The Council today announces that it has been accredited under Imagine Canada’s Standards Program. With this achievement, we join a distinguished ever-growing community of nonprofit organizations dedicated to operational excellence.
The Standards Program is a Canada-wide set of shared standards for charities and nonprofits designed to help organizations strengthen their operations in five fundamental areas: board governance; financial accountability and transparency; fundraising; staff management; and volunteer involvement.
“This is a historically significant milestone in the life of the Council,” says General Secretary of the Council, Pastor Peter Noteboom. “Meeting the accreditation criteria for the Imagine Canada Standards Program is both an achievement and a responsibility. It affirms the Council’s ongoing commitment to integrity, best practices, accountability, and transparency as a non-profit in Canada.”
About the Standards Program
The goals of Imagine Canada’s Standards Program are to increase organizational excellence and transparency of charities and nonprofits, to build resilience and to strengthen public confidence in individual organizations and the sector as a whole. To earn the accreditation, organizations must meet 73 standards in financial management and accountability, fundraising practise, board governance, staff management, and volunteer management.
Peer-review Process and Compliance
Our policies and procedures in the five areas of compliance were evaluated by a group of volunteers from the sector, and were found to be compliant with the Standards Program. Accredited organizations are required to complete full re-accreditation on a five-year basis. Compliance during the accreditation period is monitored regularly and requires organizations to submit evidence demonstrating selected standards are being met.
“This accreditation is the culmination of at least two years of concentrated effort on the part of the Executive Committee and a select group of staff,” says Noteboom. “We are so grateful to Imagine Canada for this recognition, and for walking with us through the process.”
For further information: communications@councilofchurches.ca