VICTORIA – The Victoria Foundation recently received reaccreditation from Imagine Canada, arguably the most demanding assessment of charities in the nation.
Widely considered the highest benchmark for the operation of a Canadian charity, the Imagine Canada Standards Program lays out 73 standards that must be met in five areas, including board governance, financial accountability and transparency, fundraising, staff management, and volunteer involvement.
According to Imagine Canada, there are over 170,000 charitable and non-profit organizations in Canada, but a total of only 223 have achieved accreditation since the Standards Program began five years ago.
“Meeting the Imagine Canada Standards Program requirements is a rigorous, but rewarding process,” said Sandra Richardson, Victoria Foundation CEO. “This re-accreditation is a significant accomplishment that demonstrates our ongoing commitment to our donors and grantees to continue to be the best community foundation we can be.”
In 2012, the Victoria Foundation was one of the first charities in Canada to receive accreditation from Imagine Canada when their Standards Program was launched. Every five years, organizations are required to re-apply to become reaccredited. This month, 11 organizations were successfully reaccredited and 21 new organizations were accredited under the national program.
An Imagine Canada survey conducted in August 2016, revealed that 72 per cent of Canadians said they were more likely to trust and have confidence in charities that have been accredited by a third party. The survey also showed that “transparency and sound management” were the top considerations for donation support among 86 per cent of respondents.
More information about the Imagine Canada Standards Program can be found at imaginecanada.ca.
