Calgary Foundation and Imagine Canada are pleased to announce the first Regional Accreditation Accelerator program for organizations based in Calgary and Treaty 7 territory wanting to pursue accreditation through Imagine Canada’s Standards. 

The Standards Accreditation Program is designed to support organizations so that they can elevate their practices and demonstrate excellence to their donors, staff team, and partners. Imagine Canada is pleased to partner with the Calgary Foundation to help organizations identify and mitigate organizational risk, improve governance practices, promote financial transparency and accountability, and foster a strong workforce.

About the Regional Accreditation Accelerator Program

Up to 15 organizations will receive in-kind assistance to pursue Standards Accreditation through the program. In-kind assistance will provide up to twelve months of free access to the Standards Community, including access to a peer advisor, and a waived Standards application fee. This program is made possible through the generous support of the Calgary Foundation.

“Charities and nonprofits do essential work for those who live, work, and play here in Calgary and Treaty 7 Territory. Calgary Foundation is proud to partner with Imagine Canada to ensure all organizations in this region have access to a program with exceptional standards and high-quality learnings, to further their vital work of addressing community needs,” says Allison Schulz, Vice-President, Capacity Building at the Calgary Foundation.

Eligibility and Evaluation Criteria 

The Calgary Foundation Regional Accreditation Accelerator Program is open to charitable organizations and public-benefit nonprofit organizations based in Calgary and Treaty 7 territory. We particularly encourage applications from organizations led by or supporting Indigenous and racialized people. Existing Standards Community members who are yet to pay their application fee are also eligible to apply. 

Don’t hesitate to email us at standards@imaginecanada.ca if you have any questions about the program. 

How to Apply

We recognize that the accreditation application and the internal practice improvement that goes along with it requires substantial effort for organizations’ staff. To mitigate this and make the program more accessible, we have endeavored to keep this process as simple and succinct as possible.

In Stage 1, we invite all interested applicants to complete a 10-minute online statement to help us understand your organization and your interest in applying to the program. The deadline for completing the statement is April 29, 2024.

Expressions of interest will be reviewed for alignment with the program’s goals and eligibility criteria. All applicants will be notified as to whether they are being invited to Stage 2 in the application process. 

Applications that reach Stage 2 will be reviewed by a selection committee. Should we receive more grant applications than it is possible to fund, the committee will prioritize organizations led by or supporting Indigenous and racialized people, and further evaluate applicants using the following categories:

• Rationale: Has the organization strongly articulated how being accredited will impact their ability to deliver on their mission? Have they articulated a strong case for why this in-kind assistance will bolster their efforts? 
• Approach: Are the project timelines for getting accredited reasonable?  Does the organization have a team with the ability to execute, and strong leaders with experience in operational change? Have they previously attempted to pursue accreditation? (If so, what did they learn?). 
• Strategy: Does the organization have a vision and plan for social impact? Do they show a desire for learning and continuous improvement? What other organizations does the applicant collaborate with to achieve their mission? 
• Diversity: Is the staff, board members, and executive team representative of diverse backgrounds? Does the organization specifically focus on supporting marginalized communities?  

ABOUT IMAGINE CANADA STANDARDS ACCREDITATION

Created “by the sector for the sector,” the Imagine Canada Standards Accreditation is the only national accreditation program that is designed for all Canadian charities and nonprofits. To earn accreditation, organizations must demonstrate excellence in five fundamental areas: board governance; financial accountability and transparency; fundraising; staff management; and volunteer involvement. 

ABOUT Calgary Foundation

The Calgary Foundation inspires philanthropy, supports the charitable sector and builds a permanent endowment to address the current and future needs of people in their community. By applying their resources, expertise, and leadership, Calgary Foundation acts as a catalyst and convener, creating a meeting place that fosters partnerships to build a strong charitable sector that serves the needs of all members of the community.