How to become a better nonprofit employer

Employee Wellness Survey

COVID-19 has turned our world upside down. Now more than ever, we need to maintain a strong connection with our employees to support them through this difficult period.

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The Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice™ Awards

The Canadian Nonprofit Employer of Choice™ (NEOC) Award is a tool that measures a nonprofit's Leadership attributes, HR practices and employee perceptions, all while helping to build a preferred employer brand.

Participation in the NEOC program will:

provide a framework to evaluate an organization's talent management issues and start constructing a plan of action for continuous improvement.
demonstrate the organization’s commitment to providing a safe, healthy and productive workplace to its staff, prospective hires and supporters.
enable the board and senior staff to identify and analyze the issues and implement the transformational change needed to achieve the desired impact.
provide opportunities to display and promote an “Employer of Choice” brand to help attract and retain the best and brightest.
prove to your employees how important they are to the success of the organization and to achieving the mission.

The award is given annually to participating Canadian charities and nonprofits that complete the NEOC Organizational Profile and Employee Commitment Survey. A minimum overall score of 75% must be achieved to qualify for the award. All Canadian nonprofits with 10 or more staff are welcome to participate.

Attracting and retaining well qualified staff has never been more competitive than it is today. Participation in the NEOC program is an ideal way for nonprofit employers to establish themselves as preferred places to work.

The award winning organizations can promote their Employer of Choice status using the branding opportunities provided by the program media partners. NEOC participants receive all the tools and support they need to help make their organizations better places to work for years to come.

In celebrating the early adopters of best practice governance strategies, the NEOC Awards is also helping to establish a body of knowledge that will further advance and strengthen nonprofit employment practices in this country.

2020 NEOC award recipients were announced in February, 2021.

Applications are now being accepted for the 2021 NEOC Awards. Learn more about the Application process here.