The organization
The Community Futures Development Association of BC (CFDA) is a non-profit corporation representing 31 community economic development organizations in British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1992, the CFDA develops and manages a wide range of programs and services, including a program that assists communities in providing public access to the internet, funding for entrepreneurial development, access to capital for small businesses, and support for community initiatives.

The challenge
The 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 is 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 autonomy at the local level. They asked Whalebone Productions to lead them through the process of establishing an effective 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 new 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, the Royal Bank of Canada, the Insurance Corporation of BC (ICBC), and Industry Canada, among others. These corporate partnerships brought significant resources to the CFDA’s members, provided positive, measurable results and helped strengthen the Association’s position as a capacity building organization.

In addition, Whalebone Productions undertook the following initiatives:

• Corporate profile
  Design and production of a high quality, professional looking corporate profile and interactive CD ROM describing the CFDA’s background and services
  
  
• Website
  Design, production and ongoing maintenance of a comprehensive website (www.communityfutures.ca) providing information about the Community Futures Association and its member groups, and featuring small business and entrepreneurial success stories from around the province.
  
  
• Conferences
  Organization of several provincial and pan-western conferences which brought together community leaders and decision-makers from B.C. and across western Canada, including representatives from municipal, provincial and federal government.

Results
The CFDA has grown to become a successful, highly effective organization with six full-time employees and two part-time special project managers. It was able to access more than $2 million in funds and leverage another $10 million for various projects and initiatives. It was also instrumental in spearheading the establishment of the pan-western and pan-Canadian organizations to help strengthen the efforts of community economic development at the national level.

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