Vancouver Island Region
Restorative Justice Association
Start A Program
The Basics – the starting point
Determine Need
1. Talk to referral agents (local police, schools, etc) for support
2. Talk to community (groups, associations, etc) as you will draw your volunteers from the community
3. Reach out to other VIRRJA/RJ programs for guidance. Many will have documents, manuals, and advice they will be willing to share. Gather as much information as you can and keep what works for your program.
4. Gather volunteers from your community, build connections and start your own non-profit
Option: Register as a Non-Profit or Charity
Apply for Name approval and Non-profit Society status
1.Name: An application for name approval and society status can be found at BC Registries make sure the name hasn’t been used already and that it is appropriate for use.
2. Included in this application you will need to provide:
a) directors minimum (could be the committee above for the first year)
b) a constitution outlining the purposes for creating the society
c) bylaws – which can be modelled on the template provided by the Societies Act
Charitable Status:
To issue tax receipts, a society will need to apply to the Canada Revenue Agency for charitable status. This is a separate application. While lay people can do it, it is one of those areas where you would be advised to get legal advice to save yourself headaches down the road. It could take a year from the date of the application to be approved.
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References to help get started:
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BC Government - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/not-for-profit-organizations/societies
Choosing a Name: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/not-for-profit-organizations/societies/name-society
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Incorporating your Society - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/not-for-profit-organizations/societies/incorporate-society
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Adopting model or writing new bylaws - https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/employment-business/business/not-for-profit-organizations/societies/incorporate-society/bylaws
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How to Apply to VIRRJA
We welcome all interested individuals or programs to join VIRRJA.
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New Member programs and individual practitioners are welcome to apply
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Membership Annual Fee renewable annually on or before January 31.
$25.00/year for RJ programs on Vancouver Island, sunshine Coast and all Gulf Islands.
$25.00 / year for affiliate RJ programs and practitioners
$10.00 / year for Students
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Contact secretary@virrja.ca for more information