Stewardship Works!

Volunteer organizations are the heart, hands and legs of conservation and stewardship across British Columbia.

Online Capacity Benchmarking Framework

This framework provides a strategic process by which stewardship groups can evaluate and measure their performance in relation to best practices. Also referred to as a benchmarking tool, this process enables an organization to look at their current capacity and compare it to an optimal level of functionality and efficiency in order to improve their level of organizational performance. Predetermined milestones are used as “check-in” points to monitor progress toward building organizational capacity.

The following short video (6 mins) describes the StewardshipWorks! project, including the impacts and the importance of core funding to stewardship and conservation organizations.

The StewardshipWorks! project completed research to explore the impacts of providing long-term, reliable small core funding grants to stewardship and conservation organizations throughout BC.

Through a 3-year pilot project (2008-2011), it has been found that this new model affords freedom for groups to fulfil their missions and ensures accountability to the funders who believe in them.

Download the full report on the outcomes of this project:

Stewardship Works! A Core Funding Program for Stewardship and Conservation Organizations in British Columbia: Evaluation Summary Report

Capacity Building: A Framework for Strengthening Stewardship in BC

The Stewardship Centre for British Columbia Society (SCBC) promotes stewardship of natural values as the foundation for sustainability. We recognize the need to build capacity to support and strengthen the varied and passionate work of the B.C. stewardship community. Capacity building, which is the systematic strengthening of the capabilities of an organization, has been a key ingredient for organizations and community groups to realize their full potential. Our capacity-building initiatives build upon the Stewardship Works! project by looking at additional mechanisms to build capacity within the Stewardship Community, such as a Capacity Building Benchmarking Framework.

Other StewardshipWorks! Reports

Previous Project Reports

• StewardshipWorks! Year One Evaluation Report
• StewardshipWorks! Year Three Evaluation Report
• StewardshipWorks! Providing Core Funding to Non-Profits: A Review of the Research Landscape and the Pilot Stewardship Works! Initiative
• StewardshipWorks! Interview Findings – Capacity Building: A Framework for Strengthening Stewardship in British Columbia

Stewardship Works! Funding For Success Workshop – Nov 3, 2010

• StewardshipWorks! Workshop Discussion Paper

Workshop Welcome by Mark Angelo, chair of the Rivers Institute at BCIT, provided a few welcoming comments to the Workshop Participants via video:

Stewardship Works! 2007 Workshop

• StewardshipWorks! Stewardship Works! Supporting Community-based Stewardship in BC – A document summarizing the extensive research that has been carried out over the past five years examining the status of British Columbia’s stewardship community.

• Stewardship Works! May 23, 2007  Workshop Report and Funding Model – Thirty-two representatives from funders, federal and provincial governments, and stewardship organizations met for a one-day workshop on May 23, 2007. Their task was to provide input into the draft Stewardship Works! core funding model proposed by the Stewardship Centre for BC in partnership with the Ministry of Environment.