TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Oct. 25, 2011) - The finalists have been announced in Ontario's award program for best charity annual reports. The 17 finalists in the Voluntary Sector Reporting Awards (VSRAs) will each have a chance to win a prize of $5,000 at an awards luncheon November 18 in Toronto.
"We were overwhelmed with over 100 nominations for the VSRAs this year. I think that these nominations show that the charity sector is taking its responsibility for accountable and transparent reporting very seriously. We're pleased the VSRAs have helped promote high quality annual reporting for Ontario's charities and we look forward to announcing the winners on November 18," said Steve Salterio, Director of the CA-Queen's Centre for Governance, which organizes the VSRAs every year in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario (ICAO). PwC has been the sponsor of the program since its inception.
The awards, now in their fourth year, are open to registered charities that produce annual reports in Ontario. The winners in each category will receive $5,000. This year's finalists include:
| National and International Organizations headquartered in Ontario: |
- Amnesty International Canadian Section
- Canadian Feed the Children
- Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation Canada
- Mennonite Economic Development Associates
- The Nature Conservancy of Canada
- World Vision Canada
| |
| Ontario-only organizations |
| |
| Total revenues over $10 million |
- Canadian Paraplegic Association Ontario
- Hamilton Community Foundation
- Ontario March of Dimes
- Vita Community Living Services of Toronto
| |
| Total revenues from over $1 million to $10 million |
- DeafBlind Ontario Services
- Food Banks Canada*
- Kingston Literacy & Skills
- United Way Kingston, Frontenac, Lennox & Addington
| |
| Total Revenues up to $1 million |
- Brant Community Foundation Inc.
- Girls Incorporated of Durham
- Hospice King-Aurora
| |
| *Given the organization's relatively small size compared to others in the National and International organization category it was judged also in this size-appropriate category. |
"Given the current economic climate, the need for efficient and effective not-for-profit organizations has never been greater," noted Brian Leader, FCA, Vice-President of Learning at the ICAO. "As any Chartered Accountant could tell you, clear and comprehensive financial reports help reassure volunteers and donors that their contributions are going to a worthwhile cause. The Voluntary Sector Reporting Awards highlight the achievements of those worthy charities."
More information about the VSRAs is available online at the CA-Queen's Centre for Governance website – www.annualreportaward.ca. More information is also available from PwC's' website http://www.pwc.com/ca/vsra and at the ICAO website www.icao.on.ca.
Editor's Note:
Media are invited to cover the VSRA Award Luncheon November 18th at 11:30AM in Toronto. To book an interview, attend the eventor to get more information, please contact:
John Suart
CA-Queen's Centre for Governance
613-583-3062
go@johnsuart.com
Perry Jensen
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario
416-969-4271 or 1-800-387-0735 ext. 271
pjensen@icao.on.ca
About the CA-Queen's Centre for Governance at Queen's School of Business
CA-Queen's Centre for Governance (business.queensu.ca/centres/CA-QCG/) goal is to raise the bar on Canadian governance research with respect to transparency and financial accountability and convey that research's implications to academics, students and the public at large. Situated at Queen's School of Business www.business.queensu.caone of the world's premier business schools, the Centre conducts cutting edge basic and applied research on governance dealing with such issues as fraud prevention and detection and improving the quality of Canadian securities' regulation.
About the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario:
The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Ontario is the qualifying and regulatory body of Ontario's 35,000 Chartered Accountants and 5,000 CA students. Since 1879, the Institute has protected the public interest through the CA profession's internationally recognized standards of qualification and the enforcement of its rules of professional conduct. Chartered Accountants are the professionals Canada's business leaders trust to help make the financial, strategic and leadership decisions that matter. The Institute's website is: www.icao.on.ca and the student website is www.guidetorulingtheworld.ca.
About PwC:
The firms of the PwC network provide industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to enhance value for clients. More than 161,000 people in 154 countries in PwC firms across the PwC network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice. In Canada, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an Ontario limited liability partnership, and its related entities have more than 5,700 partners and staff in offices across the country. See www.pwc.com/ca for more information.