About us > Annual Reports > Community Impact Report 2005-2006
Learning through Evaluation
Our first community impact report shows the far-reaching work of FSA Toronto and our commitment to improvement, accountability and collaboration.
For more than 90 years, Family Service Association of Toronto has strived to make a positive and significant difference in the lives of people in our community. From our early days providing relief to families affected by the influenza virus to helping women escape violence in the home today, the positive impact we have on people's lives is the reason our staff are proud to come to FSA Toronto every day. It is why our board strives to ensure that they make sound decisions for the agency on behalf of the community and why donors and funders believe in and invest in our work.
Our first Community Impact Report is an effort to evaluate FSA Toronto's impact and to share what we learn with you - in detail and with an openness that we have never tried before. This inaugural edition of what will become an annual report is an innovation for our agency and a first step toward a more evidence-based practice. As a first step, it is not a comprehensive analysis of all areas of our organization; rather it highlights some areas where we have begun to collect evaluation data. The result is a balanced but not exhaustive picture of FSA Toronto.
The process of innovation can bring success as well as opportunities to learn. In this report, we have flagged information that we think merits celebration as well as information that we see as learning opportunities.
The Community Impact Report delivers on our strategic commitment to be a leader in measuring impact. It is a product of the Community Impact Committee, a collaboration of staff, board and community members, who looked at various areas of our business and identified indicators of our progress on each of our strategic directions. We would like to thank everyone involved in creating the report--from the staff who collected, compiled and analyzed the data to the committee who evaluated it.
We are also deeply thankful for the contributions of many others toward the work of FSA Toronto. To say that our staff are dedicated to our mission is an understatement. They do everything in their power to make a difference and consistently demonstrate the creativity and compassion that have become hallmarks of FSA Toronto's work. To them, we say thank you.
Our volunteers also deserve heartfelt thanks. Because of their involvement we are able to have a greater impact on the lives of marginalized people. In particular, the members of our volunteer board deserve our recognition and thanks. We are grateful for the considerable time, talents and efforts that they and the members of our community advisory committees bring to FSA Toronto.
Finally, we would like to express our gratitude to the United Way, our government partners and to FSA Toronto's donors. We greatly appreciate your investment in our agency and our mission. Your support makes it possible to do the important work we do, and we will continue to strive each day toward our shared vision of a better city.
Thank you.
Peter Kinch, President
Yves Savoie, Executive Director
