Community Service Organization FAQs
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In order to be considered for CSO status, an Organization must be a not for profit community organization run by an elected and volunteer board of directors whose prime purpose is to provide recreation, cultural, leisure or community services to the residents of Vaughan. Additional application requirements are listed in Section 4 of the CSO Policy (PDF).
CSO Category Description Minor Children and Youth CSO Groups Groups that exclusively consist of members 19 year of age or under. Heritage Village Fairs Groups that organize events or services intended to foster community spirit or promote the heritage of Vaughan. Older Adults (Seniors Groups) Groups that exclusively consist of members 65 years of age or older. (Note: These groups are governed by the City’s Older Adult Club Policy) Social Service Organizations Non-profit groups that support or provide socially important services to residents of Vaughan General Organizations providing cultural or charitable services or programs, or special interest groups. Schools Public and catholic schools, colleges, and universities (Note: these groups receive automatic approval, and do not include private schools). Ratepayers Organizations formed by a group of residents in a defined area that come together to address issues affecting its neighbourhood (Note: These groups are governed by the City’s Ratepayers Policy). Religious Groups Organizations that provide religious services or programs to Vaughan residents. Adult CSO Groups Groups consisting of members aged 19 to 64. This includes sports group and general interest adult clubs. -
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Facility rental contracts are granted in a fair and equitable manner based on the priority schedule as defined in the Facility Allocation Policy (PDF), in accordance with the Council-approved User Fee Policy rates.
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In order to be eligible as a CSO, groups must:
- Have a membership open to all City of Vaughan residents that does not exclude participation on the ground of race, religion or political affiliation and abide by the Human Rights Code;
- Have a minimum of 75% residents except minor sports groups (aged 19 and under) must be comprised of 90% house-league residents;
- Be a not-for-profit, volunteer based and run by an elected and volunteer board of directors; and,
- Demonstrate they exist for the exclusive benefit of Vaughan residents, and to enhance existing services.
Given that new groups have the potential of reducing the number of hours available to existing users, new user groups will only be considered in cases where a program provides a service to previously underserviced segments of the population or where a new program is being introduced that is not available through existing organizations. When a new group is approved that requires facility time, the City will work with all users of the facility to pursue a change based on the principles of the Facility Allocation Policy.
Groups applying for CSO status intending to offer a similar or duplicate service to an existing one will not be approved if the existing group is not in agreement and can meet the overall demand for the service.
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Interested groups must complete the application process and ensure all information is submitted. See section entitled Application Requirements in the CSO Policy (PDF). Set up an account on the City's Community Service Organizations portal and submit an application to become a City of Vaughan Community Service Organization. Please allow up to eight weeks for processing.
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The City seeks to promote the development of new groups that provide unique services that meet an unmet need for Vaughan residents. To support the development of these groups, the City may provide Emerging Group CSO status to groups that may not meet all of the eligibility criteria outlined in Section 5. Additional information on this categorization can be found in Section 6 of the Community Service Organization (CSO) Policy (PDF).
NOTE: New user groups will only be considered in cases where a program provides a service to previously underserviced segments of the population or where a new program is being introduced that is not available through existing organizations.