Volunteers Start Here. 2015 Annual Report
Dear Volunteer Toronto Supporters, During the past year, Volunteer Toronto has been working hard to implement our newly adopted program mix and the organization has accomplished much. In addition to the important day-to-day activities of the organization, we have completed an exhaustive review of our core program offerings and delivery models and made improvements that will fundamentally and positively change the way in which Volunteer Toronto serves our community. A key component of this work was the introduction of our new subscription model and online learning centre, which will give the public easier access to our resources and volunteer opportunities. In addition to the important front line work of Volunteer Toronto, we have also reviewed and enhanced the organization’s governance framework to continue to maintain the public’s confidence and trust. Specifically, we have: • Restructured and enlarged the corporation’s membership model in an effort to make our governance process more democratic, transparent and accountable to the community we serve. To date, 60 additional organizations and individuals have been admitted as members, eligible to vote at the Annual General Meeting in September 2015. • Developed and implemented a more effective process for evaluating the performance of the Executive Director. • Revised Volunteer Toronto’s Human Resources Policy Manual to reflect recent legislative changes and best practices. • Developed and implemented a new Crisis Communications Policy as an important aspect of the organization’s risk management plan. However, one of our greatest achievements over the course of the past year has been our success in recruiting best-of-class directors. We have devoted considerable effort to ensuring the composition of the Board has the right combination of experience and expertise in such areas as non-profit management, human resources, marketing and communications, finance and accounting, law, strategy development, and fundraising, while at the same time ensuring our Board remains reflective of the diversity of our great city. The recent addition of Maryann Istiloglu, Geoff McIlmoyle, Noureen Ali and Maya Mboup has resulted in a much stronger Board, one that is ready to provide strategic leadership to a flourishing organization in the years to come. The Board is sincerely grateful to our funders, sponsors and donors, especially the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, United Way Toronto & York Region, and the City of Toronto, for their financial support. We are also indebted to our gifted staff and volunteers for the significant contribution they have made in creating more engaged and giving communities.
Trevor Zeyl Chair, Board of Directors
NOTE FROM OUR
BOARD CHAIR
Dear Friends, Fiscal 2014/15 was a year of tremendous operational change. The changes were driven by the new program mix plan approved by the Board last year. That plan strove to broaden Volunteer Toronto’s reach and impact. Here is a sample of our achievements: • We completely redesigned our website and database. The website is now easier to navigate, searches can be more targeted and the posting of volunteer opportunities by organizations has been streamlined. For the first time, volunteers can create profiles and receive email alerts of relevant opportunities. • A new subscription model was implemented to better support small non-profits with little funding. A set of basic services is now available for free to non-profits with annual operating budgets of less than $75,000. • An Online Learning Centre and Resource Library were launched, including a variety of tools and resources for downloading a wide range of online courses. • VECTor, Volunteer Toronto’s first annual conference for supervisors of volunteers was a huge success, with over 100 attendees. • A program management organizational structure was adopted. All job descriptions were revised and staff began tracking their time against programs. Operating plans and budgets for 2015/16 were approved for each program. All this will facilitate the development of outcome indicators to measure the impact of our services. • New outreach initiatives included: Craft Your Change, an event focusing on engaging skilled volunteers; the Trailblazer Series, a discussion series targeting people who manage completely volunteer-run organizations; and expanding the role and hours of Referral Counsellors to better accommodate enquiries from the general public. The most momentous development in 2014/15 was being awarded $405,000 over three years by Ontario’s Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade for our Grassroots Growth Project. This project has a major research component and underpins our efforts to be a valuable resource to small, unincorporated community groups. It will allow us to identify the unique needs of volunteer-run groups, and develop targeted resources and an online community of practice to help address those needs. Our organization’s success is attributable to the talented and tireless efforts of staff, Board members and volunteers who I have the pleasure of working with every day. They are totally committed to the mission of Volunteer Toronto.
NOTE FROM OUR
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
David Allen Executive Director
WHO WE ARE MISSION To help create the best possible volunteer experience.
VISION Our vision is to create engaged communities through volunteer action. Specifically, we shall: • • • • •
Be recognized as a ‘centre of excellence’ for volunteer services and support; Develop innovative approaches to volunteering; Bring leading-edge products and services to our city; Develop professionalism, collaboration and competence among our staff; and Be recognized for our high level social and community impact.
VALUES We believe: • Volunteering contributes to the vitality and capacity building of the community; • Volunteers and the professionals that support them are an integral component of the voluntary sector; • Honesty, integrity and fiscal responsibility are demonstrated in all areas of our work; • Diversity of community stakeholders are respected through the model of cultural competence and is reflected in policies and service delivery; • Sharing of experience and knowledge is the cornerstone of community and leadership development. 4
I first came to the “ When city last year from Egypt things were not very easy: different lifestyle, different culture and most of all different weather! I was completely out of my comfort zone and wanted to quickly blend in and feel like I was part of this new community. When I started volunteering at Volunteer Toronto, it totally changed my life. I suddenly regained my passion, developed a sense of commitment and felt awesome when helping others. Volunteering gave me the opportunity to practice my skills for a good cause and opened my eyes to how nice people are in this city. Volunteer Toronto’s continuous recognition and appreciation of my efforts gave me the confidence to land my first job in Canada! - Maya Atallah Volunteer
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A LOOK BACK Over the past 12 months, our staff and volunteers have accomplished a tremendous amount. Here is a look at some of the highlights from the past year.
OUR IMPACT Community Engagement
Engaging Organizations
462
510,833
non-profits in Toronto subscribed to our services, a 16% increase over the previous year.
users searched volunteer opportunities on our website throughout the year.
600 to 1,000
2,954
people registered online to submit their personal profiles and receive alerts of relevant opportunities.
volunteer opportunities are posted on our website at any given time.
188%
500
growth in our social media followers through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
volunteer managers and supervisors attended our in-person training sessions.
98
9,803
users downloaded 385 training modules and resources during the first full month of our Online Learning Centre.
individuals received our weekly email blasts on volunteer activities.
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Engaging Leaders
981
465
leaders of entirely volunteer-run organizations registered online to access our resources and updates of relevant activities.
people participated in our Craft Your Change and Trailblazer Series events.
Engaging Youth
52,156
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1,095
6,755
youth searched for volunteer opportunities using our database.
non-profits were assessed for youth-friendliness of volunteer management policies by our Youth Auditors.
youth created personal profiles and received alerts of relevant opportunities.
youth received our advice at various public meetings, workshops, conferences, and outreach events.
ChangeTheWorld: Ontario Youth Volunteer Challenge
SharedTime: Digital Storytelling Project
4,432
55 non-profit professionals were trained in
youth contributed 26,852 volunteer hours between April-May, which exceeded our targets by 61% and 225%, respectively.
our digital storytelling workshops.
60
new digital stories were created.
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NEW FUNDING
I
n February of 2015, Volunteer Toronto was awarded a $405,000 partnership grant by the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship, Immigration and International Trade to implement a three-year project focused on volunteer-run organizations in Ontario. The aim of the project is to support these organizations in effectively managing their volunteers, by providing tailored workshops, resources and mentoring. Over half of all non-profit and voluntary organizations in Ontario (53%) have no paid staff, and are run solely by the efforts of volunteers. Such non-profits struggle with volunteer management and can find it hard to further their work without a stable, committed volunteer base. By developing materials, training and an online community of practice, these organizations will be able to increase the number of volunteers they work with, provide meaningful volunteer opportunities and have an engaged supporter base in place to enable them to further their missions. What is currently happening: • A Researcher/Educator and Education Assistant were hired in March 2015 and are currently working on an environmental scan to document existing volunteer management resources and determine the capacity needs of grassroots organizations. • Information is being collected through consultations with agencies and networks, focus groups with grassroots organizations, key informant interviews with experts in the field, and an Ontario-wide online survey.
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• Eight training topics will be identified based on the information collected. The project staff will develop a range of training sessions and resources and will pilot-test them with the TRIEC’s Professional Immigrant Networks (PINs) and representatives from a wide range of volunteer-run groups across the city before launching them onto an online platform by March 2017. • An online peer mentorship forum will provide guidance, information and support to grassroots groups across Ontario.
FIRST CONFERENCE
ECTor
Volunteering, Engaging, Connecting Toronto
T
he 2015 VECTor Conference took place on March 11, 2015 at Ryerson University’s Oakham House. VECTor, which stands for “Volunteering, Engaging, Connecting Toronto” reflected Volunteer Toronto’s vision of creating engaged communities through volunteer action – inspiring conference attendees from Toronto’s non-profit and charitable organizations to move volunteerism forward. Over 100 people from Toronto’s voluntary sector attended the conference and took part in the day’s diverse workshop and panel offerings ranging from Digital Storytelling and Social Media Content Creation to Community Collaboration and Youth Engagement. The opening keynote was delivered by Andrea Cohen Barrack, CEO of the Ontario Trillium Foundation, and provided excellent insight into how volunteerism contributes to healthy, engaged communities across Ontario. The closing panel moderated by Robin Cardozo, COO of the SickKids Foundation, was a fascinating discussion between leaders in the sector, which offered a wealth of information about engaging groups of volunteers.
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Toronto has been an instrumental partner in “ Volunteer helping Prostate Cancer Canada expand and support
its local volunteer activities. Their website for targeted recruitment has helped us achieve quality results in the fulfillment of roles. Their training and subscription programs provided opportunities for our volunteer engagement team to network with other like-minded professionals. Volunteer Toronto has contributed creative and thoughtful perspectives to help us truly engage volunteers. Anne Breakey Hart, CVA
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Manager, Prostate Cancer Canada Network and Volunteer Engagement Prostate Cancer Canada
Volunteer Toronto’s
2015
In early 2015, Volunteer Toronto surveyed over 100 Toronto-based volunteers. Here are some of the highlights of what they shared.
Volunteer Snapshot
Survey 65.5%
87.3%
believe their volunteer work is definitely contributing directly to the mission of the organization.
of volunteers in Toronto are happy with their current volunteer role.
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PROGRAM EVALUATION
W
e at Volunteer Toronto are accountable to our funders and other stakeholders for demonstrating the impact of our efforts. How do we prove our programs are making a difference? We are proud of the proactive leadership we have taken to answer this question. In recent months, our Board and staff have developed detailed evaluation plans for our various programs. These plans identify each program’s inputs, activities, outputs and desired outcomes, as well as the methods and timelines for measuring their effectiveness. Some of issues being addressed include: • Does Volunteer Toronto successfully connect people with volunteer opportunities through our website and through referral counsellors?
• Do outreach presentations, information sessions and special events lead to increased understanding of volunteering and increased intention to volunteer?
• Do youth audits lead to changes in volunteer programs? Do those changes successfully reduce barriers for youth volunteers?
• Have participants of the Trailblazer Series successfully applied advice given on overcoming challenges when leading volunteer-run groups?
• Do events like Craft Your Change successfully allow professionals to pitch their ideas for volunteer opportunities? Does this result in meaningful volunteer work?
• Do volunteer managers make changes/ improvements to their programs based on our training? • Do Volunteer Toronto’s services for subscribers increase their organizational capacity?
• Does our training lead to increased knowledge?
We are tracking the usage of our services electronically through our online database, online learning centre, website analytics and registration records. We are also manually logging the number of clients served in person and over the phone, number of presentations given, and number of outreach events attended. Outcomes are being assessed using evaluation forms, follow-up surveys, focus groups, and quizzes built-in to the online courses – all tailored to the objectives of the specific program. Feedback on the value of our services is always welcome from our clients and other stakeholders. It is our primary source for determining the impact we are having and how our services can be improved. 14
FINANCIAL RESULTS For year ending March 31, 2015
Revenue Sources
37.1% Ontario Ministry of Health & Long-Term Care
27.1%
1.3%
United Way Toronto & York Region
Other
3.0% Special Project Grants
23.6% 7.9%
City of Toronto
Subscription, Training & Conference Fees
Total Revenues $797,757
Expenditure Allocations
45.2% Engaging Organizations
21.5%
13.9%
Community Engagement
Engaging Leaders
11.6%
7.8%
Special Projects
Engaging Youth
Total Expenditures $828,458
Business Charitable Number: 11928-7092 RR0001
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OUR TEAM Board of Directors ng isi ra nd t Fu en pm lo ve w De La gy te ra g St tin un co Ac ns & e tio ca nc ni na n u Fi io m at m ns Co pe & g om t. tin /C ke gm es ar rc u rM M so ee nt Re lu an Vo m & Hu it of pr nNo
This skills matrix highlights the specialized expertise and experience of our Board Members. Chair
Associate Norton Rose Fulbright LLP
Secretary
Director of Programs, Community ABC Life Literacy Canada
Treasurer
Trevor Zeyl Mack Rogers
Senior Manager KPMG LLP
Natalie Brykman Noureen Ali
Director, Compensation Client Services Manulife Financial
Roberto Andreacchi
Corporate Counsel Wal-Mart Canada Corp.
Dana Dignard
Director, Marketing and Communications GS1 Canada Corporate Director and Head of Global Rewards & HR Agnico Eagle Mines Ltd. Exec. Dir., Ont. Assoc. of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists & Psychotherapists
Michelle Edwards Maryann Istiloglu Maya Mboup
Senior Consultant Deloitte LLP
Geoff McIlmoyle
Associate Vice President, Corporate Development, Canadian Tire Corporation 16
Our permanent and contract staff
Permanent Staff
Contract Staff
David Allen Executive Director
Patricia Knycha Bookkeeper
Camara Chambers Director of Community Engagement
Nimira Lalani Researcher/Educator – Grassroots Growth Project
Melina Condren Director of Engaging Organizations Ainsley Kendrick Marketing & Communications Manager
Claire McWatt Education Assistant – Grassroots Project Rani Sanderson (until June 2015) Facilitator/Coordinator – Digital Storytelling Project
Niranjala Mariathas Operations Manager
Jaclyn Wilson Communications & Administrative Assistant
Kelly DeVries Community Engagement Coordinator
Volunteers
Sammy Feilchenfeld Training Coordinator
Our organization benefited greatly from the dedication and talents of 80 individuals who volunteered 3,540 hours in support of a variety of our activities.
Kasandra James Subscriptions Coordinator
Funders
We are extremely thankful for the inspiring contributions of our very special volunteers!
An agency of the Government of Ontario Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
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to organize volunteer opportunities for both “Iwanted my team at work and my church so I reached out
to Volunteer Toronto. They quickly provided me with a curated list that helped me to focus my search and were very knowledgeable and in-touch with the services needed/provided in the city. Since then, I have helped other people connect with Volunteer Toronto for volunteer ideas - everything from hockey teams looking to lend a helping hand, to businesses looking to setup a donation program with a charity.
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Sunil Jacob Team Lead, Intelex
A LOOK AHEAD The 2015/16 fiscal year promises to be as progressive as the one just completed. Here’s a sneak peek at what’s coming up for Volunteer Toronto:
• Our Legacy Awards Ceremony, hosted by renowned news anchor Nancy Wilson, will be held to recognize 25 volunteer superstars who are making Toronto a better place to live and building a legacy as they go. • We will add staffing capacity in our Marketing & Communications Department using a recently awarded three-year grant from the City of Toronto through the Investing in Neighbourhoods program. • All of our in-person training courses on the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement will be converted to online modules that can be downloaded from our website. • We will launch our new Youth Innovators Project, designed to provide training and mentoring to 12 youth leaders in the creation of community projects that will involve a total of 600 high school aged youth. • Our new “Becoming a Board Member” workshop will be offered, targeted at professionals who are considering joining a board of directors of a non-profit, and want to know more on what to expect. Stay tuned for announcements of other impactful and leading-edge initiatives, all with the goal to engage more people in building their communities through selfless acts of volunteering. 19
Volunteer Toronto helps build vibrant communities by connecting volunteers to the causes that need them. www.volunteertoronto.ca 344 Bloor St. West, Suite 404 Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5S 3A7 416-961-6888 info@volunteertoronto.ca