Terms of Reference

Objectives and composition approved by FCDSA Council June 15, 2013

Mandate To provide advice to the Council of the Federation of Canadian Dentistry Student Associations (FCDSA) on the effective financial management of the Federation.

Objectives

  1. Development of activity plans and related budgets for the approval of Council.
  2. Exploration and securing of sponsorship funding and other sources of revenue to support proposed activity plans.
  3. Presentation of a financial report of all revenues and expenditures to the Council on an annual basis.

Composition

The Finance Committee will consist of the Vice-President as Chair, and four (4) other members of the Council.

Meetings

The Committee will meet annually by teleconference. Additional electronic meetings or conference calls may be held to be determined in consultation with the Chair and staff support.

Reporting/Accountability

The Committee will report to the FCDSA Council following its yearly meeting and as required.

Staff Support

Staff support is available through the FCDSA Secretariat.

Membership:

Chair: Nada Tabbara (Western '17) - Vice-President

Members: Jennifer Branch (Western ’17), Danielle Gray (Saskatchewan ’17), Bryan Wong (Manitoba ’16), Monique Bouchard (Secretariat) – staff support

Activities

This year, the Finance Committee focused on developing a sponsorship package, identifying potential revenue streams, focusing on sponsorship.

  • The FC developed an FCDSA Sponsorship Package which is included in the 2016 AGM resources.  This package was shared with a number of potential sponsors and telephone/video conferences were held with two major dental supply companies.  While no commitments were made, discussions continue.
  • While in Vancouver to attend meetings with ACFD, Executive and Finance Committee members visited potential sponsors during the Pacific Dental Conference.
  • FCDSA developed a program to invite current or former dentistry students, as well as colleagues within dental schools and from organized dentistry at large to make monetary gifts to the federation. All monetary gifts will be put towards FCDSA operational/administrative costs and any programs and activities approved by the FCDSA Council.  A form now appears in the Supporters section of the FCDSA website.
  • The Secretariat researched costs for accepting credit card payments, including the use of PayPal or similar internet systems.
  • Financial services continue to be managed by The Secretariat with the assistance of CDA staff.

Results – 2015 Financial Report

The Secretariat provided a financial report of all revenues and expenditures for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015.  Here are some notes on the results for the year:

  • The 2015 Financial Report shows a year-end deficit of $495.40, due to an unused travel credit from 2014 which was expensed in 2015. Assets, including cash, accounts receivable and prepaid expenses, total $12,905.30.
  • The 2015 AGM was sponsored by CDSPI and came in under budget.  CDSPI agreed that FCDSA should reserve $3,000 to be applied toward the 2016 AGM.
  • NDEB continues to provide funding to allow two members of the Executive to attend to NDEB Annual Meeting in October of each year. This is part of an agreement between FCDSA and NDEB.
  • This year, FCDSA funded the attendance of its President to the ASDA Annual Session.
  • The CDA invited one FCDSA representative to their Annual General Meeting held in April, providing funding for related travel and accommodation expenses.
  • The majority of other governance-related activities, including Executive and other committee meetings/activities, and administration is run through the FCDSA Secretariat which is located at the CDA Head Office in Ottawa and supported through the sponsorship in kind provided by the CDA.
  • A proposed resolution for the approval for the 2015 Financial Report is included at the end of this report.

Results – 2016 and 2017 Activity Plans

At its last AGM, the Council approved an activity plan for 2016.  Here are some notes on results to date:

  • CDSPI generously agreed to sponsor the 2016 AGM to the amount of $35,000. This significant increase allowed the FCDSA Council to hold its first Planning Session. The 2016 budget was adjusted accordingly.
  • The adjusted AGM budget reflects a possible deficit of $1,250. As we preferred to over-estimate expenses for the extra day, we hope that expenses will once again come in under budget. 
  • The Executive developed a revised activity plan for 2016 and a proposed activity plan for 2017. A proposed resolution for the approval of these plans is included at the end of this report. 

Summary and Reflection

Much work is needed to develop a sustainable financial model for the FCDSA. Working with potential sponsors, it has become clear that more creative ways of forming partnerships are needed, including tapping into resources rather than asking for actual funds.  That said, funds are still very much needed if we hope to expand our activity plans.

Looking ahead to a possible national dental student conference, the FCDSA needs to prepare for processing registrations. Adding credit card payments would facilitate receipt and processing of such registrations as well as other payments or monetary gifts.

Next Steps

  1. Continue working to develop a sustainable financial model.
  2. Revise the sponsorship package for 2016-2017 including additional partnerships options.
  3. Develop short list of potential sponsors for each sponsorship category and schedule telephone/video conferences between June and September in order to secure sponsorships for the 2016-2017 activities.
  4. If requested, participate as needed in discussions regarding a possible dental student conference.
  5. If feasible, implement processes for receiving credit card payments.
  6. Revisit the proposal to member associations regarding FCDSA Council member involvement in planning local events and FCDSA helping to generate sponsorship funds for these events.

Proposed Resolutions

BE IT RESOLVED that the Financial Statements for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2015 be accepted as presented.

BE IT RESOLVED that the revised activity plan for 2016 and the proposed activity for 2017 be approved as presented.