CAUSEWAY WORK CENTRE & CAUSEWAY FOUNDATION ARE MERGING!
We are very pleased to announce that the Boards of Directors for Causeway Work Centre and Causeway Foundation have made the considered decision to merge into one organization. This means all the programs, services, social enterprises, fundraising, and care for the 22 O’Meara building that houses it all, will all happen within a single, unified organization: Causeway Work Centre.
NO DISRUPTION TO OUR PROGRAMS
The merge between the Causeway Foundation and Causeway Work Centre will not impact the delivery of our employment programs and services. We take a client-centered approach to all of our decision making which means that we would not move forward with this change unless we were certain it would allow us to better serve our clients and the community. We are uniting under one Causeway to more effectively work toward our mission to build better communities by employing each persons’ abilities.
WHY WE ARE MERGING
The two-organization structure of Causeway made a lot of sense when Causeway Foundation was founded in 1998 and it served us and our clients well for many years. The truth is, that structure no longer suits us because we have outgrown it. Over the last few years, we started to take notice that this structure was hindering our ability to work as effectively as possible for our clients, our community partners, our donors and stakeholders.
A few years ago, the leadership of the Causeway Work Centre and Causeway Foundation boards jointly committed to examining the governance structure. Through deep reflection and with the guidance of qualified consultants, the boards arrived at the unanimous decision to merge the two organizations.
The following announcement regarding the merger is from our President, Stephen Willetts, and Past President, Andrew Vey:
“For quite some time the Boards have studied the issue of a potential merger of the Work Centre and Foundation. We worked closely together and sought expert advice to build a single governance model. Recently, the Boards of Directors for the Causeway Work Centre and the Foundation jointly endorsed a proposal to merge into a single organization. The move to a “One Causeway” structure is intended to simplify our governance system.
We want to assure you that no substantive changes to Causeway’s staffing or scope of work are expected as a result of this announcement. The biggest change will be to the Boards themselves. Work to facilitate the “One Causeway” governance model will be undertaken over the next several months.
We are excited for the opportunities this change will bring to Causeway and the possibilities it will open up for us to advance our mandate of providing quality supported employment services in Ottawa.”
– Stephen Willetts, President, and Andrew Vey, Past President
We believe that merging will enable more effective governance of Causeway’s important work in the community by accomplishing these goals:
Clarify roles and responsibilities
Eliminate duplication
Improve communication flow and collaboration
Enhance focus on our clients and adapting to their needs
The act of merging is a long process. It will involve transferring the responsibilities and assets of Causeway Foundation to Causeway Work Centre, and then legally ceasing the operations of Causeway Foundation. The activities of Causeway Foundation will continue under the umbrella of Causeway.
Today, all board members of Causeway Foundation have been made board members of Causeway Work Centre. Stephen Willetts, the President of Causeway Foundation’s board is the new President of Causeway’s board. That was done to ensure continuity through the merger and beyond.
We are deeply grateful for the past board members and volunteers of Causeway Work Centre and Causeway Foundation who lent their time and talents to helping Causeway continue its support of our clients. This is the next step for us and we’re excited to share this next part of the journey with our community partners and stakeholders.
WHY NOW?
The decision to merge was planned long before the pandemic. The current challenges faced by the people we serve as a result of the pandemic has only increased our resolve to ensure we can effectively support as many people as possible. In recent years, we have taken steps towards operating as one organization and now it’s time we make it official!
WHAT’S NEXT?
As an organization, Causeway is always looking for ways to continue supporting people through listening to the needs of our clients and to the broader needs of our community. As one united agency, we are committed to working with our community to create a network of supports across our city to ensure everyone gets the support they need in all aspects of their lives. Being ready to work means having a foundation of supports in all areas of your life and, together, we can build stronger communities. Together, we work towards a vision of creating working communities where everyone is seen as invaluable.