SECOR provides pro-bono services to a number of organizations each year in an effort to contribute to the communities our offices reside in. We view our contributions as an excellent opportunity to assist organizations and charities in need.

If you are interested in learning more about our pro-bono services, please contact us.

The Royal Ontario Museum (ROM) was formally created by the Ontario Legislature in 1912 and is currently the largest museum in Canada. In combining a universal museum of cultures with that of natural history, the ROM offers an unusual breadth of experience to visitors and scholars from around the world. Annually, it welcomes between 750,000 to over a million visitors.

The ROM’s collections and research serve as the basis for programs ranging from formal student education courses to public debates, lectures, symposia, films, tours, publications, travel and family activities. Through the ROM’s Institute for Contemporary Culture, the museum also explores current issues through works of art and programs in many media.

The ROM is near completion of a major capital project (Renaissance ROM) that will see the building of 27 new galleries, the liberation of many stranded collections, the addition of valuable public amenities, and the creation of dramatic new architecture in the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, designed by Daniel Libeskind. This is among the largest capital projects in the history of Canadian cultural institutions, and brings the assets of the museum fully to the public again even as the ROM prepares to celebrate its centenary in 2014.
 

Description of Mandate Member attraction and retention strategy   Duration 3 months (2007-2008)   Client Situation The ROM Governors wanted to better understand current membership at the patron level, determine performance of the program for member satisfaction, and identify areas for improvement.

Approach/Activities Conducted telephone and online surveys with members of the Royal Patrons’ Circle to better understand needs and wants Reviewed current program offerings for strengths and areas for development Put together a final report analyzing the current situation and proposing improvements and potential initiatives Outcomes SECOR assisted the ROM Governors in better understanding its membership base at the patron level, and developed a retention and attraction strategy. The report was well received by the ROM Governors and provided the basis for progress within the Royal Patrons’ Circle program.

Altruvest Charitable Services is a registered Canadian charity founded in 1994. The organization’s mission is to expand the talent pool, and enhance the governance skills of charitable sector boards and senior leaders, fostering more effective charities and stronger Canadian communities.

Excellent organizations start with good governance. However, in Canada there are over 1 million board volunteers, with a turnover of at least 25% annually, and many have little or no training as to their roles and responsibilities before assuming the directorship.

Individuals with private sector experience are eager to volunteer but many lack a basic understanding of the charitable sector and don’t know how to get involved. Altruvest’s solution is to act as a bridge between these volunteers and the charitable organizations. This is done through two core governance programs: BoardMatch Fundamentals and BoardMatch Leaders. Altruvest has also introduced a new program called BoardWorx Executive Director, which focuses on enhancing the skill sets of senior staff in the charitable sector.