Lead Sponsor, Finalists named in 2013 Voluntary Sector Reporting Awards

16 Ontario charities vying for five prizes of $5,000 for best annual report
Grant Thornton named lead sponsor

TORONTO, January 6, 2014 – Canada’s award program for best charity annual reports has announced a new sponsor and 16 finalists in its 2013 award competition. Grant Thornton is now the lead sponsor of The Voluntary Sector Reporting Awards (VSRAs), which will award a prize of $5,000 in each of five categories at an awards luncheon on February 7, 2014 in Toronto.

“We welcome Grant Thornton as lead sponsor of the VSRAs. They are a recognized leader in serving the non-profit sector and we are grateful for their leadership in improving the state of charity annual reporting,” said Steve Salterio, Director of the CPA-Queen’s Centre for Governance, which organizes the annual VSRAs in partnership with the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario.

“We are delighted to be selected as the lead sponsor for the VSRA’s. We recognize that achieving excellence in reporting to their constituencies is imperative for the continued financial and volunteer support of charities. Through this program and other initiatives the dedicated cross-Canada Charity and Not-for-Profit sector service teams at Grant Thornton are engaged, both as volunteers and deeply knowledgeable professionals, in supporting the vital work of the sector. We extend our warm congratulations to all the finalists on their achievements,” said Deryck Williams, Partner and National Leader for Charity and Not-for-Profit Organizations at Grant Thornton LLP.

The National Post newspaper is the VSRA national media sponsor.

This is the sixth annual award competition for the VSRAs and George Boland, Associate Director of the Centre, says this year’s competition has been the biggest yet. The awards recognize the best non-profit Annual Reports. New, expanded rules are allowing national and international charities across Canada to enter the VSRAs for the first time, as long as they have a significant presence in Ontario.

“More than 140 charities were nominated. With our expansion of the rules to include more international and national charities outside of Ontario, for the first time we had charities from Quebec, British Columbia and Alberta enter the VSRAs,” said Boland.

The winners in each category will receive $5,000. This year’s finalists include:

International Focused Organizations:
• Canadian Feed the Children
• Mennonite Economic Development Associates

National Focused Organizations:
• Multifaith Housing Initiative
• The Nature Conservancy of Canada
• YOUCAN

Ontario-only organizations:

Total revenues over $10 million
• Central Neighbourhood House Association
• Covenant House Toronto
• St. Christopher House
• Vita Community Living Services

Total revenues from over $1 million to $10 million
• Kingston Literacy & Skills
• Participation House, Markham
• United Way Greater Simcoe County
• United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington

Total Revenues up to $1 million
• Aurora Cultural Centre (legal name Church Street School Cultural Centre)
• Hemophilia Ontario
• Hospice King (Operating as Hospice King-Aurora)

“We have been involved with the Voluntary Sector Reporting Awards since the outset and it has been exciting to watch them grow in importance and influence. We think the VSRAs are making a vital difference by promoting best practice financial reporting in the charitable sector,” noted Brian Leader, FCPA, FCA, Vice-President of Learning at the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario.

More information about the VSRAs is available online at the CPA-Queen’s Centre for Governance website – www.annualreportaward.ca.

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Editor’s Note:
Media are invited to cover the VSRA Award Luncheon February 7 at 11:30 a.m. in Toronto. To book an interview, attend the event or to get more information, please contact: John Suart, CPA-Queen’s Centre for Governance, 613-583-3062, go@johnsuart.com

About the CPA-Queen’s Centre for Governance at Queen’s School of Business
CPA-Queen’s Centre for Governance  goal is to raise the bar on Canadian governance research with respect to transparency and financial accountability and convey that research’s implications to academics, students and the public at large. Situated at Queen’s School of Business one of the world’s premier business schools, the Centre conducts cutting edge basic and applied research on governance dealing with such issues as fraud prevention and detection and improving the quality of Canadian securities’ regulation.

About the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario
The Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario (registered name of The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario) is the qualifying and regulatory body of Ontario’s almost 37,000 CPAs and 6,000 CPA Students. With a rich history dating back to 1879, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario serves the public interest by developing, monitoring and enforcing the highest standards of professional competence and ethical conduct. Chartered Professional Accountants are valued by organizations of all types for their financial expertise, strategic thinking, business insight, management skills and leadership.

About Grant Thornton
Grant Thornton LLP is a leading Canadian accounting and advisory firm providing audit, tax and advisory services to private and public organizations. We help dynamic organizations unlock their potential for growth by providing meaningful, actionable advice through a broad range of services. Our charities and not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) sector group is one way we serve the communities in which we live and work. Our skilled team brings extensive knowledge of charities and NPOs to every engagement as we work to help you reach your goals.