AvR Forum 4 - The Charity in Business

The Charity in Business:

Charitable non-profit organizations and the development of revenue generation through entrepreneurial business activity

Presented by Raymond Dart, John Pepin, Richard Steckel and John WIlkinson

Purpose of the Seminar

Provide participants with the information they need to determine whether business ventures are appropriate for their organizations

Share latest research information on the subject

Identify the legal and regulatory issues involved

Provide a framework/process to develop entrepreneurial activities

Learn from the experiences of other organizations

Hear practical ideas related to business ventures and how-to's

"PLAN depends substantially on entrepreneurial activity. Everything I learned about that art for charities I learned from Richard Steckel. The man is a genius."

Al Etmanski, Executive Director

Planned Lifetime Advocacy Network

“No one can beat Richard Steckel’s breadth and depth of knowledge on enterprising non-profits around the world. Combining experience with humour in his presentation, Richards’s enthusiasm for the topic is infectious.”

Tim Draimin

Canadian Council for International Cooperation

“ If you want to be more entrepreneurial Richard Steckel is a must! He has had an immense influence on me personally and our organization. Richard is about abundance and possibilities”

Martha Parker

Executive Director

Volunteer Calgary

Who Should Attend

Staff or organizations that are thinking about business venture as a revenue source
Organizations that are already involved in business ventures
Board members who believe their organizations would diversify their funding through business ventures
Staff of grant makers who are interested in exploring this area with organizations they support
Consultants who service organizations interested in diversifying their sources of funding

Morning Day One

A context for the "how-to" sessions that will be discussed in the balance of the two day seminar.

What the Research Tells Us

What has been the history and experience of Canadian charitable organizations in business ventures?
Should charities undertake business activities?
Does it matter to society if charitable organizations are involved in increased business activity?
When does it make sense? When does it not make sense? Why?
What is the impact on initiating business ventures on the mission of the charitable organization, its staff, board, volunteers, clients, funders?
What can we identify as the characteristics that are needed to most assure success?
If a charity undertakes a business venture should it be separated from or integrated with charitable activities?

The Legal and Regulatory Issues

Under what conditions is it legally possible for charities to conduct profit making activities?
What are the regulatory and tax rules that apply to business ventures by charitable organizations?
What is the tax status of revenue generated from business ventures?
What is the legal and financial liability of board members - how can such liability be limited?
What has been the legal stance of private sector businesses who feel that charitable organizations are competing "unfairly"?

Afternoon Day One & Day Two

The following day and a half will look at the process to asses if an organization should consider moving into business activity, the process of developing such as venture and the implementation aspects including ensuring that the board, staff and volunteers are properly prepared.

Determining Organizational Readiness

Identifying the purpose and objectives of product development
Operating within the context of your organization's business and strategic plans
Identifying inhibitors to entrepreneurial activity
Addressing the issue of preserving core values
Preparing for risk
Developing policies and practices to support the innovative process and a innovation value-set to guide behaviour
Creating communication, development and evaluation plans

Developing Board, Staff and Stakeholder Ownership of Entrepreneurial Activity

Business Enterprise and Three Paths to Revenue Diversification

Illustrations of each option and what they teach us

The Product Development Process

Research into internal and external opportunity sources
Conducting a business enterprise audit
The product creative and development stage
Identification of opportunities, developing an inventory of current product portfolio
Creation of products and beginning the commercial venture portfolio
The three stage product screening phase
Finalization of product business, marketing, sales and launch plans
Product design, testing and revision
Launch, Formative and summative evaluation and ongoing revision
Creation of product business plans, general business plans and integration into the organizational strategic and business plans

Repacking and Repositioning Products and Services You Currently Have

Creating an enterprise team
Imagining what you could produce to generate earned income
Conducting a customer segmentation matrix for your organization
Determining who your current customers are
Identifying who your future customers might be
What do you have to sell, who would be interested in buying it?
Conducting a customer matrix audit
Conducting brainstorming sessions

Constructing the Business Proposition

Selling to the public versus selling to business
Identifying joint venture partners
Corporate venture guidelines
Structuring ventures for sale
No risk sales
Getting in the corporate door
Identifying joint venture partners
Closing the deal