ONN services for Ontario’s nonprofit sector

Nonprofit sector pensions

As nonprofits, we play a vital role in the social and economic development of our communities. With a healthier and better-supported workforce, our organizations can lead by example, and be better positioned to strengthen our communities and our province. A decent retirement plan extends the sector’s commitment to building a culture of decent work.

As part of its vision for a stronger nonprofit sector, ONN recommends the OPTrust Select pension plan. The plan offers a stable and secure path to retirement. Employers act as partners in supporting their staff through joint contributions.

ONN Employee Benefits Program

The Employee Benefits Program is part of ONN’s commitment to support Decent Work in the nonprofit sector.

With our experienced partners, we put together a benefits plan that would be attractive enough for larger organizations to consider, yet flexible enough to accommodate smaller organizations that wouldn’t otherwise be able to procure employee benefits.

This program is for members only.

Nonprofit Insurance

Nonprofits are focused on fulfilling their missions, but also want to strengthen their organization’s governance, reduce costs and protect their organization, staff and volunteers. As part of ONN’s membership program, we offer an exclusive insurance program designed specifically for registered not-for-profit corporations operating in Ontario.

Nonprofits have different insurance needs than for-profit businesses. ONN has done all the homework for you.

Buy better with ONN’s partners at Round Table Procurement Services

The sector faces increasing challenges when it comes to cost and spending management. Rising prices, limited resources, public awareness, and regulatory changes – nonprofits are subject to pressures on spending like never before. At the same time, the sector’s collective buying power in Ontario is estimated at $30 billion. The nonprofit sector is a driver of Ontario’s economy. So how can we harness this buying power? What strategy does the sector need for the future to support and strengthen its organization? And what are the opportunities for group buying?

ONN is pleased to partner with Round Table Procurement Services (RTPS), Canada’s leader in nonprofit purchasing support. The purchasing experts at RTPS are ready to support all your nonprofit purchasing needs. Included in our partnership with RTPS is access to the Community Purchasing Network (CPN), the group purchasing program that provides Canadian nonprofits and charities with access to a broad scope of purchasing support, including several Preferred Supplier deals that have been negotiated based on the buying power of the extended network of RTPS-supported nonprofit organizations and charities. 

More about the Purchasing Program

ONN partners with  Round Table Procurement Services (RTPS) to provide nonprofit purchasing support.

What nonprofits need

Nonprofits want supplier solutions that not only help save time, money and stress, but also ensure levels of quality and service needed to run organizations- with the strategies, tools and training to implement them. These solutions need to be:

• Sector-driven
• Providing the best community impact possible
• Consistent with sector values, like being locally made, supporting jobs, environmentally sustainable, high quality, and benefiting equity-deserving groups where possible
• Respectful of the unique needs of nonprofits when it comes to resources and processes to fulfill their missions.

Get the right support

Get support in key areas like these:

• Support for budget development and cost reduction initiatives
• Assistance with the Broader Public Sector (BPS) Procurement Guidelines.
• Advice on working with a suppliers, finding a new one, etc.
• Recommendations on how your purchasing process can be more effective.
• Review of purchasing policies and tools to support operations and minimize your exposure to risk.
• Training or workshops for staff, management, or boards on purchasing best practices, trends, tools, etc.
• Support for a large one-time purchase or project.
• Purchasing policies and tools to support operations and minimize your exposure to risk.

Want more info?

Contact Round Table Procurement Services at info@rtps.ca or visit www.rtps.ca.

Testimonial

The pandemic has caused fractures in the ability of nonprofit organizations to deliver programming and maintain community contact. One such organization with these experiences is the National Association of Friendship Centres. As the challenges rose for the NAFC’s member Friendship Centres, it became increasingly clear to Jocelyn Formsma, the NAFC’s Executive Director, that new approaches were necessary. The Friendship Centres expressed the need to: reduce social isolation for elders and others in the Indigenous community, provide virtual learning tools for kids for educational success, create access to virtual services/programs, and enable community members for work-from-home opportunities. 

In April, Jocelyn reached out via Twitter asking for help. The ONN and RTPS were quick to respond as one of the preferred vendors in the ONN Purchasing Program, Sky Wireless Communications with TELUS, seemed like a perfect match. The end result? More than 400 tablets and laptops are rolling out to Friendship Centres across the country. Jocelyn had high praise for the ONN Purchasing Program, 

We really did not know how to approach this problem. Both RTPS and the supplier’s account rep helped us to navigate and find solutions that fit our needs. We look forward to the days ahead as we reduce uncertainty, maintain connections and enable our community to flourish.

More Great Resources

• Power of purchasing survey: In 2014, ONN did a province-wide study of the sector to better understand opportunities and challenges for sector purchasing, and to find out what could help the sector when purchasing. What we heard is that now is the time to take action to benefit all nonprofits in Ontario through the power of our collective purchasing.
• Well-managed purchasing- It’s about more than just saving you money
• Members-only benefits and services