business plan - ontario trillium foundation · tty: 416.963.7905 ... and vibrant communities”,...

Business Plan 2016/17 – 2018/19

Approved by OTF Board of Directors November 25, 2015

Ontario Trillium Foundation 800 Bay Street, Fifth Floor, Toronto ON M5S 3A9 Telephone: 416.963.4927 Toll-free: 1.800.263.2887 Fax: 416.963.8781 TTY: 416.963.7905 www.otf.ca

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is an agency of the Government of Ontario

http://www.otf.ca/

ONTARIO TRILLIUM FOUNDATION

BUSINESS PLAN 2016/17 to 2018/19

T A B L E O F C O N T E N T S

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Executive Summary ……………………………………………………………………. Mandate …………………...…………………………………………………………...… Strategic Directions of the Foundation ……………...……………..……………… Overview of OTF’s Current and Forthcoming Programs/Activities ..…….…… Resources Needed to Meet Goals and Objectives …………………………….… Risk Identification, Assessment, and Mitigation Strategies ……………………. Environmental Scan …………………………………………………………………… Human Resources ……………………………………………………………………… Performance Measures and Targets …………………….………………………….. Financial Budget and Staffing ……………………………………………………….. Information Management …………………………………………...………………… Initiatives Involving Third Parties …………………………………………………… Implementation Plan …………………………………………………………………… Communications Plan …………………………………………………………………. Organizational Charts …………………………………………………………………. Appendix A: A Review of the Foundation’s Achievements for 2014/15 Appendix B: OTF Risk Assessment Summary

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Ontario Trillium Foundation Business Plan 2016/17 – 2018/19

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. Mandate The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canada’s largest grantmaking foundation, is an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. As such, the Foundation is required, under its Memorandum of Understanding, to have programs that are consistent with the government’s policy directions. The Foundation’s Mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives. To this end, the Foundation provides funds in a cost-efficient manner with community involvement in decision-making (16 local Grant Review Teams), and by way of supplementing rather than replacing regular sources of income, to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations. The Foundation fulfills its mandate by funding organizations working in six Action Areas, in alignment with its Investment Strategy. Through its four investment streams, it supports grants in local communities in Ontario, as well as grants that have province-wide impact.

2. The Foundation’s Strategic Directions

We’ve Transformed 2016/17 will be the first full year under the Foundation’s new Investment Strategy, the outcome of the “ReDesign2015” process introduced in 2014/15. The goal of ReDesign2015 was to develop a new three-year strategy to enable OTF to more clearly demonstrate a return on our investments in communities across Ontario, in a way that is customer-focused, accountable, and transparent. The new strategy transforms both what OTF will invest in going forward (based on six new Action Areas and the Priority Outcomes associated with them) and how OTF will decide what to invest in (new application, assessment, decision-making, and reporting processes). The strategy is grounded in a clear definition of what the Foundation knows helps build “healthy and vibrant communities”, based on 12 key indicators from the Canadian Index of Wellbeing that align with our mandate and the priorities of government. It will enable OTF to make better evidence-based investment decisions, to more effectively monitor long-term progress against these indicators, and ultimately to better demonstrate and understand the contribution our investments are making to the quality of life for Ontarians. This will help maximize the use of our funding to promote Ontario as a leader in community wellbeing. The 12 CIW indicators are the backbone for six Action Areas in our new strategy that will better define the long-term impact the Foundation is striving to achieve. Those Action Areas are:


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Active People: Fostering more active lifestyles

Inspired People: Enriching people’s lives through arts, culture, and heritage

Connected People: Building inclusive and engaged communities together

Prosperous People: Enhancing people’s economic wellbeing

Promising Young People: Supporting the positive development of children and youth

Green People: Encouraging people to support a healthy and sustainable environment

Each Action Area is supported by two Priority Outcomes that align with government priorities and will enable OTF to focus on making investments that clearly deliver on our mission. OTF grantees will be able to measure more clearly the positive and meaningful change their initiatives have at the community level, allowing the Foundation to report more effectively on the overall impact of its investments across the province. Under the new strategy, the Foundation has introduced a balanced portfolio, to address community needs through the right “mix” of investments over the short-, medium-, and long-term. Our investment framework has been streamlined to align processes with the purpose, size, and duration – in effect, the overall risk – of the investment being made. The four new funding streams are designed to catalyze more innovation in the sector, expand and replicate more programs that work, ensure safe and accessible community space across the province, and invest more in multi-sectoral collaborations that address systemic and complex problems:

Seed: Starting projects at the idea or conceptual stage

Capital: Broadening access to and improving community spaces

Grow: Building on the success of a proven model or program

Collective Impact: Bringing about fundamental change with collective action

The Foundation’s grantmaking processes have also been transformed as part of the new strategy: tailored to the size and duration of the grant, to lighten the burden for applicants, while increasing the fairness and transparency of our decision-making practices. The changes will help ensure that the most worthy grants are being funded, as Grant Review Teams will be able to compare applications that are in the same stream, making for better decisions. Monitoring and reporting processes have also been revised, to align with the size and duration of the grant, to allow the Foundation to be more intentional in its relationships with its grantees, and to dedicate more time and resources to supporting them throughout the grant, especially for larger, longer-term investments. The new strategy also includes a new Services to the Community program that will provide capacity building and related services to current and prospective OTF grantees, as well as to the broader public benefit sector. With Board approval to allocate a maximum of 1.5% of OTF total expenditures annually to this program, OTF joins many leading foundations that provide “assistance beyond the grant” to enhance the success of their grantmaking strategies. Leveraging OTF’s contributions through social investment partnerships will continue under the new strategy, with greater focus on partnerships that will enhance the success of our new granting streams. As well, OTF’s partnership efforts with other government ministries and agencies will continue over the upcoming three years. Planned activities include the expansion across the province of the Youth Opportunities Fund, as well as a new partnership with the Treasury Board Secretariat on the administration of the Local Poverty Reduction Fund.


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As in previous years, the successful implementation of the new strategy is supported by a Strategy Map and Balanced Scorecard organized around four goals and supporting objectives. These tools guide an organization-wide Operational Plan that will clearly link all internal and external strategies and activities to our Mission and Mandate, and enable more effective monitoring of our progress.

3. Overview of OTF’s Current and Forthcoming Programs/Activities In the current year to date, OTF is meeting 2015/16 Business Plan objectives and performance targets. Information on the achievements of the previous year is contained in an Appendix A: A Review of the Foundation’s Achievements for 2014/15.

3.1 Core Business – Investment of Public Funds in High-Impact Grants In the Spring of 2015 OTF launched a new Investment Strategy. Grants are now provided under four streams: Capital, Seed, Grow, and Collective Impact. Capital grants support accessible public space in communities. Seed grants focus on starting projects at the idea or conceptual stage. Grow grants build on the success of a proven model or concept. Lastly, Collective Impact grants rely on collaborations to bring about system change. All grants align with the new investment framework with 12 Priority Outcomes, supporting six Action Areas, aligned with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing. OTF has also introduced standardized grant results and metrics and related tools to enable grantees to better demonstrate the results of their impact in communities. OTF continues to be a grantmaker of choice for the Government of Ontario. In 2015/16 the Youth Opportunities Fund, a program funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, was expanded beyond the GTA to address the needs of youth across Ontario facing multiple barriers to success, part of the province’s new Youth Action Plan. This expansion will be fully phased in as of 2016/17. As well, OTF was selected to be the administrator of the Local Poverty Reduction Fund, a program of the Treasury Board that supports the Province’s Poverty Reduction Strategy.

3.2 Planning Assumptions This Business Plan is based on the following key assumptions:

The Foundation’s plan will support the overall policy direction of the Government of Ontario, as well as the Vision and Strategies of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

The need for OTF to measure and demonstrate the impact of its grants and of the Foundation as a whole will remain high.

A robust infrastructure to support effective granting and reporting on results is critical.

The Government of Ontario will provide OTF with an annual core allocation of at least $115 million in 2016/17, as well as in the subsequent two years.

The achievement of the outcomes outlined in this plan will only be possible with granting and operating budgets that allow for the full implementation of the plan’s activities.

There will be sufficient numbers of Grant Review Team appointments and renewals to allow for effective functioning and decision-making.


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3.3 Goals OTF has identified four goals, each with supporting objectives that will direct its activities over the next three years:

1. Bring value to our stakeholders 2. Maximize our financial resources 3. Implement effective organizational practices 4. Enhance learning and growth

3.4 Objectives, Programs, and Activities to Achieve Goals GOAL 1: BRING VALUE TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS

Objective 1: Invest in the highest impact grants to catalyze positive change in communities

Invest in grants with the highest community impact for dollars expended.

Build on regular grantee monitoring to create a higher engagement approach in order to ensure grantee success.

Implement business intelligence solution and analytics strategy to measure long-term aggregated impact of OTF funding.

Objective 2: Support the public benefit sector to amplify its impact

Provide non-monetary assistance beyond the grant (Services to the Community), including:

o Enhancing evaluation capacity for the Public Benefit Sector o Financial literacy and sustainability for the sector o Capacity to deliver collective impact initiatives in Ontario o CIW Regional Reports to enable local planning based on needs o Convening for knowledge sharing

Continue to facilitate growth in the social innovation and social finance fields, including potential partnerships in payment-for-outcomes initiatives such as social impact bonds.

GOAL 2: MAXIMIZE OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Objective 1: Invest in a balanced portfolio of grants for immediate and long-term positive change

Deliver and refine a balanced portfolio of evidence-based investments through four clearly differentiated funding streams – Capital, Seed, Grow, and Collective Impact.

Target outreach strategies to ensure there are high-quality applications reflecting community needs in all funding streams.

Review current geographical boundaries to break down barriers, in order to enable high-impact grants in all parts of the province.


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Objective 2: Deliver value for money in the use of public funds

Continue to enhance OTF’s quality assurance and risk management policies and practices, including internal audit activities.

Continue to be the grantmaker of choice for the Government of Ontario.

Evaluate the costing of the Foundation’s programs, in order to determine an appropriate Administrative Cost Recovery Rate for undertaking government programs.

Publicly communicate the value of our impact.

GOAL 3: IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES

Objective 1: Cultivate high performance by staff and volunteers

Develop and implement a talent management strategy to support a high-performance culture.

Leverage the new HRIS system to enable leading practices in HR, including recruitment, performance management, absenteeism management, and others.

Implement the Volunteer Engagement Plan using the Volunteer Engagement Advisory Group, Council of Chairs, and OTF Conference, to support volunteers in delivering effective and timely grant recommendations.

Manage to established performance standards for management and staff.

Deliver excellent customer service to the public, grantees, and other stakeholders.

Objective 2: Ensure accountable and accessible granting practices

Support consistent implementation of the new Investment Strategy across the province.

Learn from the early stages of implementation and adapt policies and procedures to improve granting practice.

Complete annual internal audit projects, to ensure granting practices are in keeping with our policies, and implement any resulting recommendations.

Track granting to specific geographic areas and population groups to ensure equitable access to funding consistent with Foundation policies, and target outreach efforts to those areas and/or populations that are underrepresented.

GOAL 4: ENHANCE LEARNING AND GROWTH

Objective 1: Foster learning and knowledge sharing to enhance impact in our Action Areas

Implement the new Knowledge Management strategy, including an e-learning platform and tools, communities of practice and an on-line portal.

Broaden and deepen internal expertise in the Action Areas across the regions.

Enhance communications strategies by adopting an integrated digital communications approach.


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Objective 2: Advance and share our practice in outcomes-based funding and evaluation

Promote outcome evaluation and support the capacity of the sector to measure and improve impact.

Continue to advance an open data plan consistent with the Province’s Open Data strategy.

Share our findings from the case study by the Rotman School of Management on change management, and implement an action plan based on our learnings.

4. Resources Needed to Meet Goals and Objectives Key financial resources include revenues from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport of $115.0 million in each of 2016/17, 2017/18, and 2018/19, and estimated investment income of $1.6 million (2016/17), $1.7 million (2017/18), and $2.3 million (2018/19). In addition, funds are expected each year from the Ministry of Children and Youth Services (Youth Opportunities Fund) and Treasury Board Secretariat (Local Poverty Reduction Fund). Expenditures are estimated as follows: Granting in core programs of $101.2 million (2016/17), $101.3 million (2017/18), and $101.8 million (2018/19); approximately $9.7 million in each year for the Youth Opportunities Fund; and Local Poverty Reduction Fund granting of $7.6 million (2016/17), $13.1 million (2017/18), and $13.2 million (2018/19). Total operating costs for all programs are estimated to be $20.1 million (2016/17), $20.5 million (2017/18), and $21.0 million (2018/19). In the current year (2015/16), revenues are forecast to include $115.0 million from the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport and $1.7 million in investment income; expenditures are estimated at $101.7 million for granting in core programs, $6.4 million for Youth Opportunities Fund grants, $2.5 million for Local Poverty Reduction Fund grants, and $19 million in operating costs. Staffing resources are discussed in Sections 7 and 9.

5. Risk Identification, Assessment, and Mitigation Strategies Key risks, their likelihood and impact, and mitigation strategies are described in Section 5 and Appendix B, grouped into seven broad categories:

Strategic, policy, and performance risks

Governance and organizational risks

Legal and compliance risks

Operational and service delivery risks

Workforce risks

Information technology and infrastructure risks

Any other risks

6. Environmental Scan OTF has many external stakeholders, including the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, other Ontario Government ministries, MPPs from all


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parties, grantee organizations, applicant organizations, voluntary sector organizations, private sector partners, and users of OTF-funded programs and services. The Foundation maintains awareness on an ongoing basis of key trends and challenges facing its stakeholders. This is done through the collection of information from various sources – grantee reporting, needs assessments, and evaluations, as well as from other external sources including Statistics Canada data and research reports. The Foundation also supplements its knowledge base on trends and other stakeholder input through consultation and convening activities. As part of its planning process, OTF monitors trends affecting the public benefit sector in the legislative, regulatory, policy, and fiscal environments as well as trends in the Foundation’s six Action Areas. The key developments and trends related to the Investment Strategy (externally-focused) and Strategy Map (internally-focused) that are the foundation of the current Business Plan are summarized in the Environmental Scan section of the document under the following headings:

Legislative, regulatory, and policy environment

Fiscal environments and economic outlook

Trends in OTF’s Six Action Areas The Foundation also monitors the various factors that influence and inform OTF’s communica-tions environment; this information is contained in the Communications Plan (Section 13).

7. Human Resources This section focuses on staff resources. The Foundation’s Human Resources are made up of staff and volunteers. As Volunteer Resources are managed by the Public Affairs Department, information on volunteers is contained in Section 13, Communications Plan.

The development and implementation of a new Investment Strategy has had a number of human resources implications, and the Foundation is grateful to continue to have an excellent labour relations environment and a skilled and dedicated staff and leadership team. The following are HR priorities over the next three years:

To continue to monitor the organizational structure and roles to ensure they are aligned to support the Foundation’s Operational Plan and strategic plan.

To continue to support activities to enhance employee engagement.

To fully implement an improved performance management approach

To allocate the human resources required to meet our legal obligations.

To remain competitive in the total reward and recognition of OTF staff in order to continue our excellent labour relations and be competitive with similar organizations.

Planned activities over the next year include:

1. Ongoing review to assign staffing as needed in support of the Foundation’s updated Investment Strategy.

2. Continue to support Employee Engagement Advisory Group activities.


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3. Continue to allocate resources required to meet our legal requirements. 4. Monitor compensation trends to ensure employees are rewarded appropriately.

8. Performance Measures and Targets As part of its transformation and new Investment Strategy, the Foundation has developed a new methodology to measure and track grant outcomes, and a revised Balanced Scorecard to measure the overall performance of the Foundation. Outcomes-Based funding – Measuring the Community Impact of our Grants As part of the design of the new Investment Strategy, OTF aligned the strategy, granting methodology, and data architecture with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) framework. Each element of OTF’s Investment Strategy – Grant Results, Priority Outcomes, and Action Areas – builds on the next to measure the short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes of our granting, and this is illustrated in Section 8. Each grant reports on one standardized metric specific to the grant result and stream. These were designed so over time OTF can report to the community in a transparent and accountable way on the impact it is having in each Action Area. The Investment Strategy graphic in Section 8 portrays the details of the Grant Results, Priority Outcomes, and CIW indicators. Collective Impact Grants The complex nature, size, and duration of the Collective Impact Stream requires a tailored approach to the measurement of outcomes. Because this approach necessitates shared measurement across both funders and collaborating partners, OTF will participate in the evaluation design and implementation for each of the grants. Grow Grants For grants in the Grow stream which are up to three years and $750,000, we have selected standardized pre- and post- evaluation tools (following an analysis of 300 existing surveys) for 13 Grant Results. These tools will enable grantees to the carry out detailed evaluations of the pre- and post- impact of their initiatives and learn from the results for future improvement of their programs or interventions. This approach will also make it possible to measure and demonstrate OTF’s aggregated impact in Ontario communities over time.

Grant Results Which Require Pre- and Post- Surveys Of the 25 Grant Results relevant to the Grow Investment Stream, 13 will be evaluated using pre- and post- surveys. These include:

- Ontarians participate in an active lifestyle - Diverse groups work together to improve community life - People who are isolated have connections in the community - Children and youth who are facing barriers develop strong emotional and social skills - People who are economically vulnerable are able to meet their basic needs


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- People become or stay employed Seed and Capital Grants For Seed and Capital grants the expected results and outcomes that we are tracking are shorter term. While we anticipate that these grants will have positive impact over the longer term, the volume, size, and duration of these grants requires evaluation at the grant-result level. With Capital grants we are able to roll up our results. For example, with Active People OTF will measure:

- the amount of new and renovated space made available for structured and unstructured activities

- the number of kilometers of trails constructed - the number of program enhancements, etc.

Metrics were selected through a rigorous process that included logic models and econometric analysis, yet are designed to be simple and doable by OTF grant recipients. For our Seed stream, the smallest stream, grantees will be asked to report on their end-of-grant result, which we anticipate will lead to longer-term outcomes. Measuring OTF’s Performance – Balanced Scorecard Presented in this section are the measures and targets that make up OTF’s new Balanced Scorecard that will be rolled out in the fiscal year 2016/17. In addition to its new Balanced Scorecard, OTF will use a comprehensive set of measures internally, through which we are able to “drill down” to the program level to explain our results in greater detail as needed. These include numerous operational, financial, and programmatic goals that are reported on regularly through OTF Business Plans, Board and Annual Reports, and updates. As well, each year OTF performs an in-depth analysis of its granting (by program and catchment area) and audits a selection of grants. In addition, the Foundation monitors the performance of individual grants and grantees through progress and final reports. In 2015/16 and subsequent years, OTF will also audit a selection of granting decisions to ensure its new Investment Strategy is leading to the best applications being funded. Business Intelligence – Enabler for Performance Measurement and Outcomes-Based Funding In order to support our strategy implementation, enable performance measurement, and support

transparency and accountability, in 2014/15 OTF began work on a clear Business Intelligence

(BI) strategy and tactical plan. ReDesign2015 gave us the opportunity to build a leading-edge

data model that was embedded in our granting processes and systems.

As a result, OTF will be able to measure performance based on best practices including:

A Balanced Scorecard that is directly tied to our Strategy Map

Evaluation tools that will measure pre- and post- grant impact for Grow grants


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An integrated Business Intelligence plan that will enable us to support decision-making

at both an operational and strategic level, integrating HR, Finance, Granting, the Support

Centre, and other data

Through this BI strategy OTF is committed to:

Better informed evidence-based decision-making for our business operations

Enhanced strategic and operational reporting to measure impact through the integration

of data and information from a variety of sources

Clear metrics and valid data to inform the Board and Senior Leadership Team of

progress

Transparency and accountability

9. Financial Budget and Staffing This section contains detailed information on financial performance for this year and the two previous, and budget forecasts for the upcoming three years. As well, the section contains a summary of staff numbers.

10. Information Management For the fiscal year 2016/17, the Information Management Department will

1. Continue to develop solutions that address people, process, and technology to enhance OTF’s ability to make evidence-based decisions.

2. Continue to improve OTF’s IT infrastructure, reliability, and security. 3. Enhance systems that were implemented in the previous year including our new granting

system, Customer Relations Management system, and other business applications (Finance, HRIS, and others).

4. Implement our Business Intelligence strategy to support integrated reporting and a new Balanced Scorecard.

5. Implement our Knowledge Management strategy to support advancing the ability of the public benefit sector and OTF to have impact in our Action Areas.

6. Support increased technical literacy for our staff and volunteers, as OTF’s new granting system is completely paperless.

7. Continue to be a sector lead on the Open Data/Open Government initiative. In summary 2016/17 will be a year in which we stabilize and complete our investments in infrastructure in order to successfully deliver on our BI strategy – including measurement and Open Data – as well as KM initiatives to advance the sector in our Action Areas and create communities of practice.

11. Initiatives Involving Third Parties The large majority of our third-party partners are our grantees who receive grants, a form of transfer payment. In this regard, OTF is fully compliant with the Transfer Payment Accountability Directive, and signs a statement to this effect on an annual basis.


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In addition, since its inception OTF has partnered informally with private, public, and corporate funders to support shared goals, priorities, and sector needs in Ontario in order to achieve its mission. Social Investment Partnerships In 2013/14, OTF began to take a more strategic approach to partnering through the development of a Social Investment Partnerships Framework, approved by the Foundation’s Board in March 2014. This framework outlines how we engage third parties in a more cohesive manner and describes the details of OTF’s overarching strategy to engage and leverage the resources of other public and private funders to increase the impact of its investments. In the upcoming year, the Foundation’s partnership efforts will continue to focus on opportunities to leverage the resources of other funders to support OTF’s new Action Areas, particularly through the new Collective Impact stream. This will entail engaging interested funders to support initiatives which bring about transformational change within communities over the longer term. The third full year of the operationalization of the SIP framework will provide OTF with an opportunity to take advantage of the general learnings from its initial experiences with partnerships. A comprehensive review of this initiative will be developed to help inform the Foundation’s strategy to engage partnerships going forward.

12. Implementation Plan The Implementation Plan for the strategies described in this Business Plan is under develop-ment and will be completed by 2015/16 year-end, in conjunction with departmental planning and budgeting activities throughout the Foundation.

13. Communications Plan A number of factors inform the OTF communications environment. Most of them are long-term trends that have influenced OTF communications strategy and practices for quite some time; others are more time sensitive and specific to this current plan. These are outlined in this section.

Strategic communications is critical to the success of the Foundation’s new Investment Strategy. OTF operates in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders with different needs and expectations, and it is important to communicate appropriately to each group of stakeholders to ensure their support. OTF communication activities will continue to focus on supporting the delivery of the following overarching objectives:

Storytelling for impact

Responsible stewardship

NFP Sector leadership

Internal efficiency These objectives will be achieved through the following tactics:


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The centralization of our communications practices supports change management within the organization

Our online communications must reflect the simplicity, clarity, and practicality of our new Investment Strategy

Our relations with the community are more important than ever

OTF must consolidate its position as the grantmaker of choice for the Ontario Government

A strong and engaged body of committed volunteers is key to the success of the new Investment Strategy

The Foundation has developed a number of related activities and products which are described in this section of the Business Plan, together with timelines for the key items.

14. Organizational Charts Charts illustrating the governance structure and staff departmental structure are included in this section of the Business Plan.

Appendices: Appendix A – A review of the Foundation’s achievements for 2014/15 Appendix B – OTF Risk Assessment Summary

ONTARIO TRILLIUM FOUNDATION BUSINESS PLAN 2016/17 to 2018/19

1. Mandate

The Ontario Trillium Foundation, Canada’s largest grantmaking foundation, is an agency of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

As an agency of the Government of Ontario, the Foundation is required, under its Memorandum of Understanding, to have programs that are consistent with the government’s policy directions.

The Foundation’s Mission is to build healthy and vibrant communities throughout Ontario by strengthening the capacity of the voluntary sector through investments in community-based initiatives.

To this end, the Foundation provides funds in a cost-efficient manner with community involvement in decision-making (16 local Grant Review Teams), and by way of supplementing rather than replacing regular sources of income, to eligible charitable and not-for-profit organizations. According to the OTF Supplementary Letters Patent, the funds are provided to:

Help finance programs undertaken by these organizations, through time-limited, results-oriented grants; and

Help finance initiatives that increase organizational and/or community capacity.

The Foundation fulfills its mandate by funding organizations working in six Action Areas, in alignment with its Investment Strategy. Through its four investment streams, it supports grants in local communities in Ontario, as well as grants that have province-wide impact.

OTF volunteers are integral to the achievement of the Mission. The up to 25 volunteers on the Board of Directors provide strategic leadership and approve all grant decisions. The up to 326 volunteers on community Grant Review Teams recommend grants within Board-approved policy in their catchment areas.


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2. Strategic Directions of the Foundation

We’ve Transformed 2016/17 will be the first full year under the Foundation’s new Investment Strategy, the outcome of the “ReDesign2015” process introduced in 2014/15. The goal of ReDesign2015 was to develop a new three-year strategy to enable OTF to more clearly demonstrate a return on our investments in communities across Ontario, in a way that is customer-focused, accountable, and transparent. The new strategy transforms both what OTF will invest in going forward (based on six new Action Areas and the Priority Outcomes associated with them) and how OTF will decide what to invest in (new application, assessment, decision-making, and reporting processes). In terms of what OTF will invest in, the new strategy is grounded in a clear definition of what the Foundation knows helps build “healthy and vibrant communities”, based on 12 key indicators from the Canadian Index of Wellbeing that align with our mandate and the priorities of government. The new strategy will enable OTF to make better evidence-based investment decisions, to more effectively monitor long-term progress against these indicators, and ultimately to better demonstrate and understand the contribution our investments are making to the quality of life for Ontarians. This will help maximize the use of our funding to promote Ontario as a leader in community wellbeing. The 12 CIW indicators are the backbone for six Action Areas in our new strategy that will better define the long-term impact the Foundation is striving to achieve. Those Action Areas are:

Active People: Fostering more active lifestyles

Inspired People: Enriching people’s lives through arts, culture, and heritage

Connected People: Building inclusive and engaged communities together

Prosperous People: Enhancing people’s economic wellbeing

Promising Young People: Supporting the positive development of children and youth

Green People: Encouraging people to support a healthy and sustainable environment

Each Action Area is supported by two Priority Outcomes that align with government priorities and will enable OTF to focus on achieving results from our investments that clearly deliver on our mission. This approach will enable OTF grantees to measure more clearly the positive and meaningful change their initiatives have at the community level, and allow the Foundation to report more effectively on the overall impact of its investments across the province. The Foundation’s grantmaking process has also been transformed as part of the new strategy, in response to feedback from a wide variety of stakeholders, including OTF staff and volunteers, applicants, grantees, and the Auditor General of Ontario. The new processes have been designed to streamline administration and lighten the burden for applicants, while increasing the fairness and transparency of our decision-making practices. Revisions to how we assess and award grants will help ensure that the most worthy grants are being funded, and that the Foundation can report more meaningfully on both the impact of its funding and why some initiatives received funding and others did not. Under the new strategy, the Board of Directors approved the move to implement a balanced portfolio, which recognizes that community needs are best addressed through the right “mix” of investments over the short-, medium-, and long-term. Our investment framework has been


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streamlined to align processes with the purpose, size, and duration – in effect, the overall risk – of the investment being made. Our four new funding streams are designed to catalyze more innovation in the sector, expand and replicate more programs that work, ensure safe and accessible community space across the province, and invest more in multi-sectoral collaborations that address systemic and complex problems:

Seed: Starting projects at the idea or conceptual stage

Capital: Broadening access to and improving community spaces

Grow: Building on the success of a proven model or program

Collective Impact: Bringing about fundamental change with collective action

To support these new granting streams, we’ve tailored the application, decision-making, monitoring, and reporting processes to the size and duration of the grant. As a result, our volunteer Grant Review Teams will be able to compare applications that are in the same stream, making for better decisions. This shift will support OTF being more intentional in its relationships with its grantees, and enable more time and resources to be dedicated to supporting them throughout the life-cycle of the grant, especially for larger, longer-term investments. Strengthening our relationships in this way will be mutually beneficial. We will support our grantees in the best ways possible to help them work toward achieving and measuring their results, and will learn from them about their experiences, while enhancing their ability to find solutions to the complex problems faced by their communities. The new strategy also includes a new Services to the Community (STC) program that will provide capacity building and related services to current and prospective OTF grantees, as well as to the broader public benefit sector. With Board approval to allocate a maximum of 1.5% of OTF total expenditures annually to STC, OTF joins many leading foundations who provide “assistance beyond the grant” to enhance the success of their grantmaking strategies. Three top areas to focus on for most foundations are governance or leadership development, financial capacity, and evaluation capacity. OTF’s own research dating back to 2009 highlighted the need for capacity building in the areas of talent development, new ways of working together (collaboration and networks) and the capacity of intermediary organizations. Our new approach will address key findings from recent Applicant and Grantee Perception Reports conducted for OTF by the Centre for Effective Philanthropy that showed that OTF lags behind leading foundations in the provision of assistance beyond the grant; that our support is less than that of all similar funders; and that we rated below 86% of similar funders in terms of the helpfulness of the non-monetary assistance we provided. Leveraging OTF’s contributions through social investment partnerships will continue under the new strategy, with greater focus on partnerships that will enhance the success of our new granting streams. OTF will continue to work with other foundations and with private sector sources of investment in the Foundation’s Action Areas, to foster and increase greater collective impact. Social investment partnerships provide a great opportunity to integrate approaches to funding for outcomes as well as shared measurement practices, both of which may reduce the administrative burden on funders and grantees while increasing the ability of both to evaluate outcomes and demonstrate impact. OTF’s partnership efforts with other government ministries and agencies will also continue under the new strategy. This Business Plan’s activities include the expansion across the


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province of the Youth Opportunities Fund, a program delivered on behalf of the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, as well as a new partnership with the Treasury Board Secretariat on the administration of the Local Poverty Reduction Fund. Meanwhile, we will continue to partner with Ontario Telemedicine Network to leverage their expertise and infrastructure to deliver online training to staff and volunteers across the province, and to support our knowledge mobilization and virtual meeting capacity. In setting this strategy, we recognize that having impact and creating change takes time. Our plan includes a stronger emphasis on real-time monitoring and evaluation to ensure that we are being responsive and reflective in delivering on the new strategy, and to allow us to continuously assess the relevance and effectiveness of the priorities we are focusing on to support the health and vibrancy of the diverse array of communities that make up Ontario. As in previous years, the successful implementation of the new strategy is supported by a Strategy Map and Balanced Scorecard organized around four goals and supporting objectives. These tools guide an organization-wide Operational Plan that will clearly link all internal and external strategies and activities to our Mission and Mandate, and enable more effective monitoring of our progress.

Goals In 2016/17 the Foundation will focus on the four Goals identified in our new Strategy Map (see Section 8), supported by key objectives that will guide the successful implementation of our strategy, as well as a set of core organizational values adopted by the Board in 2014.


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3. Overview of OTF’s Current and Forthcoming Programs/Activities

3.1 Core Business – Investment of Public Funds in High Impact Grants In the Spring of 2015 OTF launched a new Investment Strategy. Grants are now provided under four streams: Capital, Seed, Grow, and Collective Impact. Capital grants support accessible public space in communities. Seed grants focus on starting projects at the idea or conceptual stage. Grow grants build on the success of a proven model or concept. Lastly, Collective Impact grants rely on collaborations to bring about system change. All grants align with the new investment framework with 12 Priority Outcomes, supporting six Action Areas, aligned with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing. OTF has also introduced standardized grant results and metrics and related tools to enable grantees to better demonstrate the results of their impact in communities. OTF continues to be a grantmaker of choice for the Government of Ontario. In 2015/16 the Youth Opportunities Fund, a program funded by the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, was expanded beyond the GTA to address the needs of youth across Ontario facing multiple barriers to success, part of the province’s new Youth Action Plan. This expansion will be fully phased in as of 2016/17. As well, OTF was selected to be the administrator of the Local Poverty Reduction Fund, a program of the Treasury Board that supports the Province’s Poverty Reduction Strategy. 3.2 Planning Assumptions This Business Plan is based on the following key assumptions:

The Foundation’s plan will support the overall policy direction of the Government of Ontario, as well as the Vision and Strategies of the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport.

The need for OTF to measure and demonstrate the impact of its grants and of the Foundation as a whole will remain high.

A robust infrastructure to support effective granting and reporting on results is critical.

The Government of Ontario will provide OTF with an annual core allocation of at least $115 million in 2016/17, as well as in the subsequent two years.

The achievement of the outcomes outlined in this plan will only be possible with granting and operating budgets that allow for the full implementation of the plan’s activities.

There will be sufficient numbers of Grant Review Team appointments and renewals to allow for effective functioning and decision-making.

3.3 Goals OTF has identified four goals, each with supporting objectives that will direct its activities over the next three years:

1. Bring value to our stakeholders 2. Maximize our financial resources 3. Implement effective organizational practices 4. Enhance learning and growth


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3.4 Objectives, Programs, and Activities to Achieve Goals

GOAL 1: BRING VALUE TO OUR STAKEHOLDERS

Objective 1: Invest in the highest impact grants to catalyze positive change in communities

Invest in grants with the highest community impact for dollars expended.

Build on regular grantee monitoring to create a higher engagement approach in order to ensure grantee success.

Implement business intelligence solution and analytics strategy to measure long-term aggregated impact of OTF funding.

Objective 2: Support the public benefit sector to amplify its impact

Provide non-monetary assistance beyond the grant (Services to the Community), including:

o Enhancing evaluation capacity for the Public Benefit Sector o Financial literacy and sustainability for the sector o Capacity to deliver collective impact initiatives in Ontario o CIW Regional Reports to enable local planning based on needs o Convening for knowledge sharing

Continue to facilitate growth in the social innovation and social finance fields, including potential partnerships in payment-for-outcomes initiatives such as social impact bonds.

GOAL 2: MAXIMIZE OUR FINANCIAL RESOURCES

Objective 1: Invest in a balanced portfolio of grants for immediate and long-term positive change

Deliver and refine a balanced portfolio of evidence-based investments through four clearly differentiated funding streams – Capital, Seed, Grow, and Collective Impact.

Target outreach strategies to ensure there are high-quality applications reflecting community needs in all funding streams.

Review current geographical boundaries to break down barriers, in order to enable high-impact grants in all parts of the province.

Objective 2: Deliver value for money in the use of public funds

Continue to enhance OTF’s quality assurance and risk management policies and practices, including internal audit activities.

Continue to be the grantmaker of choice for the Government of Ontario.

Evaluate the costing of the Foundation’s programs, in order to determine an appropriate Administrative Cost Recovery Rate for undertaking government programs.

Publicly communicate the value of our impact.


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GOAL 3: IMPLEMENT EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATIONAL PRACTICES

Objective 1: Cultivate high performance by staff and volunteers

Develop and implement a talent management strategy to support a high-performance culture.

Leverage the new HRIS system to enable leading practices in HR, including recruitment, performance management, absenteeism management, and others.

Implement the Volunteer Engagement Plan using the Volunteer Engagement Advisory Group, Council of Chairs, and OTF Conference, to support volunteers in delivering effective and timely grant recommendations.

Manage to established performance standards for management and staff.

Deliver excellent customer service to the public, grantees, and other stakeholders.

Objective 2: Ensure accountable and accessible granting practices

Support consistent implementation of the new Investment Strategy across the province.

Learn from the early stages of implementation and adapt policies and procedures to improve granting practice.

Complete annual internal audit projects, to ensure granting practices are in keeping with our policies, and implement any resulting recommendations.

Track granting to specific geographic areas and population groups to ensure equitable access to funding consistent with Foundation policies, and target outreach efforts to those areas and/or populations that are underrepresented.

GOAL 4: ENHANCE LEARNING AND GROWTH

Objective 1: Foster learning and knowledge sharing to enhance impact in our Action Areas

Implement the new Knowledge Management strategy, including an e-learning platform and tools, communities of practice and an on-line portal.

Broaden and deepen internal expertise in the Action Areas across the regions.

Enhance communications strategies by adopting an integrated digital communications approach.

Objective 2: Advance and share our practice in outcomes-based funding and evaluation

Promote outcome evaluation and support the capacity of the sector to measure and improve impact.

Continue to advance an open data plan consistent with the Province’s Open Data strategy.

Share our findings from the case study by the Rotman School of Management on change management, and implement an action plan based on our learnings.


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4. Resources Needed to Meet Goals and Objectives

Projected Revenues and Expenditures (for Human Resources requirements, see Sections 7 and 9)

2015/16 2016/17 2017/18 2018/19

Revenues: (est.)

MTCS: Operating grant 115.0 115.0 115.0 115.0

MCYS: Youth Opportunities Fund 8.7 12.9 13.0 13.0

TBS: Local Poverty Reduction Fund 3.1 8.5 14.0 14.0

Investment income 1 1.7 1.6 1.7 2.3

Unspent funds from previous years 2 2.1 2.3 2.7 3.2

Total Revenues

130.7

140.4

146.4

147.5

Expenditures:

Grants 110.5 118.5 124.1 124.7

Services to the Community 1.2 1.8 1.8 1.8

Operating costs, all programs 3 19.0 20.1 20.5 21.0

Total Expenditures

130.7

140.4

146.4

147.5

Notes:

1) Based on government interest rate forecasts and Foundation cash flow projections, an interest

revenue forecasting model was designed in consultation with the Ontario Financing Authority.

2) Deferred contributions and rescinded grants from previous years.

3) Includes Depreciation costs of approx. $0.5 per year, based on Capital spending of approx. $0.3

to $0.4 million per year.

.


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5. Risk Identification, Assessment, and Mitigation Strategies

The Foundation monitors its risks on an ongoing basis and submits a quarterly Risk Assessment to the Ministry. The key risks that are currently being monitored are listed below. An assessment of these risks is contained in Appendix B.

OTF RISK REGISTER – November 2015

Strategic/Policy/Performance Risks

1.A OTF’s grantees fail to achieve expected outcomes.

1.B Significant cut in OTF’s funding.

1.C Low public awareness and appreciation for the potential benefits of the new Investment Strategy could negatively impact OTF’s traditional high level of public support.

1.D Issues arising from OTF investments are not appropriately anticipated, identified, and managed.

1.E The costs of implementing provincial government programs exceed the allocation provided by the Ministry partners, placing undue strain on, and negatively impacting, OTF’s core programs.

1.F Reputational risks arising from the actions of social investment partners are not adequately anticipated and managed.

1.G New OTF strategy fails to result in sufficient applications with the potential for high impact, due to lack of understanding of the new program or other reasons.

1.H Unintended consequences of the Open Data initiative lead to damage to the Foundation’s reputation.

Governance/Organizational Risks

2.A GRT volunteers deviate from prescribed policies or processes, negatively impacting OTF’s ability to ensure consistent, fair, and equitable granting decisions.

2.B A significant number of volunteers are not adequately trained and/or fail to fully comprehend and utilize the tools and resources provided, negatively impacting OTF’s ability to ensure consistent, fair, and equitable granting decisions.

Legal/Compliance Risks

3.A Implementation of the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) requirements is not timely or effective.

3.B More stringent government legislation and regulations regarding transparency and accountability put significant pressure on OTF’s ability to maintain a low operating cost ratio.

3.C Risks of privacy breaches (data loss and/or misuse) that could negatively impact OTF’s reputation and jeopardize relationships with stakeholders are not adequately anticipated, identified, and managed.


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Operational/Service Delivery Risks

4.A OTF grants are not equitably distributed and/or accessible to all Ontarians.

4.B Insufficient allocation of resources from the government jeopardizes the Foundation’s ability to meet its business objectives.

Workforce Risks

5.A The Government continues to fail to appoint sufficient numbers of GRT volunteers, jeopardizing the ability of one or more GRTs to carry out their business.

5.B The complement of Francophone GRT members within each catchment area is insufficient to adequately assess the volume of Francophone applications.

5.C Conflicts of interest with applications under review are not adequately managed.

5.D Poor labour relations impact OTF’s ability to build and maintain the high performance culture necessary for achieving its business objectives.

Information Technology & Infrastructure Risks

6.A Physical risks to hardware, software, data – e.g. power outages, fire, damage to the server room.

6.B Security threats to OTF data and infrastructure.

All Other Risks

7.A Actual investment income earned in a given year is significantly less than what was forecast.


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6. Environmental Scan

OTF has many external stakeholders, including the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport, the Ministry of Children and Youth Services, Treasury Board, other Ontario Government ministries, MPPs from all parties, grantee organizations, applicant organizations, voluntary sector organizations, private sector partners, and users of OTF-funded programs and services. The Foundation maintains awareness on an ongoing basis of key trends and challenges facing its stakeholders. This is done through various means: the collection of information through grantee reporting, needs assessments, and evaluations, as well as from external sources including Statistics Canada data and research reports. The Foundation also supplements its knowledge base on trends and other stakeholder input through consultation and convening activities. As part of its planning process, OTF monitors trends affecting the public benefit sector in the legislative, regulatory, policy, and fiscal environments as well as trends in the Foundation’s six Action Areas. The key developments and trends related to the Investment Strategy (externally-focused) and Strategy Map (internally-focused) that are the foundation of the current Business Plan are summarized below.

Legislative, regulatory, and policy environment Four developments in the legislative, regulatory and policy environment were considered in preparing this Business Plan:

Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, 2010 (ONCA) has been delayed to allow time for technical amendments and technology upgrades. The government has committed to giving the non-profit sector 24 months’ notice before ONCA takes effect. In addition, organizations will have three years following that date to make any required changes to their incorporation or documentation. Once implemented, ONCA provides a clearer definition of “public benefit corporations” and standards for financial reporting, including minimum requirements based on organization size. OTF has adopted the new language and emphasis on the “public benefit” sector in its strategy and Business Plan to align with the new directions of the Act.

Social finance has been gaining attention at both the Federal and Provincial levels. As governments adjust regulations and policies to enable social finance, there may be implications for the not-for-profit sector. Social finance mechanisms such as Social Impact Bonds may increase accountability and impact evaluation among relevant not-for-profits. OTF has been exploring options and opportunities for participating in social finance initiatives where appropriate, in cooperation with the province’s Office of Social Enterprise, and this ongoing interest is reflected in this Business Plan.

The implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) continues to impact the sector in terms of the requirements to increase the accessibility of goods, services, and facilities offered to the public. OTF has been a major funder of projects to make new or redeveloped community spaces and services accessible across the province, which will continue under this Business Plan.

The phase-in of the Ontario Retirement Pension Plan will begin to impact not-for-profit organizations and their employees in January 2017. The retirement income of Ontario not-for-profit sector workers has been an important priority for the sector for some time,


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with efforts to find effective solutions now being led by the Ontario Nonprofit Network through their Task Force on Pensions in the Nonprofit Sector. OTF will monitor future developments in this area in terms of any implications it might have for the organizations we fund.

Fiscal environments and economic outlook The total economic impact of Ontario's not-for-profit sector is estimated at $50 billion annually, representing more than 7% of GDP, a figure greater than the automobile and construction industries combined. The sector employs almost one million Ontarians – 15% of Ontario's total workforce. In addition, the sector partners with over five million Ontarians who volunteer more than 800 million hours annually. The not-for-profit sector in Ontario delivers vital services to families and helps sustain economically vibrant communities. The impact of the sector in Ontario can be seen through its many contributions, including programs supporting the province's health, culture, social services, housing, environmental conservation, and economic development activities. With the expectation of an extended period of slow economic growth, governments at all levels (federal, provincial, municipal) face ongoing fiscal challenges. The effects of slower economic growth and government deficits will inevitably be felt in Ontario’s not-for-profit sector – both in the impact on revenues, and, for many, the demand for increased services from clientele affected by related shifts in the economy. Key implications for OTF include:

The public benefit sector continues to show signs of growing financial pressures, which increase the demand for OTF funds. The shifting funding landscape has included changes to local, provincial, and federal funding sources, and in an increasingly competitive environment the organizations OTF funds face challenges to their ability to raise revenues.

There is increasing interest and demand in the sector in the development of social enterprise and other innovative solutions, as organizations seek out diversified ways to achieve sustainability.

The capacity gap in the sector also impacts on organizations’ ability to apply for and manage grants from the Foundation. There is a need to provide an array of services to the community that will support increased organizational capacity and sustainability.

From a budgetary perspective, sustained low interest rates have meant that the Foundation has not been able to rely on additional income from interest to fund organizational activities, which puts additional pressure on the granting budget. However, interest rates are expected to rise by late 2016.

Trends in OTF’s Six Action Areas This Business Plan also takes into account key evidence showing why OTF’s six Action Areas are important to the building of healthy and vibrant communities, the key trends and challenges in each Action Area, and how the current strategy responds to them through its Priority Outcomes.


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A. Active People For the first time in recorded history, younger generations of Canadians are expected to live shorter lives than their parents due to obesity and chronic diseases such as Type 2 diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, and some cancers. The current estimated annual cost of diabetes in Ontario is $7.7 billion, and cases of diabetes in Ontario are estimated to rise by 48% from 2015 to 2025. Obesity and lack of physical activity are two of the most common causes, responsible for nearly 95% of Type 2 diabetes cases. Research shows that active lifestyles lead to healthy growth and improved school performance and social development in children, and a reduced risk of chronic disease and improved mental health in the general population. Active people are also known to be more productive, more connected in their communities, and more likely to avoid illness and injury throughout their lives. Ontario’s estimated recreation infrastructure deficit is greater than $5 billion, which creates ongoing demand for OTF capital investments. There is a significant gap between how people perceive their behaviour and the benefits they are actually realizing from their physical activity. Although 55% of Canadians self-report they are physically active, only 15% of Canadian adults and 5% of children engage in enough physical activity to derive health benefits. More needs to be done to foster lifelong physical activity in Ontario and to make it easy, enjoyable, and relevant for everyone. OTF’s Investment Strategy therefore includes as Priority Outcomes 1) Higher quality programming and infrastructure to support physical activity; and 2) More people become active. B. Connected People Research shows that when individuals feel a greater sense of belonging and have strong connections to the people around them, they contribute more to society. According to the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW), trust in others and a strong social network are two important measures of community vitality. However, since 2008, the CIW reports that our trust in others has declined by 15%, and the number of Ontarians with strong social networks has declined by 24%. Ontario’s population is also constantly changing, largely as a result of two key demographic trends: migration and aging. Currently, about one third of Ontario’s population was born outside Canada, and about 15% of Ontarians are seniors aged 65 years and older. With this level of diversity, our province has the potential to be a truly interwoven landscape of ideas, life experiences, cultures, languages, and identities. OTF’s strategy recognizes diversity as a vibrant source of ideas and approaches for building and maintaining the social infrastructure that makes communities stronger and more integrated. When that happens, people can access the supports they need for personal wellbeing, leadership and decision-making are more responsive to the community, and groups that are otherwise disconnected find opportunities to collaborate for shared benefit. The key is to tap into this diversity in a meaningful and respectful way. OTF aims to support initiatives that recognize and include Ontarians’ many perspectives and experiences, and make it possible for them to fully participate in building and improving their communities.


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OTF’s Connected People Action Area also recognizes that when everyone feels at home, and is able to play a meaningful role in their community, everyone benefits. People who are connected to those around them are more likely to reach out, participate in, and actively engage in their community’s economic, social, cultural, and political institutions. This leads to better health outcomes, fresh ideas and approaches, and better and more responsive programs and policies. Thus the Priority Outcomes under OTF’s Connected People Action Area are 1) Diverse groups work better together to shape community; and 2) Reduced social isolation. C. Green People Ontario is home to a rich biodiversity, with over 250,000 lakes, 18% of Canada’s forests, and more than 30,000 known species. This biodiversity has an intrinsic value but is also a fundamental driver of Ontario’s economy. Addressing Ontario’s environmental challenges is complex and long-term. Ontario has one of the largest ecological footprints in the world, and habitat continues to be lost at an alarming rate. Ontario has conserved only 10.2% of its terrestrial habitats (against a goal of 17%) and just over 4% in Southern Ontario. However, recent strategies such as Ontario’s Biodiversity Strategy (2011), the Ontario Invasive Species Strategic Plan (2012), and Ontario’s Climate Change Discussion Paper (2015) all lay out comprehensive roadmaps for success. The 2015 State of Ontario’s Biodiversity Report highlights several areas of progress, but stresses that continued and accelerated action is required if we are to protect all that sustains us. There is also a growing body of evidence regarding the importance of nature to our physical and mental well-being. As stewards of our natural resources, Ontarians have a responsibility to ensure that future generations continue to benefit from all that our environment provides. OTF’s Green People Action Area recognizes that a healthy environment is critical to the wellbeing and long-term prosperity of our communities. As the largest funder of the public benefit sector in Ontario, OTF has an opportunity to capitalize on current momentum and help realize a cleaner, greener future for all Ontarians. OTF’s strategy therefore aims to ensure that 1) More ecosystems are protected and restored; and 2) People reduce their impact on the environment, the two Priority Outcomes for this Action Area. D. Inspired People This Action Area is built on the recognition that culture, heritage, and the arts have intrinsic value to the health and vibrancy of communities. Research has also shown that community-based arts and heritage initiatives engender inter-cultural understanding, a sense of belonging, and greater civic engagement. Current research from the Canadian Index of Wellbeing shows that even though Ontarians enjoy an abundant offering of culture, heritage, and the arts, the actual time spent by individuals on these activities declined by 12% from 1994 to 2010. Evidence also shows that when artists are provided with well-equipped spaces to present their work, it enriches the audience experience and engages participants more deeply. However, 72% of Ontario’s arts organizations report insufficient access to space and specialized equipment.


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Communities with good cultural infrastructure and high levels of participation have a stronger sense of social cohesion. Children and youth with access to arts-based learning perform and socialize at a higher level. And there is no better way to activate new pathways of thinking, understanding and doing than through deeper engagement in the culture, heritage, and the arts. OTF investments will focus on raising the quality of available programs and creating more opportunities for people to connect with culture, heritage and the arts. We will support initiatives that foster the development of talent, deliver training to artists and curatorial staff, provide relevant, meaningful programming, and create spaces where that programming is accessible to all. Thus the Priority Outcomes for this Action Area are 1) Better quality programming and infrastructure to experience culture, heritage, and the arts; and 2) More people connect with culture, heritage, and the arts. E. Promising Young People Evidence shows that to become healthy and productive adults, children and youth need a specific set of skills, relationships and experiences to support their transition to different life stages. Children and youth with strong social and emotional skills are more likely to have fewer behaviour problems, experience less emotional distress (e.g. anxiety and depression), and exhibit prosocial behaviours. Youth who are engaged and those with strong emotional and social skills experience improved outcomes in education, health, income, and employment. They are more physically active, exhibit fewer risky behaviours, are more likely to finish high school, and are more connected to family, friends, and community. Apart from these well-documented positive outcomes, social emotional learning initiatives have also been shown to produce a significant economic return of $11.00 per dollar invested. Schools today are therefore looking beyond academics to integrate social emotional learning in the classroom, and employers are changing hiring processes, focusing more on the social and emotional competencies of candidates. There is also growing recognition in the field that youth who volunteer and take on leadership roles further develop and sharpen their social and emotional skills. Currently in Ontario, while 58% of Ontario’s youth volunteer, many still face challenges to meaningful participation in their communities. This Action Area is designed to foster the positive development of Ontario’s children and youth so they have better chances of success in life consistent with the research and priorities established by the Government of Ontario. Our investments will do so by focusing on two Priority Outcomes: 1) More children and youth have emotional and social strengths; and 2) More youth are meaningfully engaged in the community. F. Prosperous People The landscape of poverty and employment in Ontario is vast, multifaceted, and complex. Living standards in Ontario today lag far behind that of Canada as a whole. Over 1.5 million people are living in poverty. One in 13 Ontarians is unemployed, and of them, one out of two are youth aged 15-24. Since 2009, Ontario has experienced a 50% increase in involuntary part-time employment and 75% growth in long term unemployment. The quality of employment has declined and the growth of precarious work arrangements that are contract, short term, shift-based or even full time at minimum wage are leaving children, youth and families in poverty.


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While Ontario’s Poverty Reduction Strategy is making steady progress toward the goal of reducing child poverty by 25% by 2025, child and family poverty persists as a major challenge in Ontario. About 1 in 5 children overall in Ontario are living in poverty, including 44% of children of single mothers. This often results in a lack of access to healthy food, affordable shelter, and other basic necessities associated with wellbeing. For example, in 2014, 375,000 Ontarians – over a third of them children – were turning to food banks each month, up from 314,000 in 2008. The design of many of Ontario’s social safety net programs dates back as far as the 1960s, and the programs are not responsive to currently realities, particularly the changes now being experienced in the workforce. Evidence tells us that economic security improves when the risks of poverty are reduced and economic opportunities are enhanced, especially for those who are most vulnerable. When people’s basic needs are met, they are in a better position to succeed. Improved access to food, housing, counselling, and other community supports can reduce or eliminate barriers to economic wellbeing. Ensuring people have the knowledge, skills, and tools for greater financial independence and are better able to find meaningful livelihoods, also leads to increased economic wellbeing. To address these realities, OTF will focus on two Priority Outcomes: 1) Increased economic stability; and 2) Increased economic opportunity.


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7. Human Resources

The Foundation’s Human Resources are made up of staff and volunteers. As Volunteer Resources are managed by the Public Affairs Department, information on volunteers is contained in Section 13, Communications Plan.

Overview The development and implementation of a new Investment Strategy has had a number of human resources implications, and the Foundation is grateful to continue to have an excellent labour relations environment and a skilled and dedicated staff and leadership team. Employees at OTF are not unionized and are not eligible to participate in the Ontario Government Pension Plan. As a result, our workforce is nimble and adaptable with reasonable compensation costs.

OTF’s Compensation Strategy The Ontario Trillium Foundation takes a comprehensive approach to rewards, recognizing that non-financial rewards play a key role in attracting, retaining, developing, and motivating engaged and committed high-calibre staff.

HR Priorities The following are HR priorities over the next three years:

To continue to monitor the organizational structure and roles to ensure they are aligned to support the Foundation’s Operational Plan and strategic plan.

To continue to support activities to enhance employee engagement.

To fully implement an improved performance management approach

To allocate the human resources required to meet our legal obligations.

To remain competitive in the total reward and recognition of OTF staff in order to continue our excellent labour relations and be competitive with similar organizations.

Planned activities over the next year include: 1. Ongoing review to assign staffing as needed in support of the Foundation’s updated

Investment Strategy. This will ensure that OTF’s complement of human resources and its organizational structure are well positioned to meet the new strategic directions. OTF’s new granting streams and updated priority outcomes will be supported by well-trained staff.

2. Continue to support Employee Engagement Advisory Group activities. The members of the group continue to be consulted as we shape the next Employee Engagement Survey results anticipated for late 2015/16. The results from the previous survey have led to several improvements including the new performance management approach. Training will be


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provided to management and staff to support rolling out the new performance management tools.

3. Continue to allocate resources required to meet our legal requirements. In an environment of increasing legal obligations, OTF must ensure we are delivering effective training programs, plans, and policies in compliance with Ontario legislation including:

The Public Service of Ontario Act

The Ontario Health and Safety Act and Bill 168 on Workplace Violence and Harassment

The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) 4. Monitor compensation trends to ensure employees are rewarded appropriately. As

practice, the Foundation does an extensive market survey every three years. An RFP will be developed in 2016/17 for a vendor for the next market survey. From there, an updated salary grid will be rolled out and a total compensation approach will be maintained in order to remain competitive with organizations such as government ministries and other grantmaking foundations.


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8. Performance Measures and Targets: Outcomes-Based Granting under the New Investment Strategy

As part of its transformation and new Investment Strategy, the Foundation has developed a new methodology to measure and track grant outcomes, and a revised Balanced Scorecard to measure the overall performance of the Foundation.

Outcomes-Based funding – Measuring the Community Impact of our Grants As part of the design of the new Investment Strategy, OTF aligned the strategy, granting methodology, and data architecture with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) framework. Each element of OTF’s Investment Strategy builds on the next to measure the short-, medium-, and long-term outcomes of our granting, as illustrated below.

OTF developed a valid and reliable methodology to embed outcome measurement and the community impact of investments through standardized outcome metrics for each investment stream and Action Area; these are available on our website. Each grant reports on one standardized metric specific to the grant result and stream. These were designed so over time OTF can report to the community in a transparent and accountable way on the impact it is having in each Action Area. Over time, these can be aligned to population-level changes to be measured via the Canadian Index of Wellbeing. Additionally, each granting stream is designed to have results and impact over a different time frame. Referred to as our “Balanced Portfolio Approach”, this ensures that we invest for short-, medium-, and longer-term changes. Please see the Investment Strategy on the following page for details of the Grant Results, Priority Outcomes, and CIW indicators.

http://www.otf.ca/what-we-fund/action-areas


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Collective Impact Grants The complex nature, size, and duration of the Collective Impact Stream requires a tailored approach to the measurement of outcomes. Because this approach necessitates shared measurement across both funders and collaborating partners, OTF will participate in the evaluation design and implementation for each of the grants. Grow Grants For grants in the Grow stream which are up to three years and $750,000, we have selected standardized pre- and post- evaluation tools (following an analysis of 300 existing surveys) for 13 Grant Results. These tools will enable grantees to the carry out detailed evaluations of the pre- and post- impact of their initiatives and learn from the results for future improvement of their programs or interventions. This approach will also make it possible to measure and demonstrate OTF’s aggregated impact in Ontario communities over time. The ability to integrate outcome and evaluation data specific to interventions will enable OTF to provide analysis of its impact in Ontario communities in a way that has never been possible before. As our model is based on the CIW framework we will be able to carry out powerful research to explore causality, as OTF is only one contributor to changes in communities.

Grant Results Which Require Pre- and Post- Surveys Of the 25 Grant Results relevant to the Grow Investment Stream, 13 will be evaluated using pre- and post- surveys:


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Seed and Capital Grants For Seed and Capital grants the expected results and outcomes that we are tracking are shorter term. While we anticipate that these grants will have positive impact over the longer term, the volume, size, and duration of these grants requires evaluation at the grant-result level. With our Capital grants we are able to roll up our results. For example, with Active People OTF will measure the amount of new and renovated space made available for structured and unstructured activities, the number of kilometers of trails constructed, the number of program enhancements, etc. All metrics were selected through a rigorous process that included logic models and econometric analysis, and yet are designed to be simple and doable by OTF grant recipients. For our Seed stream, our smallest stream, grantees will be asked to report on their end-of-grant result, which we anticipate will lead to longer-term outcomes.

Measuring OTF’s Performance – Balanced Scorecard Presented in this section are the measures and targets that make up OTF’s new Balanced Scorecard that will be rolled out in the fiscal year 2016/17. The scorecard was designed using Kaplan’s framework for performance measurement for not-for-profit organizations. The measures focus on the Foundation’s goals and objectives and key outputs, and demonstrate the agency’s effectiveness, efficiency, and level of customer satisfaction. In addition to its new Balanced Scorecard, OTF will use a comprehensive set of measures internally, through which we are able to “drill down” to the program level to explain our results in greater detail as needed. These include numerous operational, financial, and programmatic goals that are reported on regularly through OTF Business Plans, Board and Annual Reports, and updates. As well, each year OTF performs an in-depth analysis of its granting (by program and catchment area) and audits a selection of grants. In addition, the Foundation monitors the performance of individual grants and grantees through progress and final reports. In 2015/16 and subsequent years, OTF will also audit a selection of granting decisions to ensure its new Investment Strategy is leading to the best applications being funded.


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Business Intelligence – Enabler for Performance Measurement and Outcomes-Based Funding In order to support our strategy implementation, enable performance measurement, and support

transparency and accountability, in 2014/15 OTF began work on a clear Business Intelligence

(BI) strategy and tactical plan. ReDesign2015 gave us the opportunity to build a leading-edge

data model that was embedded in our granting processes and systems.

In 2016/2017 we will turn our focus to integrating additional components as described above

that form part of the overall BI strategy (e.g. outcomes measurement, pre- and post- evaluation

tools, dashboards, and the integration of operational and granting data sets) in order to enable

OTF to measure performance based on best practices including:

1. A Balanced Scorecard that is directly tied to our Strategy Map

2. Evaluation tools that will measure pre- and post- grant impact for Grow grants

3. An integrated Business Intelligence plan that will enable us to support decision-making

at both an operational and strategic level, integrating HR, Finance, Granting, the Support

Centre, and other data

Through this BI strategy OTF is committed to:

Better informed evidence-based decision-making for our business operations

Enhanced strategic and operational reporting to measure impact through the integration

of data and information from a variety of sources

Clear metrics and valid data to inform the Board and Senior Leadership Team of

progress

Transparency and accountability


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OTF Strategy Map


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Balanced Scorecard Targets

Goal 1: Bring value to our stakeholders

Objectives

Measures

Targets 2016/17

Targets 2017/18

Targets 2018/19

Invest in the highest impact grants to catalyze positive change in communities

% of grants achieving outcomes

70%

75% 80%

Support the public benefit sector to amplify its impact

% of grantees that received non-monetary assistance

10%

10% 15%

% of grantees that found non-monetary assistance helpful

80%

85% 90%

% of participants who rated services to community programs helpful

80%

85% 90%

Goal 2: Maximize our financial resources

Objectives

Measures

Targets 2016/17

Targets 2017/18

Targets 2018/19

Invest in a balanced portfolio of grants for immediate and long-term results

% investment by stream proportionate to demand at catchment and provincial level

+/- 20%

+/- 15%

+/- 15%

Deliver value for money in the use of public funds

Operating costs as a % of total expenditures

12.9%

13.2% 13.6%

% of grantees compliant with grant contract terms

85%

87% 90%


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Goal 3: Implement effective organizational practices

Objectives

Measures

Targets 2016/17

Targets 2017/18

Targets 2018/19

Cultivate high performance by staff and volunteers

Average # of days absent per staff

6 6 6

% customer satisfaction

85%

87% 90%

% of GRT members scoring all files

85%

90% 95%

Ensure accountable and accessible granting practices

Grant distribution equity – investment proportionate to population e.g. by geography, rural/urban, demographics, type of organization

Baseline (Average deviation from actual population)

tbd tbd

% of processes that comply with granting policies and procedures as measured by QA audit

75%

80% 85%

Goal 4: Enhance learning and growth

Objectives

Measures

Targets 2016/17

Targets 2017/18

Targets 2018/19

Foster learning and knowledge sharing to enhance impact in our Action Areas

Number of users registered in the Knowledge Centre (external and internal)

Baseline +10% +10%

Advance and share our practice in outcomes-based funding and evaluation

% of grants aligned with OTF grant results

80% 90% 96%

% of users actively engaging outcomes-based funding and evaluation content on the OTF Knowledge Centre

60% 70% 80%


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9. Financial Budget and Staffing

A. Financial Forecast Summary AGENCY: Ontario Trillium Foundation

2013-14 2014-15 2015-16 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19

ACTUAL ACTUAL BUDGET

PROJECTED

ACTUAL BUDGET

PROVINCE OF ONTARIO

MTCS Operating (including maintenance) 115,000,000 115,000,000 115,000,000 115,000,000 115,000,000 115,000,000 115,000,000

MTCS - CCF

Ministery of Children and Youth Services - YOF 5,000,000 5,000,000 8,710,000 8,710,000 12,945,000 12,951,000 12,951,000

Treasury Board Secretariat - LPRP 3,000,000 3,137,100 8,500,000 14,000,000 14,000,000

1> TOTAL PROVINCIAL FUNDING 120,000,000 120,000,000 126,710,000 126,847,100 136,445,000 141,951,000 141,951,000

OTHER GOVERNMENT

2> TOTAL OTHER GOV'T FUNDING 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SELF GENERATED REVENUES

Investment Income 2,346,516 2,318,955 1,650,000 1,722,330 1,580,000 1,740,000 2,290,000

Non-Government Grants 500,000

Other: (To) From Deferred Contributions 566,057 -141,272 -866,000 -1,558,530 -100,000 -240,000 440,000

Rescinded or Recovered Grants 3,739,231 2,572,084 3,000,000 3,700,000 2,450,000 2,940,000 2,800,000

3> TOTAL SELF GENERATED 7,151,804 4,749,767 3,784,000 3,863,800 3,930,000 4,440,000 5,530,000

4> TOTAL REVENUE: 1+2+3 127,151,804 124,749,767 130,494,000 130,710,900 140,375,000 146,391,000 147,481,000

EXPENDITURES

Salaries & Benefits 11,116,196 11,806,185 12,443,591 12,425,000 13,220,721 13,412,728 13,649,374

Grants 110,974,300 108,317,000 110,314,400 110,543,900 118,524,232 124,145,643 124,659,619

Program Delivery 2,576,207 2,172,451 4,562,000 4,570,000 5,229,211 5,379,070 5,622,621

Administration 512,098 442,566 483,658 471,000 554,395 570,282 596,103

Occupancy/Lease 1,108,918 1,143,751 1,128,606 1,135,000 1,145,000 1,155,000 1,165,000

Maintenance/Util ities 14,230 9,112 12,000 12,000 13,755 14,149 14,790

Marketing & Communications 341,311 351,628 377,102 390,000 432,255 444,643 464,775

Other (specify): Services to the Community not

included in other categories 654,608 651,000 750,347 771,850 806,798

5> TOTAL EXPENDITURES 126,643,261 124,242,693 129,975,965 130,197,900 139,869,916 145,893,365 146,979,081

Net Income Surplus/(Deficit): 4-5 508,543 507,074 518,035 513,000 505,084 497,635 501,919

Amortization of deferred capital contributions

Amortization of capital assets 508,543 507,074 518,035 513,000 505,084 497,635 501,919

Net Income Surplus/(Deficit) After Amortization

0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Net assets (deficit), beginning of year 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042

Net assets (deficit), end of year 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042 2,572,042

FINANCIAL FORECAST SUMMARY

FORECAST

Notes: See Business Plan Section 4


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B. Summary of Staff Numbers The current staffing complement of the Foundation’s core operations consists of 115.2 FTEs. Of this FTE number, 113.2 are permanent staff, and 2.0 are contract staff. This number does not include staffing of two funds administered on behalf of Government: the Youth Opportunities Fund (7.5 FTEs) or the Local Poverty Reduction Fund (4.5 FTEs).


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10. Information Management

For the fiscal year 2016/17, the Information Management Department will:

1. Continue to develop solutions that address people, process, and technology to enhance OTF’s ability to make evidence-based decisions.

2. Continue to improve OTF’s IT infrastructure, reliability, and security. 3. Enhance systems that were implemented in the previous year including our new granting

system, Customer Relations Management system, and other business applications (Finance, HRIS, and others).

4. Implement our Business Intelligence strategy to support integrated reporting and a new Balanced Scorecard.

5. Implement our Knowledge Management strategy to support advancing the ability of the public benefit sector and OTF to have impact in our Action Areas.

6. Support increased technical literacy for our staff and volunteers, as OTF’s new granting system is completely paperless.

7. Continue to be a sector lead on the Open Data/Open Government initiative. With a solid three-year Information Management (IM) strategy in place, 2015/16 was a transformational one for all aspects of IM, as current best practices in people, process, and technology were implemented across the Foundation. 2016/17 will see less dramatic change required, now the foundations have been laid, and aging and unsecure infrastructure replaced. Instead we will focus on optimization of our investments in technology and enhancement of systems which have been implemented but are not being fully utilized. Key areas of focus for growth will be Business Intelligence (BI) and Knowledge Management (KM). They will both require new infrastructure and staff training as well as significant change management. OTF has already seen significant benefits from having a data model embedded in its granting methodology, as we are now able to report more broadly and in depth, including on our impact through the outcomes of our grants. The next phase will bring in a truly integrated architecture so we are able to manage both operationally and strategically, based on evidence emerging from not just the granting system but from all administrative and knowledge systems, including: human resources, payroll, finance, customer relationship management, knowledge management, and others, all of which have recently been upgraded or implemented. We will move forward with Phase 2 of Salesforce, our Customer Relations Management (CRM) system, which – together with our new KM tools – will enable us to leverage a combination of content, processes, and technologies to engage stakeholders with information at the right time in the right place, and eventually create digital relationships with Ontarians. Risks have been minimized on the infrastructure side, as we have outsourced our granting platform and whenever possible chosen cloud solutions for new systems. And next year we plan to contract an external vendor to audit our infrastructure. The audit will chart the direction for continued improvements to be made as we grow and likely begin to manage more sensitive data through the Local Poverty Reduction Fund and the expanded Youth Opportunities Fund. Technical literacy continues to be a challenge with both staff and volunteers, and we need to continue to enhance technical training to enable them to function effectively in the paperless OTF environment. To date all training has been in person and dependent on one staff member. We plan to develop a more sophisticated training strategy that leverages online tools and other existing assets from vendors.


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Our partnership with the Ontario Telemedicine Network has been a great success and we intend to develop more eLearning modules that will benefit staff as well as our grantees, applicants, and volunteers. OTF has led in the Open Data/Open Government movement this past year, and we are fully committed to continue to be leaders for the not-for-profit and philanthropic sector. We believe that Open Data can drive innovation and collaboration in a way that was never possible before. We plan to launch an Open Data Portal in 2016 that will leverage our BI strategy and investments and provide the public, researchers, and others with the ability to use our findings to develop better policy or new solutions to complex community problems. We also hope to continue to work with the Open Government office as they test new tools with agencies to implement government-wide initiatives in this area. In summary 2016/17 will be a year in which we stabilize and complete our investments in infrastructure in order to successfully deliver on our BI strategy – including measurement and Open Data – as well as KM initiatives to advance the sector in our Action Areas and create communities of practice.


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11. Initiatives Involving Third Parties

The large majority of our third-party partners are our grantees who receive grants, a form of transfer payment. In this regard, OTF is fully compliant with the Transfer Payment Accountability Directive, and signs a statement to this effect on an annual basis. In addition, since its inception OTF has partnered informally with private, public, and corporate funders to support shared goals, priorities, and sector needs in Ontario in order to achieve its mission.

Social Investment Partnerships In 2013/14, OTF began to take a more strategic approach to partnering through the development of a Social Investment Partnerships Framework, approved by the Foundation’s Board in March 2014. This framework outlines how we engage third parties in a more cohesive manner and describes the details of OTF’s overarching strategy to engage and leverage the resources of other public and private funders to increase the impact of its investments. OTF’s decision to pursue Social Investment Partnerships (SIPs) is predicated on three main elements:

Coordinate funding for the sector through partnerships which will lead to more impactful granting

Tackle challenging social problems through partnerships and develop shared measurement systems for evaluating the impact of joint investments

Provide leadership and influence other funders to invest in areas which OTF has identified as a priority

This focus underscores OTF’s interest in complementing its existing grantmaking practices in order to be more intentional in seeking funding partners which share its goals and values. It also formally acknowledges the importance the Foundation places on leveraging the expertise of its granting staff to be proactive in identifying funding partnerships OTF could further explore. Progress to Date Since August 2013, OTF has negotiated nearly $14 million in social investment partnership projects. These projects have further enhanced the brand and reputation of OTF as a strong funding partner within the public and private sectors. Looking Ahead The Foundation’s partnership efforts will continue to focus on opportunities to leverage the resources of other funders to support OTF’s new Action Areas, particularly through the new Collective Impact stream. This will entail engaging interested funders to support initiatives which bring about transformational change within communities over the longer term.

Next Steps The third full year of the operationalization of the SIP framework will provide OTF with an opportunity to take advantage of the general learnings from its initial experiences with


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partnerships. A comprehensive review of this initiative will be developed to help inform the Foundation’s strategy to engage partnerships going forward.

Other components OTF will continue to explore are:

Expanding the Community Builders Project that was successfully piloted in Hamilton to northern and eastern Ontario colleges. This will provide students with hands-on experience, completing the labour component of an OTF capital grant in their community. Cambrian College in Sudbury and Algonquin College in Ottawa are the newest partners in this venture.

Opportunities to pilot a number of social finance tools in Ontario with other private and public funders, through our granting programs. We are in close consultation with the Ontario government’s Office of Social Enterprise in this work.

Promoting shared measurement approaches to evaluating the impact of our joint investments with other public and private funders, which includes examining the potential to introduce a mechanism similar to the Fund for Shared Insight that has been developed by leading foundations in the U.S.

Discussions with a local philanthropist who owns the “.green” Internet domain and is seeking to co-invest in OTF’s Green People Action Area.


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12. Implementation Plan

The Implementation Plan for the strategies described in this Business Plan is under develop-ment and will be completed by 2015/16 year-end, in conjunction with departmental planning and budgeting activities throughout the Foundation.


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13. Communications Plan

Communications environment A number of factors inform the OTF communications environment. Most of them are long-term trends that have influenced OTF communications strategy and practices for quite some time; others are more time sensitive and specific to this current plan. Immediate and specific factors:

OTF has entirely revamped its granting programs and has gone through the first round of granting under its new Investment Strategy. This represents the first major change in its granting practice since 1999. Our communications efforts must support the success of this new strategy in the long run.

Historically, OTF was not subject to the Freedom of Information and Personal Privacy Act (FIPPA). In December 2014, the Province passed the Public Sector and MPP Accountability and Transparency Act, making the business and the government and its agencies more transparent. As a consequence, OTF has been working toward ensuring compliance by the beginning of the 2016/17 fiscal year, and a Privacy/FOI Analyst will be hired within the Public Affairs department for this function. OTF is committed to staying open and responsive to requests for information about applications and the grant approval processes.

In parallel with its compliance with FIPPA, OTF has been leading the way among MTCS agencies to open its granting data to drive innovation and collaboration. In August 2015, OTF became the first grantmaking foundation in Canada to release its granting data in an open and raw format that makes cross comparisons easier. This is in line with the Ontario government’s recent priority of being the most open and transparent government in Canada. OTF will adopt the same “open by default” approach when appropriate and will continue to show leadership on that file among government agencies.

Long-term trends:

The commitment to demonstrate the impact of OTF investments – at the local as well as provincial levels – is a driving force behind new approaches and activities by the OTF Public Affairs department.

The Foundation has significant positive influence and impact in communities across the province, and this ensures that the public and media remain interested in the work of OTF. Media releases and local announcements, held in concert with MPPs, contribute to an enhanced awareness on an ongoing basis. These recognition efforts are enhanced by using social media tools such as Twitter and Facebook. OTF annually tracks several thousand media and online stories regarding grantees that reference the Foundation. However, OTF is better known in some parts of the province than in others. In larger centres, particularly Toronto, OTF announcements compete with a significant volume of other philanthropic announcements and activities, many of which involve high-profile community members. Over the last year we have noted an increase in OTF coverage in the Toronto area media.


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However the communications environment has evolved greatly in recent years. Print media are on the decline. Areas of growth include e-mail marketing, mobile and online communications, and social media. These are trends that OTF follows in order to stay in touch with its stakeholders as well as with the public in general. In the coming years, OTF will put the emphasis on video-based materials, mobile-friendly products, and engagement activities on social media.

Marketers now are moving away from traditional ads and are investing in new ways to engage with people. In the not-for-profit sector, a speaking opportunity at a high-profile conference or summit can have much more impact than a print ad in a major newspaper.

Print, electronic, and online media sources are reviewed daily by Public Affairs staff, any potential issues are identified, follow-up action is taken as required, and the Minister’s office is advised as necessary. Each year more grant applications are declined than approved. Any declines have the potential to attract negative media attention, although incidences of this occurring are infrequent. In addition, general media attention may focus on governance or staffing issues in not-for-profit organizations, some of which are past or active OTF grantees. Overall, this represents less than five per cent of media coverage tracked.

The OTF website, www.otf.ca, is the primary initial source of information for the general public and organizations seeking grant information. It is the access point for the online grants management system. Our entire registration and application process is online, and the Public Affairs department, like the rest of the organization, always favours a paperless approach and streamlines all information as much as possible in order to reduce production and distribution costs of print materials.

The Foundation is AODA compliant through all its communications materials.

Overarching communication objectives OTF has now implemented and operationalized the new Investment Strategy. The Foundation has transformed, and our new granting programs went live in summer 2015. Our communications plan will continue to enable the delivery of the new strategy to ensure its success in the long run. Strategic communications is critical for this new strategy to be successful. OTF operates in a complex environment with multiple stakeholders with different needs and expectations. The long-term success of the new Investment Strategy depends on communicating properly to each group of stakeholders to ensure their support. The overarching communication objectives are tied to the Strategy Map which sets OTF overall corporate objectives and expected outcomes. The Strategy Map was recently revised and was approved by the Board on October 1st. This 2016/17 communications plan takes into account this revision and has been adjusted accordingly.

http://www.otf.ca/


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Audience Objectives Outcomes

General Public Storytelling for impact Communicate the OTF theory of change and the impact of our grants in communities.

Government Responsible stewardship Government partners understand how OTF effectively stewards public funds and drives results on behalf of government.

Public Benefit Sector Sector leadership Advance our outcomes-based practice through communications in order to build the capacity of the sector to demonstrate results.

Staff and Volunteers Internal efficiency Cultivate staff and volunteer engagement through effective internal communications and information sharing.

With the implementation of the new Investment Strategy this summer, our expected outcomes for 2015/16 have been revised. Our communications strategy and operations reflect the operational and cultural transformation the organization has been through this year. Thus the story of our impact is so much more than sharing anecdotal success stories through the individual grants we make. The entire new strategy is built on the notion that OTF is positioning itself as a transformative agent that will be able to tell stories of impact at a higher level through CIW indicators and aggregated metrics. In fact, the Foundation’s story has become the story of an organization that has transformed to enhance its impact and the impact of the entire public benefit sector. As well, the strong relationship that OTF has cultivated over the years with the government presents exciting opportunities to build further our brand as a credible, solid, and high-potential administrator of grants. Our relationship with the Ontario Government can lead to developing further collaboration rather than just maintaining the status quo. In other words, the communication strategy of OTF is entirely tied to communicating on the strategy as a whole, to demonstrate its potential and its impact. At the same time, the recently implemented Investment Strategy is still new. We will have only gone through two rounds of granting at the end of the 2015/16 fiscal year. Therefore, the present communication plan recommends that the Foundation continue many of the approaches and tactics that were implemented in the previous year.


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Tactics and products The objectives detailed above will be achieved through the following tactics and products. Tactic #1: The centralization of our communications practices supports change management within the organization The Public Affairs department has worked hard this past year to bring consistency and discipline to internal information flow across the Foundation, via regular memos, key messages, and even via the website, including the events calendar that was launched earlier this year. Consequently the organization as a whole has begun to take on a cross-functional approach to managing projects. Concretely, the Public Affairs department ensures that all planning functions within all the other departments (Community Investments, Social Investment Partnerships, Youth Opportunities Fund, etc.) include a communications lens. Communications staff provide planning support to the other teams so that our communications operations are fully integrated and coordinated. This is part of our objective of having a more holistic approach so that all OTF online activities (website, videos, social media, webinars, e-training, etc.) are integrated into the Public Affairs department’s strategy and operations. The centralization and coordination of our internal communications practices also help sustain and support staff and volunteer engagement. As planned, we will use a Customer Relations Management System to improve our practices regarding data maintenance, event planning, customer service, and communications coordination. This will support the centralization of our communications practices in accordance with our objectives. The CRM system was purchased and implemented for the Support Centre’s operations but will soon be expanded for use by the Public Affairs department. Timing: CRM will be implemented in Spring 2016. Other activities are ongoing. Main products: CRM system, website, videos, social media, webinars, e-training, etc. Tactic #2: Our online communications must reflect the simplicity, clarity, and practicality of our new Investment Strategy OTF website The launch of our new website in November 2014 was an indisputable success. Feedback from stakeholders was very positive about the simplicity and clarity of its content. We reached a new record with more than 136,800 unique visits on our website between June and August, 2015. In that sense, the website perfectly served the strategy’s objective to simplify the application process and the online experience of the users. Also the step-by-step, evolving approach, as described in last year’s communications plan, was the right one. The November 2014 website launch was followed by a larger launch in May 2015, when all granting materials were shared publicly. Our online content was then constantly adjusted and improved based on feedback and also based on new content and features developed along the way. Our stakeholders definitely appreciated our pragmatic and responsive communications approach, and we will continue to adapt the website content in this fashion. Learning Centre Initially planned for 2015/16, the launch of the Learning Centre has been postponed to 2016/17. This decision was made to ensure that the right resources were focused on the operationalization of the granting programs and the success of the first round of granting. The Public Affairs department worked very closely with the Information Management (IM) department, which is now in charge of delivering the Knowledge Management (KM) strategy,


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including the Learning Centre. A revised KM strategy is now in place with a vision of launching a dynamic, feature-rich knowledge-sharing portal for volunteers, staff, and stakeholders. This will signify a shift for OTF in its ability to create virtual communities and expand its reach throughout Ontario. The new portal is expected to launch in the Spring 2016 and will include fully interactive functionality to facilitate learning and growth as described in the Strategy Map. In the meantime, the OTF website has been the central piece of our communications architecture to promote our new granting programs. The website is designed to enable our program staff to host information sessions based solely on the information displayed online. This illustrates the simplicity and clarity of the website design and content. Timing: Ongoing for the website; launch of the Knowledge Centre in Spring 2016. Main product: Website, Knowledge Centre Tactic #3: Our relations with the community are more important than ever Pre- and post-application outreach Community outreach is critical now that we have established more structured procedures to engage with potential applicants through the Support Centre. Consistent with our approach, we have been very aggressive this year in terms of pre-application outreach, with the scheduling of more than 200 outreach sessions between April and August 2014, reaching out to more than 10,000 people. We will continue to make pre-application outreach a priority by offering support through various channels beyond the traditional in-person sessions that Program Managers will continue to host locally. The Public Affairs department is leading outreach efforts by developing all content (presentations hosted in a Master Slide Library, key messages, design and visuals, etc.) and centralizing the logistics. While in-person sessions will remain the preferred medium for some of our staff and applicants, we will emphasize the use of new online tools like webinars and videos. The Public Affairs department supported the production of more than 12 videos in 2015/16 and will continue to produce more, as they are a very useful tool for communicating key messages in a few minutes. As an example, viewership of our videos for each of the investment streams jumped by 250% from July 22 to September 15, 2015, with a record viewership of more than 1,500 views for the Grow Grant video. In terms of post-application outreach, the Public Affairs department will lead the production and planning of relevant support materials such as grantee orientation webinars and media tool kits. OTF’s Public Relations Associates are delivering an essential service to our grantees, and we will continue to focus on providing outstanding customer service to our grantees. In fact, OTF is planning to expand its support to our grantees through the “Services to the Community” strategy. As part of the integration of our communications processes, the Public Affairs department will lead the communications efforts related to this strategy in coordination with the other departments involved. This will ensure that those initiatives complement, rather than conflict with, our traditional pre-application outreach activities. Advertisement, publicity and promotional partnerships The 2011 Auditor General report recommended that OTF adopt a more aggressive external communication strategy to promote its work and demonstrate its value for money to all Ontarians. For 2015/16, we had planned a province-wide campaign (especially in community-based media outlets) to promote the new investment streams and granting process. Given the success of our outreach efforts, the campaign was not necessary. OTF experienced the highest demand rate in its history in the first round of the new Investment Strategy, and we decided to


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allocate the resources to more outreach, both in-person and online via webinars. After a year of granting, we will assess the results and outcomes of our outreach efforts and identify potential gaps. If we find that demand is low from specific groups or populations, we will increase outreach efforts accordingly. Along with the new Services to the Community strategy, the Social Investment Partnerships strategy offers unique possibilities to promote collaboration between OTF and other funders. The Public Affairs department will continue to engage in maximizing OTF benefits in terms of visibility and knowledge-sharing opportunities when the Foundation develops external partnerships. Our objective is to continue to increase the number of high-profile authoring and speaking opportunities for the Chair, the CEO and some leadership team members. As mentioned in the long-term trends section above, we believe that OTF’s presence at strategic conferences and events can have a more powerful impact than traditional ad purchasing, thanks to the opportunity it provides to engage with other partners and their audiences at a deeper level. Similarly, the publication of credible, well-researched articles does more for the reputation of OTF than traditional advertisements. That being said, OTF has an interesting story to tell from a change management perspective. Of course the main public message coming from OTF must focus on promoting the qualities of our new granting programs; however, the transformative process that OTF went through offers learnings that other similar public, nonprofit, or private organizations would certainly benefit from. OTF has already made several recent external presentations on the topic of change management (rather than on granting per se), and we are the subject of a case study by the Rotman School of Management on change management. From a storytelling perspective, this is definitely an interesting angle that is worth exploring to expand our reach. Timing: Ongoing. Main products: In-person information sessions, workshops, cross-promotional initiatives, partnerships, public events, webinars, brochures, website, Learning Centre, grantee orientation webinars, media tool kit, and other products for grantees to be determined Tactic #4: OTF must consolidate its position as the grantmaker of choice for the Ontario Government Communications planning protocol with the ministry As mandated by the government, we will continue to be a strong supporter of the Ontario Government’s message by suggesting visibility opportunities related to grants and other OTF activities and assisting the government with the identification of potential issues. That has always been a key element of our relationship with the government. The communications planning protocol has been slightly revised to reflect OTF’s new granting cycle, with shorter turnaround for applicants and more deadlines than in the past, and therefore potentially more communications opportunities for the government. MPP Outreach We will also continue to reach out to MPPs to keep them informed of, and updated on, OTF activities. In addition to the recognition events regularly listed on our event calendars, we will continue to schedule information sessions or other formal communications specifically tailored to MPPs and their staff when appropriate. Brochures and online materials are also made available to MPPs and their staff to ensure they know how to access OTF information and direct potential applicants. We systematically reach out to newly-elected MPPs to present the Foundation, and we have recently updated the MPP orientation package with new information regarding the changes at OTF.


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For the past two years, OTF has organized a social gathering at Queen’s Park for MPPs to meet with the OTF Board and Senior Leadership Team. This has proven to be a very popular event that provides an opportunity for them to share their stories of impact and learn firsthand about OTF from the Board and senior staff. We will make this event an annual tradition as a way of nurturing the deep connections that OTF has with MPPs from all political parties. Public partnerships Finally, our new Investment Strategy offers new opportunities for OTF to consolidate its position as the grantmaker of choice for the government. OTF has welcomed the opportunity to deliver programs on behalf of the government (YOF, LPRF) and its outcomes-based approach is aligned with the government’s objective of increasing the value for money of its overall delivery model. We will continue to engage strategically with high-level government officials, who have demonstrated a keen interest in OTF’s transformation and its overall Investment Strategy. OTF has much to gain in being positioned as a leading agency within the government and would welcome discussion on more funding partnership opportunities. Timing: Ongoing. Queen’s Park social event scheduled for the Q3 Board Meeting. Main products: Information sessions, news releases, brochures, MPP orientation package, recognition events Tactic #5: A strong and engaged body of committed volunteers is key to the success of the new Investment Strategy Volunteer engagement and learning The ongoing development and support of our volunteers is fundamental to achieving our mission, and OTF has consistently made volunteer engagement a priority. Established in 2014, the Volunteer Engagement Advisory Group (VEAG) is a dynamic and committed group that will continue to act as a test group for the new granting and monitoring tools being developed for the new Investment Strategy. For example, after the first granting rounds, the VEAG will conduct peer reviews to assess the trends in volunteer scoring, its accuracy, its consistency among different GRTs, etc. The Foundation’s efforts to centralize and formalize internal communications will certainly help support volunteer engagement by ensuring consistency and discipline. Once the Learning Centre is launched, e-learning and e-training opportunities will be offered to volunteers on a more consistent basis, although we will continue to host orientation sessions in person when appropriate and when the numbers of new volunteers justify them. Because the new Investment Strategy is shifting OTF’s focus and resources from applicants to grantees, this presents a unique opportunity to help volunteers learn from grantees. The Public Affairs department is committed to implementing a “Learning Agenda” for volunteers that would integrate in a systematic manner all learning activities generated by the new Investment Strategy. This is also consistent with feedback received from our volunteers, who have asked that OTF seize the opportunity to provide more opportunities to learn from grantees. The Learning Agenda is currently being developed and has yet to be approved, but one activity that is already being planned is a volunteer conference in Q3 of 2016/17, to gather all volunteers together and share learnings and experiences after one year of granting under the new Investment Strategy.


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Volunteer recruitment The lengthy process for appointing GRT members continues to be a challenge for the Foundation in the timely and judicious allocation of grants across the province. Despite the government’s efforts, the overall GRT vacancy rate continues to increase, from 45% in 2012 to 49% in 2015. The Public Affairs department will be implementing a recruitment strategy over the year that will include revised promotional materials, MPP outreach, targeted social media activities (e.g. Twitter chats), and OTF attendance at fairs and conferences. The success of this plan will depend on the progress made by the Minister’s Office on processing current applications. If the timeliness of the appointment process does not improve, we will have to re-evaluate this recruitment strategy. We will continue to monitor this situation and to engage the Minister and the Ministry on this critical issue. Timing: Ongoing. Volunteer Conference is scheduled for Q3 of 2016/17. Main products: Brochures, website, social media, public events, volunteer conference

High-Level 2016/17 Timeline (not including volunteer relations)

Q1 Launch of Learning Centre

CRM implementation

Compliance with FIPPA

Outreach sessions across the province to promote the new deadlines

Q2 Outreach assessment after one year of granting under the new Investment Strategy

Q3 Volunteer Conference

Queen’s Park social event

Targeted outreach activities to increase applications from specific groups and populations.

Q4 Targeted outreach activities to increase applications from specific groups and populations.

Ongoing activities Pre-application outreach initiatives

Recognition events with MPPs to celebrate grants under the new Investment Strategy

Services to the Community initiatives

Cross-promotional activities with conferences and other funders, including speaking opportunities

Implementation of VEAG recommendations

Optional: Ad campaign (especially in community-based media outlets) to promote application deadlines and increase demand from specific groups or populations


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14. Organizational Charts

A. BOARD AND COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

B. STAFF DEPARTMENTAL STRUCTURE (with numbers of FTE positions as of January 2016) (M = management, NM = non-management staff)

(1 M, 1 NM)

(1 M) (3 M, 12.4 NM) (3 M, 11.5 NM) (5 M, 40.3 NM) (1 M, 9 NM) (4 M, 21 NM) (1 M, 2 NM)

(+1 M - YOF + Local Poverty Fund,

7 NM - YOF, 4 NM Local Pov. Fund)

Policy, Planning

&

Special Projects

Responsible for

Policy; Planning;

Special Projects

CEO

Information

Management

Provincial

Programs

&

Partnerships

Community

InvestmentsPublic Affairs

Responsible for

IT/IM systems;

Knowledge Mgmt;

Bus. Intelligence;

Evaluation

Responsible for all

HR aspects

including COI

Human Resources

Responsible for

Provincial Progs;

Collective Impact;

Partnerships;

Services to the

Community

Responsible for

Community Grants

Responsible for

Communications;

Volunteer

Relations; Privacy;

Govt. Liaison

Responsible for

Finance;

Administration

and Facilities;

Quality Assurance;

Support Centre

Finance

&

Administration

Ontario Fund

Committee

16

Grant Review Teams

Youth

Opportunities Fund

Committee

BOARD

OF

DIRECTORS

EXECUTIVE

COMMITTEE

PROVINCIAL

PROGRAMS

COMMITTEE

GRT LIAISON

COMMITTEE

CORP. GOVERNANCE

& POLICY

COMMITTEE

FINANCE & AUDIT

COMMITTEE

Appendix A - Page 1

Appendix A – A review of the Foundation’s achievements for 2014/15

The OTF Business Plan for 2014/15 covered three major performance goals, each with supporting objectives. The following summarizes the organization’s achievements relative to those goals and objectives.

GOAL 1: Deliver High-Value and Accountable Investments of Public Funds Objective 1: Leverage our Investments in Alignment with our Strategic Framework

Achievements included:

Met overall organizational targets, with 942 grants totalling $103,800,000 made under the Foundation’s Community and Province-Wide programs. As well, under the Youth Opportunities Fund, the OTF Board approved 20 grants totalling $4,517,000 – bringing the total grants approved to $108,317,000.

Successfully aligned granting decisions to the sector priorities and local areas of granting focus in the Strategic Framework.

A new Investment Strategy was approved by the Board that aligns with 12 indicators selected from the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW) that provide the framework for the Foundation’s definition of “healthy and vibrant communities”.

Amplified OTF financial resources through a new Social Investment Partnerships strategy to strengthen collaboration with other funders, including public and private sector partners, leveraging $6.8 million in additional funding to help build healthy and vibrant communities. New partnership initiatives in 2014/15 ranged from a micro-loan program for indigenous youth to a plan to complete the Northern Ontario portion of the Trans Canada Trail system, as well as a $1 million legacy fund for community initiatives in the Timmins area, tied to the closing of the Kidd Operations mine in 2021.

Objective 2: Ensure Consistent, Transparent, and Equitable Granting Practices


Enhanced monitoring standards and grant rating guidelines.

□ Decline rationales were expanded, and communications with declined

applicants revised accordingly.

□ New Action Areas, Priority Outcomes, Grant Results, and investment streams will provide greater clarity, transparency, fairness, and accountability to the granting process.

□ A new online self-assessment tool is now available to better assist applicants in

understanding our Investment Strategy and requirements.

Objective 3: Complete the Implementation of Recommendations Arising from the Auditor General’s Value-for-money Audit, and Ensure Compliance with all Regulatory Requirements


Appendix A - Page 2

Implementation of the Auditor General’s recommendations was completed in 2014/15.

Targets for the auditing of both grantees and internal processes were met: 8% of grants were audited for grantee compliance and 10% of grants were audited for monitoring compliance with OTF standards.

Implementation of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) is ongoing and on schedule.

GOAL 2: Enhance the Public Benefit Sector Across Ontario in Collaboration with our Partners Objective 1: Develop New Collaborative Initiatives with Other Funders in Both the Private and Public Sectors


Continued to work with the Office for Social Enterprise, Economic and Social Development Canada, and others to leverage OTF’s investments in youth social entrepreneurship across Ontario, in order to expand the funding of the final cohort of Future Fund grants. The Office for Social Enterprise subsequently announced a new $4 million Social Enterprise Demonstration Fund that is providing additional funding for youth social entrepreneurship, including grants to a number of Future Fund grantees.

Implemented the Foundation’s new strategy to leverage other funder contributions in support of community initiatives. As noted under Goal 1, Objective 1, this year OTF entered into several social investment partnerships that leveraged an additional $6.8 million in funding for Ontario communities, including partnerships with corporate and family foundations.

Objective 2: Strengthen Information Systems to Support Access, Integration, and Operations


Began development of a new grants management system in order to implement OTF’s new Investment Strategy. The system is built on a new Smart Simple platform and will be completely paperless, making it more efficient and optimizing OTF’s investment in this platform.

Developed an integrated Information Management Department and strategy. Further work is being done on knowledge management, a key component of the strategy, to be finalized in early 2015/16.

Objective 3: Generate and Share New Ideas and Insights to Achieve Greater Impact


The Foundation’s new Investment Strategy was designed with open data and knowledge sharing as key building blocks, in order to enable more open sharing of OTF data and knowledge with external stakeholders.

Continued to explore opportunities to act as a convenor, to bring grantees and other organizations together, and to encourage networks, partnerships, and other new ways of working together, with a focus on fostering common approaches to measuring impact.

Appendix A - Page 3

Activities included:

The Community Knowledge Exchange (CKX), which has advanced efforts to encourage a shared measurement approach for funders and grantees in the public benefit sector, aligned with the Canadian Index of Wellbeing (CIW). The CIW framework was a centrepiece of the first CKX Summit held in Toronto in November 2014.

Two gatherings of “early adopters” of the CIW to demonstrate and promote the value of a shared measurement approach to community wellbeing that aligns with the CIW framework.

Goal 3: Support Applicants and Grantees to Maximize their Impact Objective 1: Measure and Tell the Story of Grantee and Foundation Performance


As part of OTF’s new Investment Strategy, a new framework was developed that aligns OTF investments with 12 long-term indicators of community wellbeing from the CIW. As well, a new model has been developed and adopted for measuring and reporting on Grant Results, Priority Outcomes, and Action Areas, to enable the Foundation to report more effectively on the overall impact of its funding.

An evaluation of the results of the Community Capital Fund was commissioned and completed by an external consultant.

Objective 2: Promote the Achievements of OTF, our Grantees and the Public Benefit Sector


Enhanced communications strategies to support more effective knowledge sharing and better demonstrate the impact of OTF investments in communities across the province.

Supported the successful implementation of the Foundation’s new Investment Strategy, through a phased communications approach: launched a microsite in June 2014, revamped the website in November 2015, and prepared for the release of new deadlines and applications forms early in 2015/16.

Increased OTF’s presence on social media through the provision of information and by engaging with our stakeholders online. As a result, over the year the number of followers on Twitter tripled to more than 3,700 followers by May 2015.

Continued to support grantee and volunteer recognition events in communities across the province, with 497 recognition events this year.

Increased access to the growing information and knowledge base available through OTF’s website, including a self-assessment tool, an events calendar, and a searchable FAQ section, as part of our goal to communicate our strategy more clearly.

Objective 3: Engage the Best People to Build a Dynamic Culture that Inspires Excellence


Strengthened employee and volunteer engagement across the organization, building on the results of the 2013/14 Employee Engagement and Volunteer Opinion Surveys:

Appendix A - Page 4

- The Employee Engagement Advisory group met 12 times, in person and by teleconference, to advise OTF leadership on ways to maintain and improve overall employee engagement. The group was involved in the development of a new performance management system and reviewed the Employee Engagement Survey results for common themes.

- The Volunteer Engagement Advisory Group submitted recommendations to the OTF Board in September 2014 which resulted in a plan to enhance the level of engagement with volunteers. Group members pre-tested tools and processes destined for use by all OTF volunteers.

Enhanced IT systems and support to enable more effective information sharing and collaboration among OTF staff and volunteers.

Increased leadership development at the staff, management, and volunteer levels.

As part of the new Investment Strategy, re-designed the grant assessment and monitoring functions to create more opportunities for granting staff to engage in community capacity building activities.

Appendix B: OTF RISK ASSESSMENT SUMMARY

RISK DESCRIPTION RELATED STRATEGIC PRIORITIES

IMPACT & SCOPE LIKELIHOOD

& IMPACT MITIGATION STRATEGIES

OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

1. STRATEGIC/POLICY/PERFORMANCE RISKS

1.A OTF’s grantees fail to achieve expected outcomes.

OTF’s mission – building “healthy and vibrant communities”

BP objectives: Invest in the high-est impact grants to catalyze posi-tive change in communities; In-vest in a balanced portfolio of grants for immediate and long-term results

In describing this risk, we are describing the impact of many grantees significantly failing to achieve the expected outcomes. This risk is also connected to Risk 1.G regarding a lack of quality applications under the newly launched program for 2015/16.

L: Low /

I: High

The Foundation has moved to an outcomes-based model, in which applicants are required to align their initiatives with clear priority outcomes and grant results they aim to achieve. With the Foundation being more explicit and intentional about the outcomes it will provide funding for, the risk of applicants not achieving the outcomes may be lower. The development of a Grant Contract, OTF’s monitoring practices and reporting requirements, and its quality assurance processes further mitigate the risk.

Medium Risk. Risk is well managed through OTF’s rigorous granting and QA processes.

Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-Ps, Comm. Invts and Prov. Progs. & Partnerships Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

1.B Significant cut in OTF’s funding.

All BP strategic priorities and activities

Business continuity

Significant cut in funding would severely impact all aspects of the Foundation’s operations and service delivery. Every percentage in funding cuts would have a related effect on all funding programs, staffing levels, and general operations.

Reduced funding would have a profound impact on Ontario’s not-for-profit organizations and not-for-profit sector, including services, volunteers, and leveraging of community resources.

L: Low / I: High

Excellent co-operative relationship with Ministry and government, including open, two-way communications.

Foundation has worked successfully with three political parties and received solid government support throughout its 33-year history.

OTF ensures that its strategic directions support the policy directions of the Ministry and the government and consistently demonstrates its value for money

To lessen the impact of this risk if it occurred, the MOU includes detailed provisions for this eventuality.

Medium Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: CEO and Chair Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

1.C Low public awareness and appreciation for the potential benefits of the new Investment Strategy could negatively impact OTF’s traditional high level of public support.

BP objective: Ensure accessible and accountable granting practices.

The Foundation’s continued success depends on a high level of awareness by communities and the NFP sector across Ontario, and by MPPs. Failure to achieve high levels of awareness could result in:

Reduced access by communities and sectors to OTF programs.

Lack of high quality initiatives seeking OTF support, leading to limited impact on the health and vitality of the province.

Limited awareness by MPPs of initiatives being supported by OTF and of the positive impacts achieved in their ridings, which in turn could lead to lack of support for the work of OTF, and ultimately to lost financial and other support for the work of the Foundation.

L: Low / I: High

A detailed and extensive communications plan is in place and is being implemented – see Sec. 13 of the Business Plan.

Medium Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Pub. Affairs Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

1.D Issues arising from OTF investments are not appropriately anticipated, identified, and managed.

BP goal: Implement effective organizational practices

OTF core value: Provide outstanding customer service

OTF manages a large volume of applications and grants and failure to effectively manage issues arising from these could result in:

Media and public misunderstandings about the role and nature of OTF investments

Negative media coverage for OTF, government, and community partners

Government reluctance to support OTF policies, strategies and programs, particularly in the case of higher risk initiatives or sectors

L: Low / I: High

Early identification of potential issues through staff and volunteer intelligence gathering and use of a Risk Rating tool.

Rigorous and comprehensive policies, strategies, and procedures in place to manage and identify issues, and to minimize the likelihood of unanticipated issues arising.

Timely Ministry liaison on all potential issues which may impact government.

Medium Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Pub. Affairs Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

1.E The costs of implementing provincial government programs exceed the allocation provided by the Ministry partners, placing undue strain on, and negatively impacting, OTF’s core programs.

BP objective: Deliver value for money in the use of public funds

The demand for grant dollars far outstrip OTF’s annual granting budget from MTCS. OTF is open to other granting partnerships to help meet the growing demand for funding and further expand the breadth and depth of our investments.

Currently OTF has agreements with MCYS to administer the province’s Youth Opportunities Fund and with TBS to administer its Local Poverty Reduction Fund.

Such agreements involve the hiring of staff for the program, as well as service delivery commitments that, if not managed effectively, could result in such a program being subsidized by OTF’s core funding from MTCS, thus impacting OTF’s core service delivery.

L: Medium /

I: Medium

In the planning stages of such programs, OTF establishes the full operating costs required to meet service level expectations and ensures that a detailed agreement is in place to govern the relationship, including provisions for funding for the full costs.

OTF’s cooperative relationships with potential government partners ensures open, two-way communications to effectively manage the risks involved in taking on new service commitments.

OTF closely monitors the cost of delivering services under such agreements to ensure programs are managed within established budgets and do not result in cost overruns.

In 2016/17 OTF will commission an analysis of all business processes and costs, to provide accurate and evidence-based figures for the costs of various OTF services.

Medium Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Prov. Progs & Partnerships Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

1.F Reputational risks arising from the actions of social investment partners are not adequately anticipated and managed.


Beginning in 2013/14, OTF began seeking formal social investment opportunities to co-fund projects for deeper impact across its business priorities. While such partnerships have many potential benefits, they also bring with them a number of challenges and risks, including reputational, financial, and performance risks.

L: Low /

I: Medium

Social Investment Partnership Framework is in place, including a comprehensive outline of the various potential risks of social investment partnerships, together with mitigation strategies.

Before entering into agreements with other partners, an individual risk assessment is carried out for each potential partnership, and legal advice sought if necessary.

Low Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Prov. Progs & Partnerships Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

1.G New OTF strategy fails to result in sufficient applications with the potential for high impact, due to lack of understanding of the new program or other reasons.

OTF’s mission of building “healthy and vibrant communities”

BP objectives: Invest in the highest impact grants to catalyze positive change in communities; Invest in a balanced portfolio of grants for immediate and long-term results

OTF works toward its mission of building healthy and vibrant communities and investing for impact primarily through its grants. Its strategy depends on applications with potential impact that will lead to fulfillment of the mission. In the first year of the new program it is possible that the Foundation will not receive sufficient numbers of quality applications, particularly for longer-term, high-impact initiatives.

L: Medium /

I: Medium

OTF has, and will continue to, consult broadly – both internally and externally – about its new strategic framework.

Intensive outreach and education sessions began in early spring and will continue through Q4 and ongoing.

Process for declining applications has been streamlined, which will enable a more timely response to unsuccessful applicants, and staff can then work with those with potential to help improve their future proposals.

Through its Services to the Community, the Foundation will be providing ongoing capacity building support for current and prospective grantees.

Medium Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: CEO Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

1.H Unintended consequences of the Open Data initiative lead to damage to the Foundation’s reputation.

BP goal: Bring value to our stakeholders

OTF’s core values of transparency and accountability

BP objective: Support the public benefit sector to amplify its impact

By committing to share grant data in an easy-to-use open license format, OTF is aligned with the Government’s Open Data Directive and also positioned as a leader in catalyzing social innovation and system change. However, it is not without risks, chief among which are the privacy of contributors of the data, data quality over time, and the potential misuse and misinterpretation of the information by re-users.

L: Medium /

I: Medium

OTF has developed and implemented policies, processes, and procedures that serve to minimize our exposure to any potential risks.

OTF also has a robust information management and communications structure in place to effectively manage any potential misuse of the information.

Medium Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: Chief Information Officer Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

2. GOVERNANCE/ORGANIZATIONAL RISKS

2.A GRT volunteers deviate from prescribed policies or processes, negatively impacting OTF’s ability to ensure consistent, fair, and equitable granting decisions.

BP goal: Implement effective organizational practices BP objectives: Cultivate high performance by staff and volunteers; Ensure accountable and accessible granting practices

OTF’s decentralized granting decision structure means that GRT volunteers are essential to its success. As part of the new Investment Strategy, granting and corporate policies as well as granting processes have been revised. Risks include inconsistent application of policies and processes, compounded by regular turnover in volunteers. Volunteers could potentially make decisions that are not grounded in OTF’s official policies, or contravene various OTF policies or processes Besides the negative impact on OTF’s ability to ensure consistent, fair, and equitable granting decisions, volunteers could also endanger OTF’s reputation.

L: Low / I: High

There are extensive controls in place, and the two Vice-Presidents responsible for granting and the Regional Directors provide oversight. OTF provides ongoing comprehensive orientation and training for volunteers, using various means of providing updates on new directions and training in key policies and processes. OTF Board Committees review all GRT recommendations for consistency and compliance with OTF’s policies, before recommended grants are presented to the Board for approval. The Foundation has also enhanced its quality assurance and risk management approaches to support these changes.

Medium Risk: There are clear granting policies, as well as support systems and controls in place designed to minimize these risks


2.B A significant num-ber of volunteers are not adequately trained and/or fail to fully compre-hend and utilize the tools and resources pro-vided, negatively impacting OTF’s ability to ensure consistent, fair, and equitable granting decisions.


BP objectives: Cultivate high performance by staff and volunteers; Ensure accountable and accessible granting practices

The success of the new Investment Strategy depends in large part on the ability of volunteers to competently implement the planned vision and strategic direction.

L: Low / I: High

Online eLearning modules and ongoing webinars offered to all volunteers on important aspects of the new Investment Strategy and processes

Major policy compliance requirements are embedded in the new granting system

After-hours support offered to volunteers

FAQs and user guides developed

Medium Risk. Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Pub. Affairs Mitigation Target Dates: 2015/16 and ongoing as needed




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

3. LEGAL/COMPLIANCE RISKS

3.A Implementation of the AODA Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR) requirements is not timely or effective.

OTF’s values regarding integrity, customer service, and accountability

A number of the changes may require significant resources, both human and financial. In the upcoming years, other priorities may have to be delayed in order to meet the stipulated implementation dates.

L: Low / I: Medium

Resources allocated in this fiscal year, and will be allocated in future years as needed.

The plan is reviewed annually.

Initial training provided, and new staff and volunteers use online training module, and completion is tracked.

Low Risk. As a result of prior preparations and adequate resources for the project, risk is currently well mitigated.

Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: Director, HR Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

3.B More stringent government legislation and regulations regarding transparency and accountability put significant pressure on OTF’s ability to maintain a low operating cost ratio.



OTF’s core values of transparency and accountability

The government has recently introduced new requirements for classified agencies to publicly post governance documents, and travel, meal and hospitality expenses. As well, OTF is expected to come under FIPPA soon.

The proposed requirements around the posting of expense information has cost and productivity implications (e.g. translation and staff costs). Implementation and ongoing operating costs around FIPPA will also put pressure on OTF’s operating budget.

L: High / I: Medium

Following its 2010/11 audit of OTF, the Auditor General’s report observed that OTF administrative expenditures were relatively modest compared to most other agencies; and that OTF has an institutional mindset that emphasizes keeping costs to a minimum.

OTF has strict budgeting practices and ensures that public money is used appropriately and in accordance with all legal requirements.

OTF has complied with accountability requirements introduced April 1, 2015.

While not currently subject to FIPPA, OTF adheres to the principles of the Act and is dedicating increased resources to the privacy aspect of the legislation.

High Risk. This risk is mitigated as a result of ongoing prepa-rations and process devel-opment, but there are cost implications which could have an impact on other areas of the Founda-tion’s business.

Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-Ps, Fin. & Admin and Pub. Affairs, and Chief Information Officer Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

3.C Risks of privacy breaches that could negatively impact OTF’s reputation and stakeholder relations are not adequately anticipated, identified, and managed.

Business Plan goal: Implement effective organizational practices

A breach of privacy will tarnish OTF’s reputation and diminish the public’s and grantees’ trust in the way OTF manages valuable public assets. Could lead to an investigation into OTF’s practices.

L: Medium / I: High

Senior leadership commitment to privacy principles.

Created new position and recruiting permanent Privacy/FOI Analyst to develop OTF’s privacy program and ensure compliance with FIPPA and other requirements by March 2016.

Role-based access system controls. Training to build staff and volunteer awareness of privacy issues.

High Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Pub. Affairs Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

4. OPERATIONAL/SERVICE DELIVERY RISKS

4.A OTF grants are not equitably distributed and/or accessible to all Ontarians.


BP objective: Ensure accountable and accessible granting practices

OTF’s value related to acting with fairness

A lack of equity and accessibility in the distribution of OTF grants would impact on the achievement of OTF’s mission, in the areas of building healthy and vibrant communities (which must be inclusive and diverse) and building the capacity of the voluntary sector (which includes organizations serving the entire spectrum of society). OTF’s reputation could also be affected by perceptions of inequitable or inaccessible services. Principles of equity and accessibility were key components of several of the Auditor General’s recommendations.

L: Low / I: Medium

OTF’s comprehensive website ensures knowledge of its granting programs is widespread, in both official languages. It is AODA compliant, ensuring accessibility to people with disabilities.

Foundation’s communications plan includes public awareness strategies to ensure widespread knowledge of OTF.

Staff track granting to population groups and types of organizations and adjust outreach strategies accordingly. Annually staff identify under-served populations and carry out targeted outreach.

OTF has simplified its application processes in general, especially for smaller, less complex grants.

Low Risk. This risk is well mitigated; OTF places a high priority on equitable access to its funding and monitors this area and adjusts its activities and strategies on an ongoing basis as required.


4.B Insufficient allocation of resources from the government jeopardizes the Foundation’s ability to meet its business objectives.

(See also Risk 1.E)

All strategic priorities and activities of the BP, overall implementation of the Operational Plan.

OTF is committed to ensuring that its operating budget does not exceed 12.9% of total expenditures (2016/17 estimate). If the funding received from the Ministry does not increase in future years, as a result of inflation the buying power of the 12.9% will diminish each year.

The Business Plan is ambitious and adequate financial and human resources are required for full and effective implementation.

Recently the government has turned to OTF as a potential provider of specific, targeted government programs (e.g. YOF, Local Poverty Reduction Fund). It is important that the Foundation make clear that any partnership must not be implemented at the expense of OTF’s core operating budget, which is meant to serve the entire province.

L: Medium /

I: Medium

The Business Plan was based on the assumption of a core budget of $115 million.

A Budget Development Policy approved in December 2014 contains provisions for an escalator factor as part of the operating cost calculations, to allow for inflation.

Ensure that any agreements OTF enters into for the provision of services for government allows for sufficient amounts of operating dollars, so as not to encroach on its MTCS core funding.

Medium Risk. The likelihood of this risk occurring in future years is dependent on at least maintaining current revenue levels.

Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes, for current fiscal year Risk Owner: CEO Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

5. WORKFORCE RISKS

5.A The Government continues to fail to appoint sufficient numbers of GRT volunteers, jeopardizing the ability of one or more GRTs to carry out their business.

BP goals: Bring value to our stakeholders; Implement effective organizational practices

BP objectives: Deliver value for money in the use of public funds; Ensure accountable and accessible granting practices

This risk has been a serious issue for a number of years. As of Nov. 2015, half of the positions on GRTs were vacant (167), and nine of the 16 GRTs had vacancy rates of 50% or higher. Implications include:

A smaller volunteer force to handle the workload, so each volunteer has an increase in workload, which can lead to volunteer burnout and less-than-optimal decisions.

“Decision concentration” – a very small number of volunteers making decisions on millions of dollars’ worth of grants.

With fewer members, a GRT may not have the range of skills required or may not truly represent its community in terms of good geographic, gender, ethno-cultural, socio-economic, etc. representation.

L: High / I: High

Close cooperation with Ministry and Public Appointments Secretariat (PAS) staff.

Pro-active strategies to identify potential new candidates, in order to assist the Ministry in its recruitment work, particularly in areas where few applications are received by the PAS.

OTF Corporate Governance & Policy Committee and Board are informed and consulted regularly regarding the status of appointments.

Business continuity processes are in place should volunteer numbers drop below requirements.

This risk cannot be totally mitigated, however, as the actual appointments are the purview of the government. One suggestion – have OTF appoint all or some GRT members except GRT Chairs – did not meet with the Minister’s approval.

High Risk. This risk continues to be a serious issue. OTF is doing as much as can be expected and is within its control to decrease its impact.

Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Pub. Affairs Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

5.B The complement of Francophone GRT members within each catchment area is insufficient to adequately assess the volume of Francophone applications.

BP goals: Bring value to our stakeholders; Implement effective organizational practices


OTF complies with the spirit of the French Language Services Act. This requires provision of the same level of service to all applicants whether they submit their applications in French or in English. Thus OTF must have sufficient internal resources to properly assess French applications, including reviewers with good knowledge of the needs and characteristics of the Francophone community in Ontario. Currently, some GRTs have no or few French-speaking members, so French applications have to be reviewed by a GRT member in another area. This detracts from the

L: High / I: Medium

Some of the same strategies as in Risk 5.A above. As well:

A recruitment plan has been developed, and pro-active strategies are in place to identify potential new candidates through various means (including social media, outreach sessions, MPP brochures, promotional materials), to assist the Ministry in the recruitment of new volunteers.

Business continuity processes are in place to help close the gap between the number and distribution of Francophone volunteers and the number of French applications being assessed.

High Risk. This risk continues to be a serious issue. OTF is doing as much as can be expected and is within its control to decrease its impact.

Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Pub. Affairs Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

core premise of a local community-based decision-making model. A lack of equity and accessibility in OTF funding to the Francophone community would impact on the achievement of our mission, and have a negative impact on our reputation.

5.C Conflicts of interest with applications under review are not adequately managed.



OTF’s values of integrity and accountability

Staff or volunteers with a conflict of interest may favour certain applications and may recommend their approval or decline without appropriate due diligence and evaluation according to the Foundation’s criteria. Consequently,

OTF may not fund the applications that will assist in achieving its mission and targets.

OTF funding may not be equitable or inclusive.

Inappropriate funding decisions may be made that adversely affect OTF’s reputation; or result in unnecessary complaints and require extensive issues management work.

L: Low / I: Medium

Revised Conflict of Interest policies and procedures, as well as a Code of Conduct & Ethics, are in place.

Staff and volunteers confirm their adherence to these and other policies when they join the Foundation, and at least annually thereafter, and submit a list of organizations with which they may have a conflict of interest.

The new granting process requires a conflict of interest declaration in the new granting electronic system as the first step in application review.

Low Risk. While the risk cannot be 100% mitigated, we believe that it is well managed through current processes.

Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: CEO and Chair (Chief Ethics Officers) Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

5.D Poor labour rela-tions impact OTF’s ability to build and maintain the high performance culture necessary for achieving its business objectives.

All aspects of OTF’s Investment Strategy

BP objective: Cultivate high performance by staff and volunteers

Impact could range from minimal to critical, depending on the number of departments/functions involved.

Scope depends on the severity of the labour relations issues.

L: Low / I: High

Performance management approach has been updated.

Market surveys focusing on total compensation are conducted regularly.

Employee Opinion Surveys are conducted every two years.

Employee Engagement Advisory Group meets regularly and provides advice to Senior Management.

Medium Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: Director, HR Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing




OVERALL ASSESSMENT

OTHER INFORMATION

6. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY & INFRASTRUCTURE RISKS

6.A Physical risks to the hardware, software, data – e.g. power outages, fire, damage to the server room.

All strategic priorities and activities of the BP

Business continuity

Scope would vary depending on the severity of the incident from a power outage to a complete loss of data centre through physical or cyber harm.

Impact could range from a few minutes of power interruption to complete loss of access to IT services and data for up to two days, pending disaster recovery.

L: Low / I: High

IT Disaster Recovery Plan in place.

Data backup moved to a cloud vendor who can restore OTF services into the cloud within 24 hours.

Critical business systems outsourced.

24/7 infrastructure monitoring to allow for advance notice of potential issues.

Other application-specific strategies.

Medium Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: CIO Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

6.B Security threats to OTF data and infrastructure.

All strategic priorities and activities of the BP

Business continuity

Unauthorized access to, or use of, the OTF network and infrastructure could lead to events with varying impacts, including data loss on the server, loss or theft of mobile devices containing OTF data, data destruction, etc.

Scope depends on the target of the security threat – i.e. could be just one system or a small amount of data, or – worst case scenario – OTF’s entire network and/or other organizations’ networks as well.

L: Medium / I: High

IT infrastructure and security outsourced to a best-in-class IT vendor.

A next generation firewall system and intrusion prevention.

Encryption of data on OTF laptops.

Secure VPN solution in all the regional offices and to all remote user laptops.

Physical backup on- and off-site.

Issuing comprehensive security audit RFP to ensure consistency and ongoing protection of the network.

High Risk Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: Chief Information Officer Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

7. ALL OTHER RISKS

7.A Actual Investment income earned in a given year is significantly less than what was forecast.

All strategic priorities and activities of the Business Plan

The Granting Budget is calculated based on a forecast of investment income and, if the actual income earned is signifi-cantly less than the forecast, the budget may need to be reduced during the year, meaning less funding will go to granting. However, since investment income is currently only a small (approximately 2%) component of the Granting Budget, the resulting impact on an individual catchment area’s granting would therefore be low.

L: High / I: Low

Base the forecast for the upcoming year on government interest rate projections.

Take a conservative approach to forecasting in terms of predicting cash flows.

Medium Risk. There is still considerable residual risk, as local and world economic events affecting interest rates are out of the Foundation’s control.

Risk/Mitigation Funded? Yes Risk Owner: V-P, Fin & Admin Mitigation Target Dates: Ongoing

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