1. 2016/2017 Northern Alberta Curling Association Module 2 – What can NACA do for you?

2. What can NACA do for you? Instructor and Coaching Courses
NACA provides access to qualified Learning Facilitators who train instructors and coaches:
Stream 1 – Community Stream: Club Coach Youth and Club Coach
Stream 2 – Competition Stream: Competition Coach
And Competition Development Coach training is provided by Curling Canada.
Ice Technician Schools
NACA offers member clubs Level 1 and 2 ice courses.  Typically Level 1 schools are held in the fall of each year and Level 2 schools are held in the spring every two years (subject to expressed interest).
National Curling Umpires Certification Program
Curling Canada recognizes the need to develop and implement a National Curling Umpires Certification Program.  The object is to establish standard guidelines for the training and development of curling umpires who will be capable of officiating at a Northern, Provincial or National championships. It should be noted that the purpose of a rules and umpire course is not only to train umpires but also to make players more knowledgeable about the officiating system and rules of the game.
LEVEL 1 - Game Observers, Time Keepers and Hogline Umpires; and LEVEL 2 - Provincial Supervising Umpire.
NACA conducts courses for Level 1 and Level 2 umpires as well as offers rules updates yearly.  NACA will reimburse officials working sanctioned events for their expenses, plus we have introduced this season a small honorarium for each draw worked.
Check NACA website or call the office for updates on the availability of training, or if your club is interested in hosting training courses.

3. What can NACA do for you? Educational Material Rocks ‘n Rings
The Curling Canada Store is on their website and has available for purchase instructional manuals and video's on how to curl, coaching manuals, officiating manuals, ice making manuals; contact the NACA office for more information as needed.
Rocks ‘n Rings
NACA has 4 sets of Rocks ‘n Rings that can be loaned out to Curling Clubs, Schools, Special Interest Groups, etc.  Call the office to book a set.
Junior Curling and U18 Programmes
NACA continues to promote junior curling by:
Junior Curling Stones - The stones can be used for school, clinics, bonspiels or incorporated into your junior program (currently they are located at the Avonair and Glendon). We have stones for 3 sheets of ice (48 curling rocks).
Coordinating and Sponsoring Junior Bonspiels and Playdowns, including the introduction this past season of the new Junior League Championship Bonspiel for grassroots curlers.
Bantam Program
NACA will fund Bantam Bonspiels (14 years and under)
A subsidy paid to an affiliated curling club that establishes a Bantam bonspiel (must be a minimum of eight teams)
$50 per team and paid after submission of a post-event report.

4. NACA Bonspiels
NACA assists member clubs with organizing and coordinating the following bonspiels:
Neil Moher School Bonspiel
THREE DIVISIONS - Curlers must be attending an Elementary, Junior or Senior High School.
Hazel Jamison Junior Bonspiel
THREE DIVISIONS - Curlers must be 20 years of age and under as of June 30, 2016.
Junior League Championship Bonspiel
This event is formulated for true junior house league champions, not past or present elite teams; the objective is to support grassroots development of junior curling.
Travelers Curling Club Championships
The Dominion Curling Club Championship has been rebranded the Travelers Curling Club Championship. The Travelers Curling Club Championship is an annual event for men’s and women’s curling teams. Each club will declare a men’s team and women’s team of FOUR (4) players to represent their club through either their normal league or club championship process or through a designated Travelers Curling Club Championship competition within the club. Winning teams from each club will be “Travelers Club Champions” and will play down to produce a provincial/territorial champion from all ten provinces and three territories, plus a separate entry for Northern Ontario, who will then compete at the national level.

5. Competitive Curling
NACA administers and operates the following Northern playdowns:
NACA provides member clubs with the opportunity of hosting NACA, Provincial and Canadian Championships. There is no longer any Northern Playdown fee. For Northern Playdowns NACA provides the club with the following:
Any NACA member club that hosts a Provincial event may be levied a hosting fee. NACA then provides the club with the following:
Men’s
Women’s
Mixed
Junior’s
U18 (Juvenile)
Senior’s
Master’s
NACA Liaison
Office Administration
Umpires
Umpire’s equipment and material
Event results on NACA website
Signage and on-ice logos
Team photographs
Championship banners and crests
Hosting and ice use payment to club
NACA Liaison
Umpires
Umpires Equipment and Materials
Provincial and NACA websites
Signage banners and on-ice logos
Ceremony flag poles
Standings Board
Hosting and on-ice payment for Men’s and Women’s Competition

6. 2016/2017 Competitive Curling Highlights
Additional highlights for the 2016/2017 season:
No Zone Playdowns for Senior Men. With the discontinuation of Senior Zone Playdowns, all divisions commence at Northerns (Master Women is dependent on number of entries and in recent past have started at Provincial level).
Curling Canada introduces Return-to-Play Protocol. Return-to-Play Protocol impacts CC sanctioned events. Alberta Curling Federation is reviewing the protocol for possible application at Provincial level.
Curling Canada introduces Sweeping Moratorium on Brush Head Technology (in effect September 12, April 30, 2018). Brush head and sweeping techniques have been defined in this new ruling; recreational curlers are not impacted, however, some curling clubs have chosen to adopt the rules for some of their leagues and some of high-end bonspiels.
Continuation of Junior Club Championship Bonspiel. The Junior Club Championship received many positive comments in its inaugural season, and is being held in Spruce Grove this year.
Continuation of a hosting payment for playdowns. A hosting payment for ice use was introduced in the 2015/2016 season and was very popular with host clubs. This program is continuing this season.
This season Northern Alberta club’s will host many events; check NACA’s website for a list of the events and locations. A few special notations:
Provincial Juniors being held at Saville, Women’s in St. Albert, Men’s in Westlock and U18 (Juvenile) in Leduc.
Travelers Northern is at Sherwood Park.
And the second Junior League Championship Bonspiel is being held at Spruce Grove on March 10 – 12.

7. And NACA offers more! Draw information Playdown posters
As a service, NACA assists member clubs in creating draws.  If you require assistance with:  Round Robin Draws, Bonspiel Draws, Double Knockout, Triple Knockout, etc., please call or the NACA office. When inquiring, please include the following information:
type of bonspiel
number of teams
how many events
how many games guaranteed
NACA no longer has a supply of draw sheets. The previous sponsor no longer supplies them and we are looking into other options.
NACA is posting triple-knockout draw sheets used in Northern Playdowns. Clubs are welcome to use these draw sheets. We also encourage all curlers and club managers to review the draw sheets and provide their feedback – please submit comments directly to the NACA office.
Playdown posters
Playdown posters are distributed each year to member clubs.

8. And even more! Website Development
NACA will pay for both the upfront fee (valued at $1500) and your first year of licensing, hosting and maintenance. 
Communication and marketing are key to sustaining and growing the sport in your community.
Having a telephone number and address contact not only during the season but throughout the year are basic tools for people to connect with you.
Websites provide a different tool that can promote your sport to others.
And then there is the world of social media – Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, What’s App are just some of the tools available to help you reach out and connect with your existing audience but potential new ones.
Have a challenge with technical expertise or just the resources to input and update your content? Give serious thought to working with local schools and training centres for work experience opportunities. You may also gain a new curler or more when they get a chance to see the sport firsthand.

9. NACA Recognition Program
Achievement and Merit Awards
NACA recognizes contributors to curling in the following categories:
Volunteer Award: For outstanding service to a curling club, NACA or curling in general for three or more years.
Builders: For major contributions to the development of curling at any level and presented to any staff, business, sponsor, professional or group.
Emerging Leader Award: Presented to new volunteers with no more than three years involvement.
Lifetime Achievement Award: For individuals and teams that have spent a minimum of ten years dedicated to improving the sport and are viewed as “agents of change”.
Life Membership Award of Distinction: To recognize builders or promoters with northern Alberta that have made a significant contribution that is impactful at the national and international stage.
Coaching Award: For dedication to coaching of a NACA team at any level over several years. 
AWARD NOMINATION PROCESS: 
Nominations must come from or through the nominee's Curling Club or from the Northern Alberta Curling Association.
Nominations must be forwarded to the NACA office by May 1 of each year.
Scholarships
The sport of curling has several scholarship opportunities available for young curlers.
Details can be found on NACA’s website.

10. And now….Funding Sources
Potential sources of funding for curling clubs include (check NACA website in “NACA Members” for web links to these specific programs):
Northern Alberta Curling Championship Society (NACCS) - Projects must promote curling, be directly beneficial to curling in Northern Alberta and be entrepreneurial in nature having a revenue generating plan.
Curling Assistance Program (CAP) - Targets projects designed to grow the sport at the community level or to assist capital projects critical to the operation and health of the Curling Canada's membership.
Alberta Government - Alberta Lottery Fund - Community Initiatives Program (CIP) - CIP will support smaller, project-based initiatives in areas such as community services, seniors' services, libraries, arts and culture, sports, education, health and recreations.
Alberta Government - Community Facility Enhancement Program (CFEP) - The purpose of the CFEP is to continue to improve the public-use facilities that are important to our communities.  The success of the program is based on grass-roots, needs-driven partnership approach funding.  Under CFEP, Albertans have access to a matching-grant program which is responsive and relevant to their particular facility development needs.
Alberta Government - Community Spirit Program - The goal of the CSP is to increase individual charitable giving to help support Alberta's non-profit and charitable organizations.  The program recognizes and encourages donations made by individuals to Alberta-based community organizations by providing financial incentives for individual donors and the recipient organizations.
Government of Canada - Enabling Accessibility Fund - EAF supports community-based projects across Canada that improve accessibility, remove barriers, and enable Canadians with disabilities to participate in and contribute to their communities.
Government of Canada - Canada 150 Community Infrastructure Program – NEW The program will provide up to 50 per cent funding to provincial, territorial, municipal and regional governments, Aboriginal and non-profit organizations to renovate, expand or rehabilitate community and cultural infrastructure. Projects must be completed by the end of the 2017 construction season.

11. More Provincial Funding Sources
Alberta Government-Alberta Sport Recreation Parks & Wildlife Foundation
Development Initiatives Program
Provides support to Albertans working in the areas of sport, recreation, parks and wildlife for project and program related endeavours.
Coaching and Official Development Initiatives
Provides opportunities to further coaching development in Alberta.
Event Support Program
Encourages development of youth in sport, recreation, parks and wildlife and promotes economic growth in Alberta.
Podium Alberta
Alberta High Performance Athlete Assistance Program

12. City of Edmonton Funding Sources
Community Investment Operating Grant - The City of Edmonton Community Investment Operating Grant program provides operating assistance to Edmonton's non-profit organizations whose activities benefit citizens of Edmonton.
Community Facility Partner Capital Grant Program - The Community Facility Partner Capital Grant actively supports partnership opportunities that enhance the quality of life through arts, heritage, social services/community development, recreation, sport and leisure experiences in Edmonton's public use facilities.
Edmonton Community Foundation - The Edmonton Community Foundation awards grants for charitable activities in the greater Edmonton area in the arts & culture, education, social services, health, recreation & leisure and the environment.
Take the Lead Grant - Grant opportunities for female coaches, officials & administrators. The InMotion Network has created the Take The Lead Grant to help Albertan girls and women become experienced leaders in the sport and recreation fields.  Grant monies could be used for training, course fee professional development, professional certification, clinics, equipment, travel, lodging, meals and other training related activities.
Recreation / Sport Operating Grants - Intended to provide operating assistance to non-profit organizations of Edmonton whose activities result in benefits to the citizens of Edmonton.
Hosting Grants - To assist eligible Edmonton organizations with the hosting of provincial, national and international recreation, amateur sport or multicultural events within the City of Edmonton.
Travel Grants - To assist Edmonton residents with the cost of travel to western Canadian, national or international sports championships in which they compete.

13. Also Consider……
Service Clubs (Kinsmen, Lions, Rotary, etc.) and Foundations and Local Businesses
Contact your local municipality administration/councillor and/or economic development office to discuss possible funding sources and options available in your community; some funding options may be exclusive to your community and region.
Fundraising planning involves a number of important steps:
Taking stock of your club's strengths and assets puts you in a position to represent your organization to funders in the best possible way. What does your club do well? What services and programs make your group so important in your community? What do you still need to improve upon?
Creating a case statement, or case for support, involves detailing the argument for why your club deserves support, usually by outlining your programs, current needs, and plans.
Setting realistic fundraising goals is the next step of fundraising planning. Before you can approach prospective funders for support, you need to know how much money you need. Your club may be lacking in sufficient dollars, but many funding sources recognize “sweat equity” or volunteer labour hours.
Diversifying your funding mix means building a base of support from individuals, the government, foundations, and business. These four groups comprise much of the funding landscape.
Preparing a fundraising calendar or timetable to chart your fundraising efforts, and to help you think through the details of who, what, when, where and how.
And Retain your fundraising applications. So much effort goes into preparing a thorough funding submission, and much of the material can be shared and/or updated and used in other applications. Also, by maintaining your fundraising files, you can learn why you are successful with your proposals and how you should approach future applications.