Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility

Considerations relating to individual support and/or group association, the nature and administration of the applicant organization and the measurement of the effectiveness of planning processes are key components.

3.1 Governance of the applicant organization and accountability standards:

• How the organization is governed
• Ways that it spends its funds
• Truthfulness of its representation
• Willingness to disclose basic information to the community

3.2 Governance and Oversight: The majority of local sport organizations are registered as non-profits under the BC Societies Act and as a result have a membership base and a Board structure with a constitution and bylaws. Minimal accountability standards:

• A Board of Directors that provides adequate oversight of the organizations operations and appropriate communications with its members
• A Board of Directors that is fully compliant with the new BC Societies Act and has a strategic planning process
• The Society recognizes its role in supporting fledgling organizations establish themselves within the community. It is not the intention of the eligibility criteria to exclude these groups because they are not registered or do not have a credible, experienced governance process. The oversight expectations and due diligence is increased until the organization is established

3.3 Measuring Effectiveness: Applicant assessment requirements:

• A Board policy of assessing, no less than every two years, the organization’s performance and effectiveness and of determining future actions to achieve its goals through a strategic planning process

• Submission of the strategic planning process to its membership on a regular base consistent with the Board policy

3.4 Finances: Minimal standards:

• Complete annual financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles
• A minimum of an updated balance sheet and income statement
• Board approved annual budget for its current fiscal year, outlining projected expenses for major program activities, fund raising and administration
• A formal Agreement with the Society for release of funds and measurement of outcomes
• Avoidance of accumulating significant funds that is not identified in the strategic plan that could be used for current organizational activities or goals

3.5 Funding Categories:

1. Donations: Providing unspecified funding to individuals or a group is not consistent with the overall objectives of the Society. The Board of Directors does have the discretionary power to make donations under special circumstances unique to the community.
2. Grants: Funding for specific projects or services is favored and best meets the vision of the Society. These include funds directed to:

• • The improvement of amateur sport facilities and sport activities
  • Funding the purchase of land, buildings and equipment
  • Funding for training, education and research pertaining to amateur sport
  • Funding for organization capacity building, leadership development and volunteer support and recognition

3. Capital Partnerships: The opportunity for joint projects encouraging additional funding from other organizations and for the leverage of Society funds.

Allocation considerations:

• • The maximum percentage of the project or ceiling for the Society
  • The maximum number of years for concurrent Society funding
  • Society funds will be the last into the project

4. Scholarships and Bursaries: Investing in the sport community either through existing organizations or directly establishing a sport scholarship and/or bursary fund.

5. Direct Service Provision:

• • Assisting in developing and maintaining organizational capacities
  • Proactive approaches to leadership development in the sport community including coaching, officiating and volunteering
  • Assisting the sport community to establish a volunteer registry, train and recognize volunteers

6. Non- qualifying Requests: funds will not be granted for program funding, sponsorship requests and funding for travel, meals, accommodations and per Diems

3.6 Qualifications: Qualifying requirements for the applicant organizations, which will provide future opportunities to develop a score card to assist in the selection process are:

• “Community-based” non-profit organizations
• Magnitude of the project
• Percentage of the project capital raised by the organization
• Access to other sources of funding – Provincial Sport Organization affiliation
• Outcomes of benefits to the community
• Numbers of participants and demographic orientation
• Willingness to recognize the Society support
• Interval between project specific request