COMMUNITY WELLNESS AND SAFETY
Commitment 4.3.11 – We will promote volunteerism by ensuring effective programming such as the Volunteer Development Fund, Outstanding Volunteer Awards, NGO Stabilization Fund, and the Community Volunteer Recognition Program.
Background:
The Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (MACA) continues to deliver various programs designed to support and promote volunteerism in the Northwest Territories by providing ongoing support that volunteer organizations and community governments can access throughout the year. To ensure the volunteer programs are effective, MACA will evaluate the following programs bi-annually (Milestone 2):
- Volunteer Development Fund;
- NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards;
- Non-Government Organization Stabilization Fund; and
- Community Volunteer Recognition Fund.
The Volunteer Recognition Policy came into effect in 2013. It allows for contributions of up to $1,000 per community government related to hosting community volunteer recognition events. Contributions through this policy, by application, are distributed directly to community governments to encourage and promote community volunteerism through planned community recognition events. The Volunteer Recognition Fund provides $30,000 annually to NWT community governments to support these recognition events.
NWT Outstanding Volunteer Awards are awarded annually to recognize the voluntary achievements and contributions made by volunteers in NWT communities in four categories: youth, individual, elder, and group. Every year the Department advertises for nominations for the Outstanding Volunteer Awards. In 2017, the Department recognized the 25th Anniversary of the OVA program including the nomination of over 932 individuals and groups for these awards from 1991-2016. MACA completed an evaluation of the OVA program in 2017 (Milestone 3), the results of which are being used to improve the program (Milestone 4).
The NGO Stabilization Fund for a part of the Department’s Volunteer Support Initiative. Recognizing that NGOs deliver essential services that support GNWT policy objectives, the GNWT established the NGO Stabilization Fund in 2009 to help stabilize crucial NGOs including organizations dealing with critical programming, for example homelessness, addictions services, or shelters for women and families. In 2016-2017, MACA distributed $350,000 under the NGO Stabilization Fund.
The NGO Policy was amended to ensure organizations dealing with critical programs and services that help ensure people’s basic needs for shelter and food are met (Milestone 1).
Annually, MACA distributes $70,000 under the Volunteer Development Fund (Milestone 5),
Links to Other Government Activities:
N/A
For more information about this initiative, please contact the Department of Municipal and Community Affairs.