Implementing Social Accounting

OISE/UT Social Accounting

Certificate Course April 2004

B.J. Richmond

Faculty of Education, York U.

Bjrichmond@edu.yorku.ca

Agenda

10:00 – 10:30 Presentation on Implementation:BJ

10:30 – 11:00 Discussion: identification of next steps for agencies; for this work

11:00 – 11:15 Follow-up to course

11:15 – 11:45 Closing remarks; closing ceremony

11:45 – 1:15 Lunch at Pho Hung

Presentation Outline

Overview What’s Been Done Uses, Challenges Prospects

Implementation Approach Plan Reporting

What’s Been Done

Research Case studies of nonprofits, co-operative

Training Workshops, seminars, certificate course

Publications Book, journal articles, reviews, reactions

SA Uses

Provides nonprofits with: New perspectives on NP use,

production of resources Emphasis on production not consumption

Management Information For better management of resources,

broader perspective on impacts

SA Uses

For primary stakeholders Provides more complete picture to those

who ensure its success (e.g. Board, staff, community)

Provides data for funders, donors Proactive information on leveraging

funder/donor $$

SA Challenges Commitment

Need champions among staff and Board

Training For staff, Board, volunteers

Data collection Staff to set up effective data collection systems

Systems, standards are key For counting, valuing volunteer hours

Prospects: Three Trends That Support Implementation

1. Greater Awareness of Nonprofits’ (NP) Value: to civil society, developing social capital

2. Push for Greater NP Accountability: greater focus on/awareness of social outputs, indicators

3. Volunteering is changing from informal to formal operating: greater expectations for management of volunteers, reporting; more accessible tools, training on-line

Prospects: Three Realities that Impede Implementation

1. NP management is overburdened And the demands just keep on coming

2. Lack of standard, easily applied methods, tools

Yet the demand for numbers is increasing

3. Volunteering is changing from an informal support to a formal one

But without adequate resources - NPs need systems to contact, track, and value volunteers; information is more accessible but staffing to put it in place is an issue

Prospects: What’s Next

Needs Opportunities

SA Training

Certificate CourseWorkshops w/UWay, others

Standards CCP working on standard valuation (IS in US)Estimating volunteer hours?NP accountants’ organization?

Systems for NPs

Leadership role for national NP organizations, funders such as CIDA?

Implementation

Approach Plan Reporting

Implementation Approach

Prioritize Assess need for socio-economic

reporting Make a business case

Provide Board with information Plan

In conjunction with AGM, reports to funders

Implementation Approach

Inventory Assess what is needed

Allocate resources Least effort, most benefit

Train Staff, volunteers in setting up systems, tracking

Evaluate Benefits, use of resources

Developing an Implementation Plan

Step 1: Decide level Report on volunteer contributions, one

program (need to be able to capture outputs for this – see WCRI example)

Step 2: Get management on board Handout: Persuading Your Board (LM)

Make a business case, demonstrate, prepare outline of time and resources required/sources

Implementation Plan cont’d

Step 3: Take inventory What data do you have? Need?

Volunteer roles, hours; Board, committee hours

Verification – from other sources, e.g. Board hours against meetings, ED’s recollection, one member tracks; e.g. volunteer survey

Volunteer hour tracking system in place? Needed?

Developing an Implementation Plan

Step 4: Decide how much data to collect Costs to volunteers? Benefits to

volunteers? Step 5: Plan resources needed

Recruit an MSW student, a volunteer to set up systems, collect data, produce parts of the report? Use staff incentives?

Developing an Implementation Plan

Step 6: Prepare timeline On a two-year basis

Step 7: Prepare a “who does what, when” plan Work backwards from first key

opportunity to introduce Step 8: Network with others who are

doing this!

Reporting

Preparing to report Structure

Preparing to Report

Prepare report for first key opportunity Prepare it as a social report to

accompany financial reports Decide who is best to present the

report; other venues for using it

Report Structure: from Chapters 4, 5 & 8

Context: mission, niche, outputs, etc. Role of volunteers: role played in

fulfilling agency mission, contribution expressed as FTE, as a resource compared with other resources

EVAS: including method

EVAS - clarifications

Who did the report, for what fiscal year, how

Method: explain sources of data, verification of data; explain Comparative Market Value; cite the use of this method in our text

Qualify: Report qualitative data; discuss limitations – what not included

EVAS disclaimer?

“This statement provides social data to accompany the organization’s financial report. It is specific to the year and circumstances reported. It cannot be used to compare with results from other organizations or this organization at other times. It is provides a partial account of the value of volunteer contributions.”

Next Steps

Posting implementation data on web Networking Introducing this method to funders Looking for training opportunities This group meeting again: Monday

a.m. in September/October? Other opportunities?