The Honourable William Francis Morneau
Department of Finance Canada
90 Elgin Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0G5
Vancouver, BC, April 8, 2020
I am writing this on behalf of Vantage Point, a BC-based charity which works to support other not-for-profits throughout the province. We request the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy be made immediately available to all charities and not-for-profits, rather than requiring not-for-profits prove a 30% revenue loss to be eligible.
The Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) put forward an open call with this ask and over 300 organizations have endorsed it. There has been an article by Ms. Daub and myself in the recent Hill Times article articulating the unique position of the Canadian not-for-profit sector in this crisis.
While a flexible approach to the test announced this week is a welcome amendment to the original proposal, we want to take the time to encourage you to consider pushing this further. Not-for-profits and charities have multiple revenue streams coming in at different times during the year with very tight margins in our effort to ensure a balanced budget. Not-for-profits may see a financial impact through canceled annual events and campaigns, reduced donations, reduced business sponsorships over time, and reduced funding capacity from funders amongst others.
Charities and not-for-profits form a vital part of our social fabric and are seeing an unprecedented increase in demand for their services in this time of crisis. After years of dwindling funding sources and limited alternatives for revenue generation, few sector organizations have cash reserves on which they can draw during a crisis of this magnitude. Please ensure not-for-profits can continue serving communities across Canada by guaranteeing this wage subsidy.
At this time, Canada cannot afford to see the charitable and not-for-profit sector thrown into further crisis. Please show your support for this essential sector and ensure not-for-profits and charitable organizations are immediately eligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy.
Sincerely,
Alison Brewin
Executive Director
Vantage Point
Vantage Point
We are a team of passionate and dedicated not-for-profit professionals dedicated to providing not-for-profits with high quality leadership training. We are here to set you up for success. Learn more about our team at www.thevantagepoint.ca/about/our-people/
For many years, Vantage Point has been committed to learning, listening, and taking action in support of Truth and Reconciliation.
As a settler-led organization working to strengthen British Columbia’s non-profit sector, we recognize that reconciliation is not a destination. It is an ongoing responsibility that requires humility, reflection, relationship-building, and a willingness to continually learn and evolve.
Our journey began decades ago…
This resource gathers key research publications about BC’s and Canada’s non-profit sector. Publications are organized by source or organization and grouped by topic area.
As a not-for-profit organization with a history spanning over seven decades, Vantage Point has experienced many transitions over the years. Our most significant change was from a volunteer centre to a capacity-building focus for not-for-profit organizations. Throughout each adaptation, we have maintained an ongoing focus of supporting the not-for-profit sector.
We love working one-on-one with our clients - the people behind not-for-profit organizations throughout the province. In the process we have learned about many common challenges the sector faces.
We have realized a key dimension to building the capacity of not-for-profits is to build a strong public policy environment; to develop and share policies and regulatory changes which have a positive impact on organizations like yours.
After extensive planning and ongoing dialogue with our partners, we have decided to provide additional support to our organizational members in public policy advocacy.
Members will now receive several new benefits, supports, and access to a community of leaders throughout the province. This includes essential tools to engage in public pollicy advocacy. Additionally, we will be convening members and sector leaders to work together to address the most critical topics that impact every not-for-profit organization in BC.
By building membership in this way, we will amplify the voice of not-for-profit organizations frome very sub-sector. Our goal is to work with leaders in advocacy, our members, and our partners to address the issues that impact the entire not-for-profit sector and find powerful solutions together.
When the Ministry of Finance announced the Employer Health Tax, we worked with leaders in health, housing, community services, and arts and culture organizations to communicate the impact of the proposed changes to the Ministry.
This year, to create a submission for the Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services, we worked with other provincial organizations to identify common recommendations for the 2020 BC Budget. One recommendation focused on making changes to the way Community Gaming Grants are reviewed and administered.
These are the types of changes we strive to continue recommending with your input.
True democracy means every voice being heard, and that means yours. We encourage you to join us as an organizational member and be involved in our sector advocacy work. Your board, staff, and volunteers all receive access to our member benefits when you sign up!
Here are the four NEW ways organizational members benefit:
Even better: all the previously existing membership benefits are here to stay! This includes access to post on Govolunteer.ca, the ability to take out books from our library, and discounts on workshops & our annual BOSS conference.
As we venture into this new area, your voice is key. Tell us what aspects you are most excited about. As an ever-evolving organization, we are eager for this work to grow into areas that benefit our members even more. Connect, engage, and share your experience with us! At Vantage Point, we are a living laboratory, and we strive to be adaptive and relevant for our members and the not-for-profit sector.
To learn more or become a member visit our membership page.
If you have any questions about membership, we would love to answer them! You can reach myself, Mark Friesen, Director of Capacity Development at mfriesen@thevantagepoint.ca.
For many years, Vantage Point has been committed to learning, listening, and taking action in support of Truth and Reconciliation.
As a settler-led organization working to strengthen British Columbia’s non-profit sector, we recognize that reconciliation is not a destination. It is an ongoing responsibility that requires humility, reflection, relationship-building, and a willingness to continually learn and evolve.
Our journey began decades ago…
This resource gathers key research publications about BC’s and Canada’s non-profit sector. Publications are organized by source or organization and grouped by topic area.