Accreditation

Durham Community Legal Clinic Achieves Accreditation from Imagine Canada’s Standards

DCLC is proud to announce that it has been accredited under Imagine Canada’s Standards. With this achievement, we become part of a respected community of nonprofit organizations dedicated to operational excellence.

The Standards is a recognized nonprofit accreditation created to provide best practices that help organizations improve governance and operations in crucial areas: board governance, financial accountability and transparency, fundraising, human resources, and volunteer involvement.

“Becoming accredited is an important step on our journey towards offering our clients meaningful and quality service.  DCLC has served the residents of Durham Region with dedication for almost 40 years. This accreditation milestone is another signal of our continued commitment to provide access to justice for the community of Durham Region” says Patrick Gillespie, Executive Director.

About the Standards

Imagine Canada‘s Standards are designed to elevate organizational excellence and transparency within charities and nonprofits. The goal is to foster resilience and bolster public confidence in both individual organizations and the sector as a whole. The accreditation process involves meeting 73 rigorous standards spanning financial management and accountability, fundraising, board governance, human resources, and volunteer involvement.

Peer-review Process and Compliance

Our policies and procedures in the five areas of compliance were evaluated by a group of volunteers from the sector and were found to be compliant with the Standards. Accredited organizations are required to complete full reaccreditation on a five-year basis. Compliance and continuous improvement during the accreditation period are supported through a reporting process that requires organizations to submit evidence demonstrating selected standards are being met.

“On the journey toward great governance, organizations pursue accreditation as a public testament to their commitment to the highest standards of transparency and accountability. We offer our sincere congratulations to the newly accredited and re-accredited organizations, key players in our Standards community of close to 280 organizations nationwide.” said Bruce MacDonald, President and CEO of Imagine Canada. “By achieving accreditation, these organizations have solidified themselves as leaders in  integrity, efficiency, and transparency in the nonprofit sector.”

“In order to achieve access to justice within Durham Region, the Durham Community Legal Clinic must be able to demonstrate service excellence at all levels of the organization. This requires staff providing direct service, the leadership team and the Board of Directors to work together cohesively and effectively.” said Dave Musgrave, Board Chair of DCLC. “The achievement of accreditation through Imagine Canada is reflective of the incredible dedication of all involved to providing the highest quality of service for marginalized members of the community including those living in poverty.”