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Where do I join or renew as a Member Association?
Question: If my lake association is a member of FOCA, am I a member?
Answer: Yes!
If you are a paid member of one of FOCA’s member Associations, you are a FOCA member and can access all the benefits of membership, including Members-only resources on this website. Search for your Association name here:
Cottage, lake and road associations are the backbone of waterfront Ontario.
FOCA is made up of more than 525 property Associations across Ontario cottage country – a total of 50,000 families. Our united voice carries weight on issues that matter.
FOCA members live within the landscape, and are an integral part of the rural community.
Despite the sometimes humble trappings of lake meetings, and the casual clothes, folks in cottage country are dedicated and passionate, vested in the future and intimately familiar with the resources, special attributes and changes happening on our lakes and rivers.
How does FOCA help Member Associations?
As a membership organization, Associations are FOCA’s core supporters. We were encouraged that our last membership survey indicated 91% of our member Associations saw membership figures steady or up, over the prior year. We want you to thrive!
Association “Toolkit” of Best Practices & Resources
FOCA helps members with a variety of Association benefits & resources including:
Access a variety of resources from our Association Best Practices webpage.
* Login to access Members-Only resources. Need help? Contact us and we’ll reply during business hours.
“Waterfront property owners face challenges we can’t solve on our own. That’s where FOCA comes in.”
~Ted Spence, FOCA Member, Catchacoma Lake Cottagers Assoc.
Association Membership fees & benefits
FOCA Association Members are cottage, camp, lake, resident, waterfront homeowners or road groups that represent Ontario waterfront communities and their rural roads, and that have paying members. See a list of our 525+ Member Associations.
At the FOCA Annual General Meeting on March 2, 2024 membership voted to approve an increase in the annual membership fees. Beginning May 1, 2024 new or renewing members pay the following fees:
- $150 base charge, plus $5.00 per member family (plus HST).
FOCA created an update about this change, which was emailed to member Association representatives on April 17, 2024, to facilitate your local messaging about this development and FOCA membership value. If you need a copy of this correspondence, please contact the office.
Association Membership Benefits include:
- exclusive member tools and resources, including access to Members-only materials, best practices, templates & guides accessible by login to the FOCA website;
- one vote per Association, at the annual FOCA AGM;
- access to the discounted FOCA rate on Insurance (Commercial General Liability and/or Directors & Officers Insurance) from Cade Associates Insurance Brokers, FOCA’s exclusive insurance provider. This coverage includes access to a Legal Helpline for the Association.
- membership or discounted rate on FOCA event registrations for an unlimited number of your members,
- eligible to apply for the annual FOCA Achievement Award for Member Associations,
- eligible to apply for FOCA program funding, when available.
Also, as a FOCA Association Member in good standing, all your current Association member families are considered members of FOCA, and can access the full complement of FOCA’s membership benefits for individuals, including web logins for access to materials on the FOCA website, exclusive access to the boat and cottage insurance program CottageFirst, and other offers listed on our Member Benefits & Services webpage.
Other Forms of Annual Support
FOCA Association Sub-Groups are primarily road groups whose member families are already counted and paid for by an overarching Lake/Residents Association that is already a full FOCA Member Association in good standing (above). You’ll find our Sub-groups included on our List of Associations, underneath the entry for their overarching Member Association.
The Association Sub-Group annual fee is $150/year (plus HST) – with no per member fee. In this way, you don’t “pay twice” for the same members, yet FOCA can identify the group as a named organization that is a member of FOCA, particularly for the purpose of accessing the first benefit listed below. Annual benefits to Sub-Groups include:
- access to the discounted FOCA rate on insurance (Commercial General Liability, Road Insurance, and/or Directors & Officers Insurance) from Cade Associates Insurance Brokers, FOCA’s exclusive insurance provider. This coverage includes access to a Legal Helpline for the Association,
- one web login for access to materials on the FOCA website,
- eligible to apply for the annual FOCA Achievement Award for Member Associations,
- membership or discounted rate on FOCA event registration for 1 primary representative of the Sub-Group (additional Sub-Group members should register via the overarching Lake Association).
However, Sub-Groups:
- do not have a vote at the FOCA Annual General Meeting,
- and receive no individual member family benefits (such as website logins for Members-only materials, or access to the group insurance program, CottageFirst); rather, Sub-Group families should access such benefits directly through their primary Lake/Residents Association Membership above.
Contact FOCA if your Road Association, under an existing overarching Lake Association Member, is interested in joining FOCA!
Affiliate Organizations are umbrella groups, regional organizations or other non-governmental, educational, research or environmental institutions. These groups are our collegial partners but are not our members.
The Affiliate Organization annual fee is $150/year (plus HST) for new or renewing Affiliate Organizations. Annual Benefits to Affiliate Organizations include:
- access to the discounted FOCA rate on insurance (Commercial General Liability, Road Insurance, and/or Directors & Officers Insurance) from Cade Associates Insurance Brokers, FOCA’s exclusive insurance provider,
- one web login for access to materials on the FOCA website,
- member/discounted rate on FOCA event registration for 1 primary representative of the Affiliate Organization.
However, Affiliate Organizations:
- do not vote at the FOCA Annual General Meeting,
- are not eligible to apply for the Annual Achievement Award,
- are not eligible to apply for FOCA program funding,
- and receive no individual member family benefits (such as website logins for Members-only materials, access to the group insurance program CottageFirst or other member offers, discounts or benefits).
FOCA's Affiliate Organizations:
Balsam Lake Association Inc.
Bruce Peninsula Biosphere Association
Cavendish Community Ratepayers Association Inc.
Coalition for Equitable Water Flow
Coalition of Haliburton Property Owners’ Associations
Environment Council for Clear, Ston(e)y and White Lakes
Federation of Tiny Township Shoreline Associations
Friends of FOCA are individuals or families who commit to support FOCA’s work through an annual contribution. You can choose to be an annual supporter, or make a one-time gift. Learn more about how to support FOCA as an individual.
Where can Associations join FOCA or renew?
FOCA has on-boarded all our Member Associations to the new online Account system (MemberPress). Your association will be prompted by email at the time of your annual renewal month with instructions about how to renew using MemberPress.
NOTE about renewing: your association Treasurer or other Billing Contact on record should receive an email from FOCA one month prior to your renewal date. That email contains a renewal link that is unique to your association. If you haven’t received your renewal email, or need technical assistance, please email FOCA using the green button just above!