Translation for the Not-for-Profit Sector

Not-for-Profit Organizations in Canada have traditionally operated in environments where their audiences were fairly homogeneous, culturally and linguistically.

This scenario has changed due to two main developments in recent years. First, the inflow of immigrants has transformed many communities into a mosaic of diverse cultural groups. Second, even if an organization has served a specific ethnic or cultural community in the past, many funders now require non-profit organizations to be inclusive and open their services to all members of the community.

These developments have far reaching implications for your not-for-profit organization in terms of:

	Service clientele - Some of your service clients may not be proficient in the official languages and will only be able to use your services if information and services are provided in their native languages.
	Membership - If your organization wants to expand its membership, or build a membership that is reflective of its community, you need to make people from different cultural and linguistic backgrounds feel that they are welcome.
	Donor base - To tap new prospective donors, you want to appeal to those whose mother tongue is not English or French, in ways that they can easily understand. Nothing is more effective than presenting information in their native language.
	Funding sources - New sources of funding may be available from culturally-based businesses, associations or foundations. Agency promotion materials prepared in languages that speak directly to these organizations will yield better results.
	Communication with the general public - If you continue to promote your organization in official languages only, you will lose a significant portion of your potential target audience.

How Global Helps Not-for-Profits Grow

Global can help you with the following not-for-profit translation needs:

	Membership Communication - AGM, membership drive, newsletters and other communication
	Agency Information - websites, brochures, fact sheets, program and service schedules
	Public Relations - media releases, speeches, advertisements, presentations, displays, voice messaging systems
	Funding Appeals - donor drive campaigns, funding proposals, grants
	Event Promotion - sponsorship packages, program books, flyers, posters, promotional materials
	Professional Exchange - conference materials