Enhanced Capacity Advancement Program
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Enhanced Capacity
Advancement Program
Application Package
June 2017
Enhanced Capacity Advancement Program
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Please refer to the Enhanced Capacity Advancement Program (ECAP) guidelines carefully
before beginning the application. If you have questions regarding the application, please
contact the ECAP program office at 780-638-3500 (toll-free in Alberta by dialing 310-0000)
Section A: Applicant Information
Incorporated (Legal) name of organization (must match provincial incorporation name):
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Common name of organization (if different than incorporated name):
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Act of Incorporation (see section 3.1 in guidelines for list of eligible acts):
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Registration Number:
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Length of Operation in Alberta: Click or tap here to enter text.
CRA Registered Charity
CRA Registration Date:
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☐ Yes
☐ No
Organization’s street address:
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City:
Province:
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Mailing address (if different from above)*:
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City:
Province:
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*All correspondence will be mailed to this address
Registration Date:
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CRA Registration Number:
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Postal Code:
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Postal Code:
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Section B: Contact Information
Main Contact (this person will be contacted regarding ongoing information)
☐ Mr.
☐ Mrs.
☐ Ms.
☐ Other
Name:
Daytime Phone:
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Title:
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Extension:
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Email:
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Signing Authority and Application Contact (this is the legal/signing authority for the organization):
☐ Mr.
☐ Mrs.
☐ Ms.
☐ Other
Name:
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Daytime Phone:
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Title:
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Extension:
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Email:
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Section C: Government of Alberta Funding
Have you applied for, or already received funding for your operational costs from any other
Government of Alberta program?
☐ Yes
☐ No
If yes, please specify which government department(s), how much and how often: Click or tap here to
enter text.
Does your organization currently have any final reporting that has not yet been submitted or signed off
by the respective Government of Alberta program area?
☐ Yes
☐ No
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Section D: Organization Overview
1. What is the primary mandate of your organization? (Max 150 words)
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2. Describe the community your organization serves, including the membership, clients you serve, and
geographic boundaries. Include qualitative (e.g. descriptions of diverse organizations) and
quantitative (e.g. numbers of participants, clients) information. (max 150 words)
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3. In relation to your vision and goals, what is your organization’s theory of change for the
nonprofit/voluntary sector? Describe the needs or opportunities your organization is working to
address or the opportunities it is working to provide. (max 200 words)
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4. What has your organization accomplished in the last three years specific to advancing your mission
and strengthening Alberta’s broader nonprofit/voluntary sector? (max 200 words)
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5. What steps does your organization take to ensure that its programs, services, resources, messages,
and other initiatives are known, accessible, and relevant to a wide number of diverse organizations?
Please describe specific efforts relating to urban and rural outreach? (max 200 words)
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6. Describe the formal partnerships and collaborative relationships that your organization has built with
other organizations. (200 words)
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Section E: Organizational Assessment
One of the funding considerations for ECAP is the applicant’s ability to demonstrate strong leadership,
adaptability, management, and operational capacity. Please refer to Section 4.1 of the ECAP guidelines
for further information on these capacity areas. The following questions are designed for applicants to
demonstrate strong capacity in these four areas.
For each question, either:
1) answer the question in the space provided in the application form; or,
2) attach a separate document that will fully answer the question. For the questions that are being
answered using an attachment, please clearly indicate on the application form how to locate the
answer (e.g. section and page numbers) in the attached document.
1. Briefly describe your organization’s governance approach, role of the board, and the board’s level
of engagement. (max 300 words)
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2. How does the composition of your board, management, and staff represent the community you
serve? (max 200 words)
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3. What is the rate of turnover amongst board, management, and staff? What are the primary reasons
for this turnover? (max 200 words)
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4. How does your organization address succession planning for board and key management roles in
the organization? (max 200 words)
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5. Briefly describe your strategic planning approach and how your strategic plan guides your
organization’s activities. (max 300 words)
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6. Describe how your organization has evolved and adapted to internal and external changes over the
last three years. (max 300 words)
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7. Briefly describe how your organization empowers and supports staff and volunteers across the
organization to learn and develop, innovate, take on leadership roles, suggest new ideas, and make
decisions. (max 300 words)
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8. When confronted with a complex problem, what is your organization’s decision making process?
(max 200 words)
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9. Describe the structures, processes, resources, and tools in place to enable your board, management,
staff, and volunteers to be effective in their work and address the organization’s top priorities. (max
300 words)
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10. Briefly describe how you engage, build connections with, and report to stakeholders and the
broader community. (max 200 words)
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11. Describe how your physical and technological infrastructure enables and/or hinders your
organization’s execution of strategy, service delivery, and work processes. What is your strategy to
ensure your physical and technological infrastructure will meet your organization’s needs in the
future? (max 200 words)
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12. How does your organization evaluate its effectiveness and how are the findings from evaluations
integrated into the organization? (max 300 words)
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Section F: Resource Assessment
With your application, please attach the following:
 most recent financial statements, including a breakdown of revenue sources (e.g. grants, donations,
sponsors, fundraisers), operating budget for staffing and programs and expenditures for professional
development.
 a budget, using the provided template, Appendix C, for the next three years that includes an indication
of how you would allocate ECAP funding.
1. How does your organization maintain its financial sustainability? Briefly describe the organization’s
fund development strategy. (max 200 words)
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2. How would your organization deal with the loss of a major funding source? (max 200 words)
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3. What is your organization’s strategy for obtaining and mobilizing unique resources (e.g. relationships,
money, staff, influence, skills) beyond your typical community and to many organizations? (max 300
words)
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4. If your organization has experienced a noticeable surplus or deficit in the last three years, briefly
explain why. How does your organization manage expenditures to minimize or not incur a deficit?
(max 150 words)
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Section G: Perspectives on the Nonprofit/Voluntary Sector
1. How does your organization become and stay informed about the needs and emerging issues of
Alberta’s nonprofit/voluntary sector? How do you access and enhance your organization’s expertise
and the expertise of the nonprofit organizations that you serve? (max 150 words)
2. Describe your understanding of the nonprofit sector in Alberta. In your answer, describe the social,
political, economic, and technological factors that have contributed to the challenges and
opportunities of the nonprofit organizations you serve. (max 300 words)
3. What potential or pending factors are likely to influence your organization (positively or negatively)?
What does your organization plan to do in response to these factors? How can your organization
mitigate the negative influences, as well as take advantage of the potential opportunities? (max
300 words)
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Section H: ECAP Priority Areas
One of the ECAP funding considerations is the breadth and effectiveness of the applicant’s capacity
building support to the nonprofit/voluntary sector in key priority areas. To be considered for funding,
organizations need to provide evidence of the direct impact of their capacity building activities in one or
more of the following priority areas.
For each of the following priority areas, indicate whether your organization currently has significant, some,
minimal, or no direct impact. In areas in which your organization has an impact, briefly describe the
relevant capacity building activities (e.g. programs, workshops, services, conferences, resources), outputs
(e.g. number of participants), and evidence of impact (e.g. evaluative data).
Priority Area: Strengthening the leadership capacity of volunteers, organizations, and the
nonprofit/voluntary sector
Level of Impact: ☐ Not Applicable
☐ Minimal
Capacity Building Activities
Outputs from Capacity
Building Activities
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☐ Some
☐ Significant
Measures and Evidence of
Impact
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Priority Area: Increasing collaboration within the nonprofit/voluntary sector and/or across sectors
Level of Impact: ☐ Not Applicable
☐ Minimal
☐ Some
☐ Significant
Capacity Building Activities
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Outputs from Capacity
Building Activities
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Priority Area: Improving nonprofit organizations’ financial capacity
Level of Impact: ☐ Not Applicable
☐ Minimal
☐ Some
Measures and Evidence of
Impact
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☐ Significant
Enhanced Capacity Advancement Program
Capacity Building Activities
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Outputs from Capacity
Building Activities
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Measures and Evidence of
Impact
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Priority Area: Improving nonprofit organizations’ ability to execute strategies to advance their mission
Level of Impact: ☐ Not Applicable
☐ Minimal
☐ Some
☐ Significant
Capacity Building Activities
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Outputs from Capacity
Building Activities
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Measures and Evidence of
Impact
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Priority Area: Strengthening the ability of the sector and the organizations within to adapt to the
changing environment
Level of Impact: ☐ Not Applicable
☐ Minimal
☐ Some
☐ Significant
Capacity Building Activities
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Outputs from Capacity
Building Activities
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Measures and Evidence of
Impact
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Priority Area: Enhancing capacity to measure and demonstrate the value and impact of the
nonprofit/voluntary sector and volunteerism
Level of Impact: ☐ Not Applicable
☐ Minimal
Capacity Building Activities
Outputs from Capacity
Building Activities
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☐ Some
☐ Significant
Measures and Evidence of
Impact
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Additional Capacity Building Activities
Provide any additional information not already captured regarding the capacity building outcomes and
activities provided by your organization.
Section I: Enhanced Capacity Funding Outcomes
Funding through the ECAP is intended to leverage the applicant’s ability to build the capacity of
volunteers, other nonprofit organizations, and strengthen the broader sector. Funding may be provided for
up to three years to organizations that clearly identify measurable outcomes that build the capacity in the
Priority Areas listed above (Section H) and then demonstrate performance in achieving those outcomes.
Please submit the outcome framework template in Appendix B (supporting documents providing greater
detail may be attached to your application) to describe the:
1. Outcomes that you intend to achieve within the next one to three years that will build the capacity of
volunteers, nonprofit organizations, and the broader sector.
2. Capacity building activities, existing or new, that your organization will deliver to achieve the outcomes.
3. Evaluative process and measures to determine progress towards those objectives.
4. Ways your organization will use ECAP funding to enhance the delivery and effectiveness of your
capacity building activities.
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Section J: Terms and Conditions
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Incorporated (Legal) Name of Applicant Organization (“Organization”)
*All boxes must be checked to proceed*
I hereby acknowledge that:
☐
☐
☐
☐
☐
The information contained in this application and the accompanying documents is true, accurate and
complete.
I am a representative with designated signing authority/decision-making authority in our Organization.
The Organization’s Board of Directors is in full support of this application.
I have read the Conflict of Interest section in the Guidelines (Section 10.0) and I am not aware of any conflict
of interest either perceived or apparent in applying for ECAP funding.
I understand that should this application be approved, the above identified Organization will be required to
enter into a formal, legally binding agreement with the Ministry that will outline the terms and conditions of
the grant.
☐ Mr.
☐ Mrs.
☐ Ms.
☐ Other:
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_________________________________
____________________
_________________________
Date
Daytime Phone
Signature of Authorized Representative
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_________________________________
____________________
Authorized Representative Name (print)
Organization Position Title
_________________________
Email
The personal information that is provided on this application form will be used for the purpose of administering the applicable grant
program and advising the applicant of Community Grants program updates and relevant ministry initiatives and resources. It is collected
under the authority of section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Privacy Act (“FOIP Act”) and is protected by the privacy
provisions of the FOIP Act. The FOIP Act applies to any information that is provided to Alberta Culture and Tourism. This information
may be disclosed in response to an access request under the FOIP Act, subject to any applicable exceptions to disclosure under the FOIP
Act.
Optional:
☐ I agree to allow, Alberta Culture and Tourism, on occasion, to contact the applicant as identified on this
application form to provide information about ministry initiatives or announcements related to the following
topics:
 Grant program changes, funding announcements, and opportunities to provide input/opinion on
programs; and
 Awareness of ministry resources available to the nonprofit sector, including ministry sector events.
Section K: Application Submission
Organizations can submit their application electronically to: [email protected]
If your organization has difficulty submitting an electronic copy, please contact the ECAP staff.
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Appendix A: Supplemental Information Checklist
As all applications are assessed using evidence of organizational capacity, it is strongly recommended
that applicants submit as many of the following items as possible:
Mandatory Information Required:
☐ Certificate of incorporation, objects, bylaws
☐ Organizational chart that includes governance and functional structure, staff positions, Full Time
Employees (FTEs), committees
☐ Most recent financial statements, including
☐ Breakdown of revenue sources (e.g., grants, donations, sponsors, fundraisers)
☐ Operating budget for staffing and programs
☐ Expenditures for professional development
☐ Budget for next three years
Additional Supplemental Information (if supporting one of the questions outlined in the Application):
☐ Letter(s) of support from community
☐ Current strategic plan
☐ Current communication plan
☐ Sample environmental scan
☐ Most recent annual report
☐ Written risk assessments and contingency plans
☐ Board member and senior management biographies
☐ Minutes from a recent board meeting
☐ Policy and procedure manual, including:
☐ Job descriptions for board and key staff positions
☐ Financial
☐ Human resources
☐ Succession plan(s)
☐ List of current partners and funders
☐ Membership list
☐ Short description of physical infrastructure owned/leased
☐ Sample newsletter and other written communication
☐ Recent performance measures and data, including:
☐ Strategic plan
☐ Operational plan
☐ Customer satisfaction
☐ Programs and services (e.g. number of sessions/workshops, participants)
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Appendix B: Outcome Framework
Outcome
Activities
Measures
Timeline
Resources
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NOTE: To add additional information, attach a separate sheet in the same format.
(staffing, space, etc.)
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Appendix C: Budget Template
Please complete the following Budget Template for your organization’s total Revenue and Expenses. Each year’s total revenue should equal each
year’s total expenses. In Year 1, please also indicate the amount of ECAP funding you will be allocating to each expense category. The total ECAP
expenses should equal the revenue requested from ECAP.
Revenue
Projected Total Revenue
YEAR 1
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
$
$
$
Organization Earned Revenue
Confirmed Funding
Anticipated Funding
ECAP Core Funding Requested
ECAP Enhanced Capacity Funding Requested
Other:
TOTAL REVENUE
Expenses
Projected Total Expenses
Total
YEAR 1
Amount Allocated
from ECAP
YEAR 2
YEAR 3
Total
Total
Human Resources (Salaries, Benefits)
Training (Staff, Board, Volunteers)
Sector Services (Program Costs, Convening,
Research)
Office Operations (Supplies, Rent, Utilities,
Insurance)
Advertising (Public Awareness, Marketing)
Communications (Social Media, Telephone,
Postage, Courier, Fax)
Travel
Meetings
Evaluation and Research
Capital
Other:
Total Expenses
$
$
NOTE: To add additional information, attach a separate sheet in the same format.
$
$