Option B: Community-Based Organizations in Toronto
Please select one of the following five community-based organizations in Toronto. You are to find information about the mission, mandate, and services, programs, and/or activities of the community-based organization through information gleaned from the organization’s website as well as information found in reports and media searches (ie. newspaper articles, videos, etc.). • Regent Park Community Health Centre (Regent Park, downtown Toronto) • East Scarborough Storefront (Kingston-Galloway/Orton Park, Scarborough) • Malvern Family Resource Centre (Malvern, Scarborough) • Jane/Finch Community and Family Centre (Jane and Finch area, North York) • Black Creek Community Farm Questions to address are included below. You do not have to answer these questions in order. You may choose to emphasize a few of the questions more than others – you do not need to pay equal attention to all of the questions. Do not just describe the CBO – you are to go a step further and analyze it. • What is purpose and rationale for the community-based organization? • Does it have a formal mission and/or mandate? • How is the organization governed and structured? (ie. does it have a board of directors? Large or small staff?) 3 • What is the history of the organization? (when, why, and how did it start and how has it grown?) • How does the organization obtain its funding? Who are the funders? • What are the services, programs, and/or activities that the organization engages in and/or provides? How does it engage and how are these programs/services provided? • What is the role of ‘community’ and community actors (residents, for example) in this organization? • What community development and/or community organization and organizing approaches are reflected in its work? You are to relate the information that you glean about the community-based organization to material drawn from lectures, course readings, and additional academic material (found in library search) on community-based organizations and community development. Interviews with staff or using quotes from personal conversations with organization staff or other people are not allowed.
