Association Governance & Best Practices

Lake Associations are the backbone of waterfront communities across Ontario. FOCA wants volunteer associations to thrive!

FOCA’s network of member associations has combined knowledge on a variety of topics important to volunteer waterfront and road groups! There is no need to “reinvent the wheel” when there are handy resources to be shared among members.

FOCA is the hub of a network of over 525 member Associations across the province. This network has key peer information to share about governance practices, engagement, success stories and shared experiences. 

Check out this video highlighting “Associations in Action” created by FOCA and posted on YouTube. Please share this in your own member news, as part of a membership drive, or on social media.

Use the resources on this webpage, and then share your own success stories with FOCA, so your peers can benefit from your knowledge and experience!

 

You Asked: “How can we best use FOCA resources and show our members the value of our FOCA membership?” Click to download FOCA’s answer (PDF, 1 page), including links to our top tips for Associations.

banner image: Association Toolkit

Member resources related to good governance:

We refer to these resources as a ‘Toolkit’ for volunteer associations like yours.

Here are some highlights about what current Association Members can access below:

  • tips for starting & building a successful Lake Association or Road Association (just starting an association? Contact the FOCA office for assistance!)
  • governance guidance (annual filings, meetings, taxes and more), including tips for managing during the pandemic, and what incorporated associations need to do now, in order to comply with the Ontario Non-profit Corporations Act that comes into full effect in 2024
  • samples of a “welcome sheet” for the lake, a template Association Binder you can customize
  • sample by-laws
  • tips for finding and engaging more members & volunteers
  • risk management & insurance considerations for volunteer groups
  • help with digital communications (website, social media, virtual meetings)
  • and much more… 

The following is members-only content!

The following resources are only available to members of our Member Associations.

If you are already registered on the FOCA website, please login below with your Username and Password.

Need help with your login? Contact us for assistance during business hours. Not yet a Member Association? Find out why you should be!

More FOCA Member Association Resources:

Scroll down, or use the following links to jump directly to particular topics on this or other FOCA webpages:

Make sure you’re using all your Association membership benefits and services!

Here are more Member Association resources, and links to additional webpages:

You're missing members-only content!

The following resources about ONCA are only available to members of our Member Associations.

If you are already registered on the FOCA website, please login below with your Username and Password.

Need help with your login? Contact us for assistance during business hours. Not yet a Member Association? Find out why you should be!