Subject: To provide recommendations or options that can help Storefront with their negotiations on the terms and conditions to be agreed upon between the Authorities of the City of Toronto and Storefront Humber Home Support Services Inc.’s Board members on the rent of the premises they established on the next year.
Introduction
In 1971, Humber college students established Storefront Humber Home Support Services Inc., a charitable, non-profit, and Etobicoke agency to offer support services to disabled and senior persons. The students introduced these support services to address the increasing need for the aging population in the country. Storefront conducts various services for the aged population and the disabled people in society. These services include Adult Day Program, Congregate Dining, Foot Care, Grass Cutting, Snow Removal, Transportation, Home Help, Home Maintenance Service, Information and Referral Service, Respite Care, Well Elderly Program, Friendly Visiting, Home Making Service, Client Intervention Service, and Telephone Reassurance. Storefront commenced as a small-scale agency and has expanded to more than 6 million annual budgets. The agency has a volunteer board of 14 comprising the chair, two vice-chairs, and various committee heads (programs, human resources, strategic planning, and finance) who manage agency activity in the center together with the expenses.
The government has decided that all the Storefront participants should pay rent for the premise in their way. Currently, the agency has to accommodate their financing and settle all their expenses from next year. Storefront utilized old Parks and recreation building from the City of Toronto that is approximately 8000 square feet. The current rent agreement that the agency has with the City of Toronto is expiring next year; therefore, Storefront has to figure out the ways of maneuvering over this.
Recommendations
Short-term recommendations that can take one week to six weeks are
Since Storefront utilized recreation buildings and old parks from the City of Toronto, and for the past three and half decades, the organization has not been remitting the rent but paying all the maintenance charges. Therefore, in this situation, the Storefront should have accumulated the money in savings to utilize as a Petty fund when a need arises. The agency must create all the ledgers of the money together with the expenditures, savings, and cash flows; thus, it may be tracked down in the event we have to exhibit it to the authorities of the City of Toronto for negotiations (Feiler & Nayowith, 2017).
Further, in the case of a short-term proposal, Storefront must organize a fundraising event; hence, all the programs must not be influenced in terms of offering quality services to the disabled and old aged people. During the fundraising events, they need to host lunches that could be beneficial in funds collection with quality time. A majority of the donors search for such social occasions in which they may meet people and establish networks for their good causes. Many of the donations are in the memories of the lost loved ones or in private to give them peace of mind and rest in their lives as they feel accomplished something of benefit to the society.
Storefront may also organize a thanksgiving event to give thanks to all the agencies, donors, and businesses that continue to give money, time, and gift-in-kinds to promote the services and charitable outreach of Storefront to those people who are in need. It comprises all the sponsors to initiate a discussion to make some negotiations concerning rent for the premises that Storefront utilizes to execute its activities.
Long-term recommendations that can take six months up to one year are
Storefront may opt to write an application to the office members of the City of Toronto that states the rental statistics for the past three and half decades that how the agency has developed the premise to be worth living for all the aging population and disabled people. Storefront must mention all the amendments to the recreation buildings and old parks, such as the addition of an elevator for ease of movement inside and adding two more buildings to recreation buildings to accommodate more people. Besides, it must have a statement of financial position that illustrates the payment made by the trust for its fulfillment and maintenance. Since the City of Toronto has also contributed 1% of the financing, the figure and facts may create a significant difference during negotiations.
As Storefront, a charitable and non-profit organization, is serving the betterment of the disabled and aging population and the City of Toronto would be happy to support this good cause; hence, certain inducements might be offered by the City of Toronto to the organization. Inducements may range from replacement of the trust facilities with new ones or renovation to support the needy persons well (Feiler & Nayowith, 2017). It is a long period of three and half decades that Storefront has stayed intact for enhancing the lives of needy persons. It makes the trust a trustworthy and credible establishment; therefore, there may be deals made between the City of Toronto and the board members in terms of offering better amenities and facilities at a minimum cost and of the utmost quality to the elderly and disabled persons.
Storefront could involve a lawyer in their matters because a lawyer might comprehend leases better and devise it the way both the parties are well balanced with the worth they deserve. For charitable and non-profit organizations such as Storefront, it is challenging to bear expenses for rent besides paying for its maintenance charges. However, insurance of the premises and facilities would not influence the City of Toronto when rent from the trust is substantial. As time elapses, the insurance can assist the trust go on for years without any impediment. Insurance is an asset in the event of any adverse situations; thus, the trust’s members would not suffer. Each board member must contribute to the process of decision-making and have a conversation on it before the lease expires.
Control and feedback
Whereas we consider the past Storefront Humber Support Services Inc.’s records, it has been committed to offering support to the old aged and disabled people and the services to their communities and home. The money provided by the primary financiers is transparently utilized for the services of the welfare of the persons surviving there and the trust. One aspect that I will mention here is that it has been for the past three and half decades that the trust has not been paying any rent to the premises and facilities, which is not official in any case. I know this is a charitable and non-profit trust assisting persons across even though it still operates under the local government of the City of Toronto. The trust must have addressed issues on the terms and conditions a long time before the lease expiry period; hence, appropriate ways might be devised wisely.
In the case of feedback, I would prefer to offer my advice to the trust’s board during the next lease; they need to collectively agree on the terms and conditions of the lease with a lawyer on the roll. In addition, for the keeping and maintenance of the trust, it must be included in the premises’ rent since the City of Toronto is willing to charge the rent as per the market price. However, the cost of two extra buildings and adding an elevator may be the Storefront’s property regardless of the rent remitted to the City of Toronto authorities.
Contingency
Generally, it is understandable for an organization to feel insatiable for its property when it gets more profit and worth than the current parties. There might be offers for the premise to be destroyed for millions of money, and the City of Toronto authorities could feel this is a better approach to hand these buildings and facilities to retailers and industrialists. Nonetheless, it is challenging for the renowned NGO to grow and sustain for three and half decades and to continue performing; therefore, we should have an assurance escrow that could be of assistance to this trust. The assurance escrow account will be an account maintained by both the Trust and the City of Toronto to consider if Storefront has sufficient money so that in the event of manmade or natural calamities, destruction of the building and facilities would not affect the trust’s support actions (Feiler & Nayowith, 2017). In such situations, the Storefront must keep the money so that it may be used for a good cause.
Reference
Feiler, J., & Nayowith, G. B. (2017). The nonprofit risk book: Finding and managing risk in nonprofits and NGOs. Walter de Gruyter GmbH & Co KG.