March 3, 2021 – Today, United Way of PEI announces that it has been accredited under Imagine Canada’s Standards Program. With this achievement, we join a distinguished ever-growing community of 250+ nonprofit organizations dedicated to operational excellence. United Way of Prince Edward Island is the first organization on Prince Edward Island accredited by Imagine Canada for excellence in nonprofit accountability, transparency, and governance.
The Standards Program is a Canada-wide set of shared standards for charities and nonprofits designed to help organizations strengthen their operations in five fundamental areas: board governance; financial accountability and transparency; fundraising; staff management; and volunteer involvement.
“We are incredibly proud to be the first charity on PEI to be accredited under the Standard’s program. Over the past year we’ve had to constantly adapt and step up to support the most vulnerable in our communities throughout the pandemic . Earning this accreditation provides donors, sponsors and volunteers with the knowledge that when supporting United Way of PEI, you can be assured of excellence in accountability, transparency and governance." -Mary Lynn Kane, Board Chair of United Way of PEI.
Earning the accreditation, especially in these changing times, shows remarkable resilience, and a strong commitment to innovation and excellence. We commend the latest well-deserving recipients of the Trustmark for achieving Imagine Canada’s Standards accreditation, and demonstrating outstanding adherence to sound governance.” -Bruce MacDonald, President and CEO of Imagine Canada.
About the Standards Program
The goals of Imagine Canada’s Standards Program are to increase organizational excellence and transparency of charities and nonprofits, to build resilience and to strengthen public confidence in individual organizations and the sector as a whole. To earn the accreditation, organizations must meet 73 standards in financial management and accountability, fundraising practice, board governance, staff management, and volunteer management.
Peer-review Process and Compliance
Our policies and procedures in the five areas of compliance were evaluated by a group of volunteers from the sector and were found to be compliant with the Standards Program. Accredited organizations are required to complete full re-accreditation on a five-year basis. Compliance during the accreditation period is monitored regularly and requires organizations to submit evidence demonstrating selected standards are being met.
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