About NAPO

• The Organization
• People
• Mandate
• Services
• Issues
• Funding
• Membership
• History
• Board of Directors
• Annual Report 2004-2005

The Organization

The National Anti-Poverty Organization (NAPO) is a non-profit, non partisan organization that represents the interests of low-income people in Canada. NAPO is registered with Revenue Canada as a charitable organization (Charitable BN 130916638RR0001).

The People

A volunteer Board of Directors from every province and territory of the country directs and governs NAPO ’s work. All Board members are either living in poverty or have lived in poverty at some point in their lives. The Board is assisted by a small staff who work out of NAPO ’s headquarters in Ottawa.

Mandate

NAPO works for the eradication of poverty in Canada by:

• Ensuring the concern of low--income people are reflected in federal policy and decision making
• Defending the human and economic rights of low-income people.
• Assisting local and regional organizations to bring the voices of low-income people in Canada to decision making and policy making processes in their communities.
  

Services

NAPO offers:

• An excellent resource centre open to the public and to media enquiries
• Speakers for conferences or other events
• Workshop facilitation and research assistance
  

Issues

The range of issues addressed by NAPO is diverse but includes such topics as:

• social assistance,
• unemployment,
• social housing,
• Federal budget priorities,
• human rights,
• minimum wages,
• youth poverty,

Funding

NAPO ’s activities are financed by individual donations and memberships and a grant from Social Development Canada.Other sources of revenue include project funding from foundations and other organizations, publication sales and fees for workshop facilitation or research. Donate now

Membership

Membership in NAPO is available to individuals and organizations that share NAPO ’s objectives.

Regular Member
Any person living in poverty or who has lived in poverty.

Associate Member
Any person who does not live in poverty but would like to support NAPO ’s work.

Group Member
Any group of low-income people or other non-profit organization with an interest in poverty issues.

All members are entitled to vote for NAPO’s Board of Directors but only regular members are eligible to be Board Members. NAPO provides its members with information about federal policies and programs that will affect low-income people across Canada. Members receive our newsletter, and have access to research and information reports prepared by NAPO. - Join NAPO

History of NAPO

35 YEARS OF FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE

The Early Years

NAPO was born at the Poor People's Conference held in January 1971, in Toronto, where delegates representing more than 250 poor people's groups across Canada met and passed resolutions aimed at fighting poverty in Canada. One of the major resolutions, passed unanimously, was to form a national organization.

NAPO ’s actions and achievements over the years include:

• NAPO fought for and won the retention of the 10 ¢ pay phone,,and won changes in credit collection procedures, in hearings of the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission.
• NAPO campaigned for and gained protective legislation to stop exploitive income tax rebate discounters.
• NAPO advocated for and helped thousands of people receive money and access to programs to which they were entitled through information and advocacy services (e.g.veterans allowances, old age pensions,etc.).
• NAPO was one of the first non-governmental organizations in the world to receive standing to appear before the United Nations Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and presented evidence on how Canada was not living up to its international human rights obligations.
• NAPO has been an intervener in a number of court challenges defending the equality rights of poor people.

Board of Directors

A twenty-two person volunteer Board of Directors from every province and territory of the country directs and governs NAPO’s work. All Board members are either living in poverty or have lived in poverty at some point in their lives. The Board is assisted by a small staff who work out of NAPO’s headquarters in Ottawa.

Current NAPO Board Members

British Columbia/Colombie-Britannique

Robert Arnold
Gisèle Guay (2nd Vice President)

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Debbie Frost (President)

Manitoba

Ontario

Anne Marie Leschinski
Nancy Shular (1st Vice President)
Cindy Buott

Québec

New Brunswick/Nouveau-Brunswick

Linda McCaustlin

Nova Scotia/Nouvelle-Écosse

Prince Edward Island/ île-du-Prince-Édouard

Paulette Halupa (Past President)

Newfoundland-Labrador/Terre Neuve-Labrador

Andrew Peddle

Northwest Territories/Territoires du Nord-Ouest

Yukon

Linda Hilton