Approximately one in five Quebec residents (19% or 1.1 million people) volunteered through a charitable or nonprofit organization, according to the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating. This is a decrease from 22% in 1997.

November 2008 marks the end of an era for the Volunteer Bureau. Over a year after our friend and colleague Kevin Cohalan announced his intention to step down as executive director, the moment has arrived. The months leading up to his retirement gave the board of directors and the staff time to prepare for the change, to define the qualities needed in a new director and to ensure a successful transition.

I am writing to invite you to participate in an exciting opportunity from our PricewaterhouseCoopers Canada Foundation! Through our Leadership Grants Program, our Foundation is once again offering grants to support the leadership development of existing and emerging leaders at charities across Canada.

In a provocative suggestion, Willie Cheng, author of a new book on not for profit management suggests "Ultimate success occurs when the nonprofit's mission is achieved and its existence in no longer needed".

There is much evidence pointing to the positive effects of volunteering. The good outcomes of investing hours in voluntary work are widely known and include: Increased self-esteem, producing an increased sense of well-being*, Remaining active and socially engaged in old age helps identity and well-being**, Volunteering enables feeling good about one's situation in life*** and Volunteers have a greater sense of satisfaction in feeling that they are making a contribution to wider society.#

A new Facebook application called Volunteer Connect will launch in the coming days and we are looking for volunteer centres across Canada to get involved. We believe that the application has the potential to increase volunteering as millions of Canadians use Facebook on a daily basis.

As we move toward Election Day on October 14, 2008, organizations like yours have an opportunity to meet the candidates in our ridings and to inform them on issues that are relevant to our sector.

On three Friday afternoons this Fall, COCo will be offering legal information workshops on these popular topics:  An Introduction to Applying for Charitable Status, Board Liability and Non-Profit Organizations and Employer and Employee Rights and Responsibilities.

Any public, parapublic or non-profit organization in Québec that works in the fields of environmental protection and sustainable development and that would like to offer a stimulating professional experience for interns between the ages of 18 and 30 can apply to become an Eco-Internship partner organization.

Le Centre St-Pierre propose aux directeurs et coordinateurs des organismes communautaires un nouveau programme de perfectionnement intitulé Nouvelles avenues de formation. Les thèmes traités comprennent la gouvernance démocratique, la planification du développement organisationnel, la production de plans d'actions, de rapports d'activités, de bilans annuels ainsi que la gestion des ressources humaines.