Posted Tue, 16 Nov 2010, 3:53am by Shawn Sheridan
One of the things that makes OutSport Toronto such a valuable organisation in my mind is our ability to build bridges and connect our member organisations to their mutual benefit, including when they're in a bind.
I was fortunate enough to attend the steering committee meeting this past September of one of our member organisations. Not only did it give me a great opportunity to talk to that group about OutSport Toronto and answer any question they had, it also gave me the chance to better understand the various challenges that that they were facing.
One particular challenge was around financial reporting, and in particular, to regulatory agencies. Like so many not-for-profit volunteer groups, this member was somewhat behind in their record keeping and filing. Turn-over on boards without a good succession and hand-over plan can cause a lot of head- and hear-ache! After their treasurer expressed his anxiety over the situation, the president turned to me and said, "Ok, Mr. OutSport Toronto, can you help?" I was on the spot!
"Let me take it away," I responded. A month later I was attending another member's board meeting, where their treasurer had just finished his report. Now, I knew he was an accountant, so I explained the situation with the former member organisation, and asked if he'd be willing to talk to their treasurer. "Sure, no problem."
Last I heard, the former organisation had, with the help of my accountant friend of the latter member organisation, solved their reporting dilemma.
What a great outcome!
Working together, we can all benefit. That's one of the reasons I believe in OutSport Toronto. And it's one of the many reasons why I believe it's of benefit for LGBT sports organisations to belong to OutSport Toronto. We have amazing talent and know-how all over our community. We just need to understand how to leverage it. And OutSport Toronto can help.
To find out more about how to become a member of OutSport Toronto, click here.
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