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About Us History Organizational Chart Board of Directors Committees Policies	Home > About Us > OTD Committees
	OTD Committees OTD has two standing committees, the Executive Committee and the Nomination Committee, the responsibilites of which are set out in the By-Laws. In addition to these there are several committees struck by the Board as provided for in the By-Laws. Some of these have been in existence for many years while others have been created more recently in response to specific organizational needs. A Bylaw Committee, chaired by the Chair of the Board of Directors, is responsible for updating the organization's By-Laws. Other current OTD Committees include: Fundraising Committee Membership Outreach Communications Committee Standards & Practices Community Outreach Fundraising Committee The Fundraising Committee is responsible for monitoring and evaluating OTD's fundraising needs, making recommendations to the Board of Directors. The Committee develops fundraising events, seeks funding sources (both one-time grants and ongoing), completes grant applications and reports against the grants. The OTD Board has adopted the Ethical Fundraising and Financial Accountability Code of Canadian Centre for Philanthropy. Membership Outreach The Membership Outreach Committee (formerly the Social Committee) plans and develops membership educational opportunities and social activities. The Committee seeks input from the Board and membership and makes recommendations regarding potential events and activities. The Committee recruits assistance in preparing for and carrying out the selected events. Membership Outreach is also responsible for the evaluating the success and effectiveness of these events and activities. Communications Committee The Communications Committee is responsible for assessing the public relations, communications and media relations needs of OTD, making recommendations to the Board of Directors. A major part of the Committee's work relates to the development and maintenance of the OTD newsletter and website. Standards & Practices The Standards and Practices Committee, working in co-operation with the Board of Directors, reviews and updates Evaluation Guidelines as well as Standards and Practices Policies for OTD. The objectives of the guidelines and policies are to determine the suitability of applicant dog and handler teams for therapy dog activities as set out by OTD as well as determine appropriate ongoing standards and practices to which dog and handler teams must abide on an ongoing basis. The Committee is also responsible to the Board of Directors for reviewing circumstances surrounding the occurrence of any unforeseen incidents concerning active therapy dog teams and providing recommendations to prevent similar occurrences. Community Outreach The Community Outreach Committee represents and lobbies for OTD in the community by attending charity, business and government events and conferences. The Committee identifies target communities relevant to OTD interests and priorities, such as: schools, libraries, health-care facilities, retirement and senior facilities, volunteers organizations, therapy animal groups. The Committee is responsible for identifying and reviewing potential events and arranging for OTD representation in target communities. The Committee also monitors community developments and organizations to identify and assess possible partners or competitors, bringing opportunities and threats to the attention of the Board with recommendations for appropriate action.