding from recently completed strategic plan, to devise a detailed fundraising plan.	5,000	3,000	1,363
Vancouver Cantata Singers	To restructure Board and committees and devise fundraising plan flowing from results of a recent analysis.	5,000	4,000	1,818
Satellite Video In Studio Society	To complete an in-depth strategic planning process initiated this year.	10,000	7,000	3,182
Canadian Institute of the Arts for Young Audiences	The Children’s Festival plans to develop a fundraising strategy to better attract individual donors.	5,700	5,000	2,272
Vancouver Int’l Writers Festival	Needs assessment with an emphasis on structuring the organization for more effective fundraising.	2,000	2,000	910
Vancouver Recital Society	Development of a planned giving campaign based on the results of previous planning work.	10,000	5,000	2,272
Vancouver Cultural Alliance	For a strategic plan to ensure integration of the Society’s growing range of services.	4,500	3,000	1,363
TOTAL		46,200	33,000	15,000

APPENDIX BII

1997 ARTS POD GRANTS NOT RECOMMENDED FOR FUNDING

The following 13 organizations are not recommended for Arts POD grants:

Organization Request

Canadian International Dragon Boat Festival Society $10,000

Community Arts Council of Vancouver $ 5,000

Corporeal Mime Society $ 2,000

DanceArts Vancouver $ 5,000

Lower Mainland Workshops in the Performing Arts $ 2,000

Paula Ross Dance Society $ 2,000

Roedde House Preservation Society $ 2,000

Rumble Theatre $10,000

Society of Women in Music $ 1,000

Sub-Terrain Literary Collective Society $10,000

Vancouver Folk Music Festival Society $ 2,000

VIEW (Women in View Festival) $ 2,000

Wild Excursions Productions Society $ 2,000

(c) 1997 City of Vancouver