Financial Assistance to National Voluntary Health Organizations
	Introduction
	Program Goals
	Funding Streams and Eligibility
	Contact Information

National Voluntary Health Organizations

Financial Assistance to National Voluntary Health Organizations (FANVHO)

Introduction

Voluntary sector organizations are recognized as an integral part of our social, cultural and economic fabric. They are relied on to carry out important work in the health arena and to respond to emerging issues. These organizations play a key role in all aspects of the health continuum, including prevention, promotion, protection, program and service delivery, and research funding. However, they may have even greater potential to contribute to the health of Canadians if they are able to fully tap the unique resources that they have at their disposal.

The Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada recognize the need to build the voluntary sector’s ability to work effectively with government to better serve Canadians. FANVHO funding provides grants to organizations and collectives to improve key capacity areas including the capacity to provide policy advice and the ability to build bridges among communities. This support is intended as a catalyst to strengthen the viability and ability of these organizations to provide a national focus and nationwide coordination.

Program Goals

The goal of FANVHO funding is to strengthen the effectiveness of eligible national health charities to deliver on their mission through leadership, to provide support to community based chapters and affiliates and to promote collaborative joint action within and across the sector. This is achieved by:

• Strengthening the ability of individual organizations to govern, plan and change to better serve their communities;
• Enhancing the ability of organizations to recruit and deploy volunteers within the organization, and the competencies, knowledge, attitudes, motivation and behaviours of these people.
• Facilitating joint action and collaboration across the voluntary sector to address organizational effectiveness and health policy issues of common concern to the sector and the Public Health Agency of Canada and Health Canada; and
• Supporting knowledge development and knowledge sharing activities.

Funding Streams and Eligibility

There are two streams of funding in the annual request for proposals: individual organizational development and sector-wide development initiatives. The organizational development stream assists selected national voluntary organizations to become more effective by strengthening their management, governance, volunteer and financial resource structures, as well as relationships with regional/local chapters and/or affiliates. Individual organizational development grants should contribute to strengthening organization’s longer- term viability (either independently or, where this does not seem feasible, in partnership with other organizations). The sector development stream provides an opportunity to improve the ability of organizations to work together to collaboratively address common issues or concerns of an organizational or policy nature.

Project funding is for one year and is provided for one specific project. A funded project has a discrete focus and time line, and it is not meant as direct financial support for the activities normally carried out by the organization.

This initiative is designed to assist in building the capacity of national voluntary health organizations that have a human and financial resource network in place to provide health-focused programs and services to Canadians through volunteer leadership in chapters or affiliates at the local community level.

To be considered for funding, voluntary health organizations need to meet the following eligibility criteria:

• National in scope and governed by an elected Board of Directors
• Incorporated, and a registered charity;
• Membership-based, with programs and services accessible to persons of all cultures, ethnic origins and social classes;
• Health focused with objectives that contribute significantly to the promotion and improvement of the health of Canadians; and
• An organization with a sizeable volunteer involvement in governance as well as in program/service development and delivery.

To be eligible for funding under the sector development stream, project sponsors must be part of a collaborative of two or more organizations with at least one member that meets the eligibility criteria above.

Contact Information

For more information on this initiative please contact the Office of the Voluntary Sector at: 613-952-0902