Regardless of whether your non-profit is ready to seek accreditation, this handbook detailing the standards and three levels of accreditation used by Imagine Canada in its accreditation process will help your organization get a sense of the kinds of requirements that matter in certification.
In BC, any agency with a contract of $500,000 or more with the Ministry of Children and Family Development or Community Living BC is required to become accredited either through the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities (CARF) or the Council on Accreditation (COA). Those who partner with government to provide health services are typically accredited through Accreditation Canada.
Imagine Canada offers its own made-in-Canada accreditation, and to date has certified 248 charities across Canada, including 19 certified earlier this year.
“The pandemic’s effects are pressure-testing good governance and leadership unlike anything that has come before it, as seen evidenced in the just released Imagine Canada Sector Monitor: COVID-19 and the Charitable Sector,” notes Imagine Canada on its website. “The accreditation process ensures organizations have governance systems in place, which bolsters their ability to adapt quickly, generate creative solutions, and rethink their programs and fundraising models in the face of the current reality and a very different future.”