Charitable Gaming News
Friday, August 14, 2020
cGaming Update
As of August 12th, all cGaming sites that closed March 16th are up and running. In addition, we are welcoming three new sites - Power Play Gaming, Tecumseh (opened in early March), Delta Bingo & Gaming Downsview, Toronto (now open), and All Star Gaming, Windsor (opening soon).  

Operators have worked very hard to put in place excellent health and safety plans to ensure the well-being of their staff and customers. Currently, there is a limit of 50 customers on-site with numerous health protocols in place. In most sites Tap and Play and Play on Demand games are operating with session bingo being delayed for the time being. 

Because many of our volunteers work with vulnerable populations no volunteers will be in the sites in the interim with this being evaluated in late September.  Charities are carrying out other tasks during this time in return for a share of the revenues. Volunteers will not be returned to the sites until there is a comfort level and it is appropriate to do so. OCGA will consult with associations, Coordinators and the OLG on the potential timing. We will also be exploring options for the role of volunteers to ensure their health and safety when performing their assignments in the sites.  

Policies and Standards for Charities have been revised and updated. Charity Coordinators should be distributing the document to all charities.

OCGA has now completed the development of an On-Line Volunteer Training package. This training will be used by all new volunteers going forward. There needed to be a revamp of the training to update and ensure consistency across the Province. This will also relieve Charity Coordinators of this task. The training is interactive and provides notification to the Charity Coordinator that a volunteer has been trained. This will replace all existing volunteer training.  
AGCO - Interim Opportunities for Licensed Bingo Centres
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) allowed license bingo centres to offer various forms of media bingo in response to COVID-19. Delta Bingo & Gaming Downsview ran a successful series of games through their Facebook page prior to their transition to cGaming and Community Gaming and Entertainment in Windsor ran a number of very successful parking lot bingo games. 

These innovative forms of bingo are being explored for longer-term use and potential use in cGaming sites.  
Charitable Promotional Fund
Work has continued over the past few months on developing a name, logo and messaging to convey the impact that charitable gaming makes in communities across the province. We are very pleased that we are reaching the final stages of development and should be in a position to reveal the new messaging in the next few weeks. This will provide a consistent look for charity messaging across all cGaming sites and future campaigns will assist in increasing awareness of the contribution our 2,000 cGaming charities to local communities. Mary O’Neill, Promotional Fund Coordinator, OCGA, has done a terrific job of leading this initiative for us.  
Ontario Trillium Foundation's Resilient Communities Fund
The Ontario government is investing $83 million through the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF) to provide grants to help eligible non-profit organizations, including food banks, child and youth programs and Royal Canadian Legion branches, recover from COVID-19 and continue the delivery of vital programming in their communities.

The OTF's Resilient Communities Fund will provide grants of up to $150,000 to help eligible non-profit organizations rebuild and recover from the impacts of COVID-19 with support for:

  • Equipping board members and employees with supports to implement new approaches, prepare for change and build resiliency (e.g. organizational training and coaching, strategic planning and implementation, research & development, mental and physical health and wellbeing supports);

  • Improving and increasing ability to access financial resources and develop new and/or alternative sources of revenues (e.g. develop fundraising plans, identify fundraising and financial technology resources, seek opportunities for public-private partnerships and social finance);

  • Adapting or re-imagining the delivery of programs and services to meet the needs of the community, employees and volunteers (e.g. identify new health and safety processes and required personal protective equipment, technology supports, staffing and volunteer recruitment and training);

  • Procuring equipment or renovating spaces to meet the changing needs of the organization, its programs and services, and adapt to new ways of working (e.g. equipment and/or renovations to meet changing technology health and safety, and service delivery requirements); and

  • Creating and/or adopting new approaches for organizations to work together to meet the needs of communities (e.g. peer learning, professional development, networking, resource, knowledge and data sharing).

Grant amounts: From $5,000 to $150,000 
Grant term: up to 1 year

Application Deadlines*: September 2, 2020 at 5 pm ET. and December 2, 2020 at 5 pm ET

For more information, visit the Ontario Trillium Foundation website on eligibility requirements and application deadlines.
Annual General Meetings and COVID-19 Update
At the request of Charitable Gaming Centre Associations, we are once again sharing information on Annual General Meetings under COVID-19. This is frequently a time for AGMs to occur and financial statements to be completed. Due to COVID-19, it likely will not be possible to hold in-person meetings, and it may be difficult to have audited statements completed on time. There are special conditions that have been allowed by both the Ontario government and the Federal government for charities and not-for-profits faced with AGM deadlines.

Not-for-Profits Incorporated Under the Ontario Corporations Act (OCA)

Charitable Gaming Centre Associations in cGaming fall under the Ontario Corporations Act (OCA).

The OCA requires not-for-profits to hold an AGM within 15-months of the previous AGM or within 6-months of their fiscal year-end.  As of July 29, 2020, the Ontario Emergency Order ended so AGMs should be held within 90 days of this date. For those not-for-profits whose AGMs fall within the first 30-days after the order is removed, they have a total of 120 days from the removal date to hold their AGM. Also, AGMs may be held virtually as long as by-laws do not prohibit this.

Not-for-Profits Incorporated Under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA)

For organizations incorporated under the Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act (CNCA), also requires an AGM to be held within 15-months of the previous AGM or within 6-months of the fiscal year-end.  However, to extend the time-frame for the AGM a request for an extension must be obtained from Corporations Canada. Also, a request must be made to Corporations Canada for delaying the filing of financial statements. AGMs may be held virtually as long as by-laws do not prohibit this.

If you are incorporated under the CNCA, to request a delay for your AGM please click on apply to delay a not-for-profit corporation's annual meeting due to COVID-19.