The Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration recently announced a five-year, one million dollar initiative to explore ways in which to help nonprofit organizations manage and reduce their liability risks and get the right insurance coverage. This focus group is part of a study to broaden understanding of current insurance practices in Ontario's voluntary sector.

Recognizing the importance of a healthy and vibrant voluntary sector, the Ontario Ministry of Citizenship and Immigration recently announced a five-year, one million dollar initiative to explore ways in which to help nonprofit organizations manage and reduce their liability risks and get the right insurance coverage. In conjunction with the Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies at Ryerson University, Imagine Canada, the Insurance Bureau of Canada, and the Insurance Broker's Association of Ontario, the Ministry is undertaking a study to broaden understanding of current insurance practices in Ontario's voluntary sector.

To this end, Dr. Agnes Meinhard, Director of the Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies at Ryerson University has recently received a research grant from the Ontario Government to learn more about insurance practices in nonprofit organizations. The study is titled: Insurance and Risk Management in Ontario Nonprofit Organizations. We are writing to invite you to participate, anonymously, in this study as a focus group participant.

The purpose of our study is to survey nonprofit and voluntary organizations in Ontario in order to better understand how they are coping with increasing insurance premiums. Information from this study will be used to help develop strategies for dealing with increased rates, including group insurance solutions and risk management practices. The information collected will be useful to all nonprofit organizations in developing strategies to deal with increasing insurance rates. A large-scale web survey is also being conducted.

During the focus group participants will be talking informally with the principal investigator of the study and a facilitator. The meeting will take approximately 1.5 hours. Refreshments will be served and any transportation costs incurred by participants for travel to the meeting will be covered by the research project. To thank you for your time, a donation will also be made to your organization.

Thursday March 27th, 3-5 pm
Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies, Ryerson University Ted Rogers School of Management, 9th floor Room 3-066
55 Dundas Street W. (just W. of Eaton Centre)

The entire study design, including the focus group questions, has been approved by the Research Ethics Board of Ryerson University. The discussion will be confidential. If we wish to quote a participant directly (but anonymously), we will send them the quotation and request consent before using it.

In order to conform to the university's ethics protocol, willing participants will be given a consent agreement with contact names for the researchers involved should you have any follow-up questions.

Agnes Meinhard, PhD
Director, Centre for Voluntary Sector Studies, Ryerson University cvss@ryerson.ca (416) 979-5000 x 6739

Website: http://