The Community Futures Development Association is a not-for-profit corporation representing 33 economic development organizations in British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1992, the CFDA develops and manages a wide range of programs and services, including providing public access to the Internet, funding for entrepreneurial development, access to capital for small businesses, and support for community-based initiatives.

The challenge
The Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs) were established in 1985 as autonomous, locally-based, volunteer-driven organizations. Over the next seven years, these organizations grew to become highly-effective economic development organizations in their regions. The leaders of those organizations recognized that they could further strengthen their capacity by organizing a provincial network that would allow them to collaborate on province-wide initiatives without losing local autonomy. They asked Whalebone Productions to lead them through the process of establishing a provincial association.

Strategy and execution
Working with the Association’s founding directors, Whalebone Productions developed and implemented a strategic plan that brought together a wide range of groups representing communities with diverse geographic and socio-economic backgrounds. Whalebone also identified a need to raise the profile and credibility of the association amongst its members as well as amongst key decision makers at all levels of government and in the private sector.

This was accomplished through the development of strategic partners with leading organizations such as BC Hydro, a Crown Corporation and the province’s largest utility company, and the Royal Bank of Canada, among others. These corporate partnerships brought significant resources to the CFDA’s member groups, allowing them to deliver a wider range of services to their small business clients and helping to strengthen the Association’s position as a capacity-building organization.

Results
The CFDA has grown to become a successful, highly effective organization with eight full-time employees. It was able to access more than $2 million in funds annually, and leverage another $10 million for additional projects and initiatives. Whalebone Productions was also instrumental in spearheading the establishment of the pan-West and pan-Canadian networks to help strengthen the efforts of community economic development nationally as well as internationally.

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