Resources for Not-For-Profit Organizations

Published October 8, 2015

Service Ontario has launched a new section for not-for-profits in Ontario making it faster and easier for organizations to get the services and information they need to start, operate and grow their NFPs.  The new site features information on government open call programs for funding, ideas on how to start and manage a not-for-profit organization, a section to help organizations understand the laws that affect the sector, research about the sector, government initiatives that support the sector, and much more. You can follow the link to visit this new resource.

Though the website is for Ontario-based NFPs, many of the resources apply to NFPs in other provinces.

One of the more interesting features of the Service Ontario website is the list of funding sources. Right now there is only one source for provincial funding under the ‘Sports and Recreation’ sector – the Ontario Sport and Recreation Communities Fund (OSRCF) – but there are some sources under the ‘Tourism’ subheading that apply to sport, such as the ‘Celebrate Ontario Blockbuster’ which funds large one-time events.

Consider also exploring the ‘Other sources of funding’ subheading on the main page. That links lists other ‘open call’ funding sources such as Grants Ontario and the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Grants on through these programs may require the submission of a grant application explaining how your organization qualifies for the grant and how you will use the funds. Our Kathy Hare (keh@sportlaw.ca) and Dina Bell-Laroche (dbl@sportlaw.ca) are experienced grant writers and can certainly assist.

Often we see organizations making the same mistakes or dealing with the same issues over and over. The solutions can be found in these resources and the issues could be avoided with some advanced planning. Notwithstanding the funding-related resources, the other pages in the Service Ontario website are clear and short descriptions of useful tips and tricks for individuals involved with running a not-for-profit organization. Links to external sources are provided. These resources are not sport-related, however, and we might suggest that there are sport-related wrinkles that are not covered by the generic links and information.

After viewing the topics on the Service Ontario website, we would recommend browsing some of the over-300 posts on our SLSG website that have a sport focus. Our writings are indexed in a very similar manner to the topics on the Service Ontario website.

We also have a bookstore with our older books and publications as well Dina’s Values-in-Action: Igniting Passion and Purpose in Sport Organizations which was written in 2013 specifically for sport organizations.