Top tips for a successful organization registration

Top tips for a successful organization registration

Top tips for a Successful Organization Registration What we'll discuss today: Be computer-ready Plan ahead Pick a primary contact Be consistent with your organization s name Board Members Board Members Arms Length Update your Board Member information Financial Statement requirements Financial health and need Confirm your registration

Application process: overview Pre-Application Application Assessment Finalization Organization Registration Ongoing organization registration OTF staff verify registration Application General information Stream-specific information Review Staff and Volunteer Review Decisions & Notification Grant Review Team Meeting Board Meeting Notification Communication Planning Period Grant Finalization Contract signed Announcement

ORGANIZATION REGISTRATION o Register at least 4 weeks before a deadline o During verification, your registration may be accepted, or declined o If registration is accepted, you will get an email giving you access to the online application o Verified Org Registrations are valid for 24 months o Organizations new to OTF must create a profile o Previous OTF Grantees (approved after June 2014) will need to update their registration

1. Be computer-ready Is your computer s internet browser up-to-date? Make sure you have the latest version: BROWSER COMPATIBLE VERSIONS WITH OTF GET THE LATEST VERSION Internet Explorer 11 and 10 Download Internet Explorer 11 Firefox 39 and 38 Download Firefox 39 Chrome 44 and 43 Download Chrome 44 Safari (for Apple) 8 and 7 Download Safari 8 Our online system works best with Chrome.

2. Plan ahead Registration happens in two parts o Using the OTF Checklist and all the tips on our website, review the required information. o Part 1: Enter the basic information. This must be done in one sitting.

3. PART 1 - Pick a primary contact Availability and accountability o The Primary Contact must have the authority to legally bind the organization o The Primary Contact is the only one who will receive the log in info for the OTF portal so that person must be easily accessible by email. o The Primary Contact s email address is used to identify your organization and is the only access point for our online system.

4. Part 1 - Be consistent with your name What s in name? A lot! OTF can t accept your registration if your documents are inconsistent. OTF needs to know that your organization is, in fact, your organization, and not another with a slightly different name. Your legal name must be identical in all documentation, such as: o o o Name your organization uses to register with OTF Name on your prepared Financial Statements Name associated with your Charitable Registration Number or incorporation number

5. Part 2 - Add Financial statements & Board Members o Using the OTF Checklist and all the tips on our website, review the required information. o Part 2: Enter Financial Statements and Board Members.

5. Part 2 - Add Board member Info o Enter the name of every Board Member o Enter the start date and end date of each Board Member s term o Indicate whether each Board Member has an arm s length relationship with other Members and/or staff

5. Part 2 - Add Board member info What is an arm s length relationship? This means your board members and organization executives are not married or related to each other, are not business partners, and are not in a relationship where interests may be compromised.

5. Part 2 -- Update your board information Returning applicants: Don t forget to update your Board Member information o Returning applicants and previous grantees must update Board Member information annually. o If this step isn t done, OTF will not accept your registration.

6. Part 2 - Financial statements Minimum requirements are: ANNUAL REVENUES UNDER $50,000 Statements prepared by your organization ( Internally prepared ). ANNUAL REVENUES BETWEEN $50,000 & $249,999 A complete set of financial statements prepared outside your organization by a licenced public accountant. (Include a Notice to Reader or Review or Audit.) ANNUAL REVENUES OF $250,000 OR MORE A complete set of financial statements audited by a licensed public accountant. * Financial Statements are not required of First Nation, Métis, Inuit communities, or small municipalities with populations of 20,000 or less.

6. Part 2 - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS Part of a collaborative? o Submit the financial statements of the collaborative s lead organization. New organization, less than 2 years old? Submit at least one year s worth of financial history, including revenues and expenses, and a balance sheet.

7. Part 2 - Financial health and need Deficit An indication of your financial health o o OTF generally considers an organization financially healthy if it has no more than a 15% deficit. Your deficit is calculated based on your internally restricted/unrestricted net assets, and should not exceed 15% of annual expenses. If your organization has a deficit greater than 5%, you must submit a plan explaining why, and how you intend to reduce it.

7. PART 2 - Financial health and need Surplus o OTF generally considers that organizations need OTF funding if they have internally restricted/unrestricted net assets equal to no more than 12 months of operating expenses. o If you have a surplus greater than 12 months, explain why.

8. Confirm your registration Applicants can expect 3 separate emails from OTF 1. After you have submitted the basic info about your organization. 2. After you have submitted the Financial and Board information. 3. Once verification by OTF is complete, you will receive confirmation that your Organization Registration has been accepted or not accepted.

9. Register Early! Don t wait! o You can register at any time. o Register at least FOUR weeks before the OTF application deadline. o OTF will confirm, via email, within 10 business days whether your registration has been accepted and you are eligible to apply.

Deadlines 2016/2017 Stream Organization registration deadline Application deadline Grow November 16, 2016, 5 p.m. ET. May 31, 2017, 5 p.m. ET. December 14, 2016, 5 p.m. ET. June 28, 2017, 5 p.m. ET. Seed January 31, 2017, 5p.m ET. February 22, 2017, 5 p.m. ET. Capital September 27, 2017, 5 p.m. October 25, 2017, 5 p.m. ET.

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