Standards of Excellence for

Canadian United Way - Centraide Organizations

This document is based on the original standards developed and published by UnitedWay of America. This
version was edited and adapted for Canadian United Ways -Centraides, to reflect Canadian law, custom, and
geographical names in January 1983and reprinted in June, 1998 and April, 1999.

OBJECTIVE B: Develop as fully as possible the financial resources, both governmental and voluntary,
needed to meet the human service needs of the community and reduce the number of appeals for financial
support for services.

Program 7 - Provide incentives and otherwise ensure the full development of each voluntary
organization’s self-support activity including fees for services.

OBJECTIVE E: Manage United Way - Centraide operations effectively, and offer assistance to
agencies wishing to improve their management skills.

Program 1 - Develop and articulate clear and specific goals, objectives and programs to be achieved by
local United Way - Centraide organizations within a stated time.

Program 3 - Operate an information system to assist in the decision-making of local United Way -
Centraide organizations.
Program 4 - Provide efficient fiscal management for local United Way - Centraide organizations.
Program 8 - Develop the leadership qualities and problem-solving capabilities of volunteers and
professionals associated with United Way - Centraides.
Standards

Fiscal Responsibility

1. The financial records of local United Way - Centraide organizations should be audited annually by an
independent public accountant whose examination should conform to generally accepted auditing
standards. Financial reports to the public should comply with Functional Budgeting for Canadian
Voluntary Organizations. Such reports should provide full disclosure of all support/revenue (including
campaign results) and expenditures.

2. All appropriate officers and staff should be bonded.

3. Each local United Way - Centraide organization should operate within a budget approved in advance by
its board or executive committee. The board or executive committee should monitor compliance and,
where justified, approve significant departures in advance.
4. United Ways - Centraides should operate on an economical basis, but with adequate expenditures to
achieve efficiency and effectiveness.

3. Fund Distribution

b) United Ways - Centraides should supply standard forms for agency reporting of necessary
information for allocation consideration. Reports on financial and program operations should be
required from all agencies at least quarterly.

c) United Ways - Centraides must balance their responsibility to monitor the use of funds with their
responsibility to respect the essential autonomy of affiliated agencies. They should make every
reasonable effort to develop working relationships which emphasize assistance and support and
which minimize economic dominance.

d) United Ways - Centraides should have reasonable standards for admitting new programs and
organizations to support.

e) United Ways - Centraides should insist that agencies operate within approved budgets.

f) United Ways - Centraides should give reasonable consideration to the needs of provincial and
national agencies with little or no local visibility.
Robert Bédard SCHEDULE A
UWC-CC CORE VALUES AND OPERATING PRINCIPLES
UWC-CC is committed to:

• Providing leadership, support and services that strengthen the UW-C Movement in its mission to
improve lives and build community;

• Ensuring the health, relevance and impact of the UW-C Movement and of United Way of Canada -
Centraide Canada as an entity within the United Way - Centraide Movement.

• Being a champion of the Movement’s interests and goals;

• Providing and sharing leadership;

• Being a bridge to federal and national partners involved in community building;

• Providing a pan-Canadian perspective;

• Being responsive to the Movement’s needs;

• Respecting local autonomy, but concurrently seeking ways to leverage our collective strengths;

• A collaborative and engaging leadership style;

• Providing clear opportunities for meaningful involvement by members;

• Promoting and protecting the Movement;

• Ensuring the diversity of the Movement is represented in everything we do;

• Valuing and supporting UWs-Cs in every community;

• Reinforcing shared interests and building mutual understanding;

• Equalizing knowledge by ensuring Movement-wide access;

• Creating opportunities for sharing -- to celebrate successes, share learnings, create deeper connections;

• Encouraging and endorsing innovation, partnerships and collective action;

• Implementing processes to ensure cross-Movement communication and information sharing;

• Demonstrating transparency, respect, open-mindedness, trust and willingness to cooperate in its

relations with its members;

• Providing services and communications to its members in both official languages;

• Encouraging and promoting volunteerism and volunteer leadership.

 Statement of Principles for Donors’ Rights
This document was approved by the membership of United Way of Canada - Centraide Canada at
its March 1998 Annual General Meeting. Member United Ways - Centraides are expected to
comply with these guidelines.

The Donor participates in the very essence of our mission and purpose, exercises rights, prerogatives
and fundamental privileges that must be recognized at all times and without reservation.
__________
The right to be informed of the organization’s mission and purpose and to become a
member of the organization if the donor so wishes;

The right to know the identity of the organization’s officers and members of the Board
of Directors and to expect that they act with the greatest transparency, integrity and
discernment in implementing the organization’s mission and purpose for the best
interests of the community;

The right to have access to the organization’s annual financial statements and to easily
obtain a copy;

The right to know how donations, directly or indirectly contributed to the organization
are distributed, and to be assured that donated funds are used as intended by the donor;

The right to be treated with consideration and respect by the organization and to
receive appropriate acknowledgment and recognition;

The right to confidentiality regarding personal information about donors and facts
about their donations;

The right to expect that all relationships between the organization’s representatives,
and the donor, will be professional in nature;

The right to be informed of the exact nature of the relationship which exists between
fundraisers and the organization;

The right to expect that the organization will not share or sell a mailing list which
includes the donor’s name, without providing the donor with a meaningful opportunity
to decline;

The right to ask questions of the organization and to expect prompt, truthful, and
complete answers in an easy-to-understand manner.