CCP and NVO to amalgamate as voice of voluntary sector.

OTTAWA -- The Coalition of National Voluntary Organizations and the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy will amalgamate into a single organization by the end of June.

Faye Porter, NVO Board Chair, said that "by working together their ability will be enhanced to give voice to, and advocate social justice, with Canada's 180,000 voluntary sector organizations."

The two founding organizations have worked together in the federal government's voluntary sector initiative and the Federation of Voluntary Sector Networks.

The NVO and CCP Boards agreed unanimously to work closely together and co-operatively to create a Memorandum of Understanding which is to be executed by June 30, 2004. The new organization still requires the approval of both groups' members.

In the meantime, both the CCP and the NVO will continue their programs to provide value to members, coalitions and partners and the broader voluntary sector and other stakeholders. During the transition both organizations will continue to provide their usual services as they amalgamate function.

The new organization will focus on building capacity across the voluntary sector and within voluntary sector organizations.

Key functions that have been identified include:

* Developing a cross-sector infrastructure (including building and supporting networks and coalitions)

* Leading and strengthening the voluntary sector's voice on public policy;

* Promoting public engagement in the community and the voluntary sector, and linking the voluntary sector with business and government;

* Creating and disseminating research about Canada's voluntary sector;

* Enhancing the accountability of voluntary sector organizations;

* Helping voluntary organizations to optimize their human resources;

* Enhancing the ability of voluntary organizations to increase and stabilize funding and in-kind resources; and

* Creating and sharing learnings and resources within the sector.

The two organization boards plan to create a steering committee to oversee the transition to the new entity to lead the search for a CEO, to develop proposals for governance, and to oversee financial planning and fund development.

Canada's voluntary sector includes approximately 180,000 non-profit organizations, groups with charitable and non-charitable status under the Income Tax Act.