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Community Spirit Program (CSP) Update

Looking for more information on the CSP Donation Matching grants and Tax Credits?

 

Community Spirit Program 2009-10 Funding Announcement

Government of Alberta news release

Volunteer Alberta wants to hear from nonprofit/voluntary sector organizations about this funding announcement. Has this announcement been positive for your organization?  Let us know how this announcement will affect your organization and your community.


Check out the new Community Spirit Tax Credit toolkit:

 

 

How does the Donation Grant Program apply to you?

The Donation Grant Program provides proportional grants to eligible nonprofit organizations and CRA registered charities that provide direct services to Albertans and Alberta communities for philanthropic purposes.

Grants are not matched dollar-for-dollar. They will be calculated by dividing the program’s available funds by the amount of eligible cash donations from individuals that have been received (after January 1, 2007) by eligible applicants. Eligible organizations must complete and submit an application by the annual deadline of December 31 .

Guidelines and Application Form links:

Further details are available at www.communityspiritprogram.ca.

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Donation Grant Program Announced

Great news to share! As promised in the 2007 Speech from the Throne, Premier Stelmach’s idea of encouraging Albertans to financially support Alberta nonprofits and charities through a matching program – Community Spirit Fund – is now in place. At 10:30 am on Feb. 1, 2008, the Government of Alberta announced that the Donation Grant Program.

“The Community Spirit Program will help Alberta’s voluntary sector in real and tangible ways and contribute to the overall quality of life in our communities,” said Premier Ed Stelmach. “I am proud to follow-through on one of my priorities that will build on the strong tradition of volunteerism in our province and increase private charitable donations.”

What this means to Alberta’s nonprofit and charitable organizations:

It is important to note that the MLA Committee recognized that the Community Spirit Program should not replace or weaken existing government funding programs to the charitable/nonprofit sector.

What this means to Alberta’s donors:

Albertans donate over $1 Billion annually. 79% of Albertans donate which works out to an average of $500, which is the highest in the country. But 82% of the donated dollars are on the part of only 25% of Albertans so there is considerable room for growth in the number of donors and the value of their donation. Volunteer Alberta believesthe Community Spirit Donation Grant Program and the Enhanced Charitable Tax Credit are powerful incentives for Alberta’s 19,000 nonprofit organizations to profile their missions and needs. For more information on the Tax Credits, visit www.tprc.alberta.ca/communityspirit/taxcredit.aspx.

FURTHER DETAILS:
Government News Release: http://alberta.ca/acn/200802/23051D5FF4548-B0D7-CC35-40BECC7E00F5EFCF.html
Community Spirit Program: http://www.tprc.alberta.ca/communityspirit/default.aspx
MLA Committee Report: http://www.tprc.alberta.ca/communityspirit/pdf/communityspiritmlareport.pdf
Volunteer Alberta’s membership was a significant factor in garnering support from Alberta's Nonprofit/Voluntary Sector during the public consultation stage. Thank you to all of the organizations and individuals who completed the survey in June and July 2007.

Further updates on the Community Spirit Program will be posted as they become available. Subscribe to the Sector Connector eNewsletter for details.

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Media

Edmonton Journal Nov. 28, 07
Province to match up to half of gifts to charity

Edmonton Sun Nov. 28, 07
Province moving to match funds raised for charitable agencies

Fort McMurray Today Nov. 28, 07
Charitable donations doubled?

Volunteer Alberta was featured in two news articles discussing the Community Spirit Fund in the Edmonton Journal:

Spirit funding will not be available this year
Sector warm about government support

The Chair of the Community Spirit Program was interviewed in this follow up article:
CSP may lose its "charities only" tag

VA PRESS RELEASE to Alberta Weekly Newpapers:
What About Us? Will Community Spirit Fund Filter Dollars to Rural Organizations?

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Community Spirit Program - Tax Credits

50% of the volunteer force spends their time fundraising according to the Canada Survey of Giving, Volunteering, and Participating (CSGVP). What can organizations do to better utilize their volunteers?

NEW! As the tax year ends and the giving season begins, advertising the recent changes to tax credits (through the Community Spirit Program) will potentially increase your donations, and re-allocate your volunteers to other focus areas. Volunteer Alberta has created an example table of how you can advertise tax credits to your benefit. Advertise to your network, because people with long term involvement in your organization tend to donate more (CSGVP). This includes donations made on or after January 1, 2007.

NEW! Listen to Premier Stelmach's tax credits radio ad

For more information, visit the Community Spirit Program website.

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This fund will enable government to partner with the charitable sector to continue to enhance Albertans’ quality of life. Developing the Community Spirit Program was one of the key priorities provided to me by the Premier. I look forward to hearing from Albertans through the committee’s recommendations.

-Minister Hector Goudreau

History of the Community Spirit Program

Access to funding

If you are a paid staff member of a nonprofit organization, a volunteer in your community, or a family member of a volunteer – read the details below about possibly the most significant development this century in meeting the financial needs of Alberta’s volunteer engaging organizations.

Access to adequate and sustainable funding is the consistently heard message Volunteer Alberta receives from volunteers throughout Alberta. Removing barriers to volunteerism to encourage the powerful social investment Alberta volunteers create every day is Volunteer Alberta’s single goal. We know that a significant barrier to recruiting new volunteers is the constant fundraising required to meet the mission of your organization. Alberta’s volunteers spend 50% of their efforts on fundraising rather than accommodating a volunteer’s original interest and commitment to actually doing the work of the organization. With the provincial government’s announcements this spring, the possibility exists to take a substantial step forward in realizing the goal.

The first step is simply just good news! The Government of Alberta is offering the possibility for volunteer engaging organizations to access increased donations and funding support. Announced in Budget 2007, an increase in the tax credit available to Albertans means that for Albertans donating a total of over $200, the increase is from 12.75% to 21%. What this means is that an Albertan will receive $500 back in total federal and provincial tax credits per $1000. This, of course, affects organizations that have registered charitable status through Canada Revenue Agency. Although tax instruments are minimally effective in influencing a donor’s decision (according to 2004 Canadian Survey of Giving Volunteering and Participating), Alberta’s unique economy certainly provides charities with possibilities for increasing financial support through donations.

The second possibility requires your participation to ensure that the Premier’s Community Spirit of Giving Fund positively affects your organization’s ability to fund itself. Although, the government seems to have underestimated the complexity of working with the voluntary sector as their MLA committee is required to make recommendations early this fall as to what will be the parameters of the program, the sector needs to respond regardless. The time frame to participate in the consultations and discussions is from now until the end of July. How to respond? How to impact their recommendations?

A. Thirty organizations reflecting regional, sector and size diversity throughout Alberta will meet with the MLA committee in three separate two-hour discussions. Volunteer Alberta is one of the 30 selected.

In preparation, a research report on Giving will guide VA’s input. Our key message will be matching funds must be available to non profit organizations that do not have access to a charitable tax number.
• 51% of Alberta based organizations are entirely volunteer operated (no paid staff) and many do not have access to charitable tax number.
• The infrastructure required to access donations, create fund raising campaigns, approach corporate community investment funds is often not in place – yet this should not preclude volunteer’s opportunity to meet their organization’s mission through the Community Spirit Fund.
• The Fund should be primarily available to those segments of the voluntary sector that do not have other sustainable funding sources.

B. The online workbook will be the main source of communication for the sector. Volunteer Alberta urges you to complete this workbook to ensure that the views of the nonprofit/voluntary sector are well represented.

Sharing the workbook results would be helpful so Volunteer Alberta can accurately reflect the thoughts, opinions and responsiveness to the Committee.

Your Input Requested: Community Spirit Fund Workbook

Volunteer Alberta has been updating you on the Community Spirit Fund since Premier Ed Stelmach first announced, last December, his intent to encourage Albertans’ to financially support the nonprofit/voluntary sector. As a volunteer or staff member in Alberta’s nonprofit/voluntary sector, you have an opportunity to provide feedback on the Community Spirit Fund committee’s recommendations through an online or print workbook.

One critical issue you can address - 

Ensure that the matching funds from the Community Spirit Program are available to Alberta nonprofit organizations. If nonprofits do not respond wholeheartedly and with vigour, then it is very possible that the interpretation of the definition Alberta-based registered charities used by the provincial government will only include organizations with a Canada Revenue Agency charitable registration number (ability to issue a charitable tax receipt). This could mean that about half of Alberta’s nonprofit/voluntary sector organizations will not be able to access this potential funding opportunity.

Why should I respond?

Volunteer Alberta believes that individuals from all the sub-sectors of Alberta’s nonprofit/voluntary sector need to share their views on this Fund to ensure that it works for all 19,000 organizations.

Why is this important to me?

Because this time, the collective voice of over 19,000 nonprofit/voluntary sector organizations can create a solution to the critical issue of funding. This possible new source of funding should not replace in any way the current funding mechanisms from public funds. Albertans have the responsibility of sharing their views with today’s government.

You and your organization will be significantly affected by the decisions made by this government committee.

We urge you to respond today and make sure that your views and opinions are heard.

What can I do next?

Volunteer Alberta recommends the following next steps:

1. View the workbook online to see what questions are being asked. If you can’t view it, then call us for a copy. The deadline for responses to the Community Spirit Program through the Online Workbook has passed.

2. Visit Volunteer Alberta’s website (http://www.volunteeralberta.ab.ca/highlights/may3_07.asp) to view what we have submitted and the reasoning behind our answers.

3. Fill out the workbook (online, download and print, or request a hard copy).

4. Save a copy for your records and submit your responses to the Alberta Government either online, by mail or by fax.

5. Please consider sharing your responses with Volunteer Alberta so we can effectively and accurately represent the sector’s thoughts and concerns. Please email a copy to Volunteer Alberta.

6. Finally, forward this call to action to friends and colleagues who share their time and financial resources with Alberta’s nonprofit/voluntary sector.

Where can you access the workbook?

Fill out the workbook online or download a printable version from the Community Spirit Program website: http://www.communityspiritprogram.ca The deadline for responses to the Community Spirit Program through the Online Workbook has passed.

C. It is entirely possible that the entire process of consulting the sector participants could occur without many Albertans knowing. Consider asking your MLA to host a town hall meeting for a facilitated discussion. Better yet, host it yourself and have your MLA attend as the special guest.

D. Volunteer Alberta staff welcomes your questions about these possibilities and their impact on you as a volunteer or on your organization. Contact Karen Lynch for further information.

E. These are the links to the government news releases and webpages.
Community Spirit Program

News Release: Charities & Albertans benefit from increased tax credit

News Release: Government seeks input from Albertans on charitable giving program

Alberta Government News Release: June 12, 2007
Government seeks input from Albertans on charitable giving program

 

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