Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto
Program in Nonprofit Social Accounting with a Certificate of Completion
Course Outline September 2004
Introduction
The purpose of this certificate program is to provide in-depth study and experience with social
accounting based on an approach that is laid out in the text, What Counts: Social Accounting for
Nonprofits and Cooperatives (Prentice Hall, 2003). The course emphasizes the value that
nonprofits and cooperatives return to their communities and includes accounting models that
attempt to assess that value. In addition to the text, the course is based on the insights gained from
a series of workshops over the past two years for nonprofit and cooperative board members,
management and volunteers.
Objectives
The objectives of the course are to provide participants with:
 A context and an approach to social accounting
 An enhanced understanding of the value of nonprofits
 An overview and experience with accounting for volunteer value
 Instruction and experience in using social accounting models
 Ideas and support for implementing social accounting in nonprofits and cooperatives.
Format
The certificate program consists of eight units taught in bi-weekly seminars over a three-month
period at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto. Each class is
2½ hours, with the exception of the final class, which is a full day (10:00 am to 4:30 pm).
Successful completion of the certificate is based on attendance and the completion of a social
accounting statement for each participant’s organization, as outlined in Seminar 6 below.
Course readings are provided and are included in the cost of registration.
Instructors
Jack Quarter, Laurie Mook, and Betty Jane Richmond, the authors of What Counts: Social
Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives, teach the program. The instructors have undertaken
a series of research projects on volunteer value, funded by the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy
and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, that have led to What
Counts and other publications. Quarter is a professor at OISE/UT specializing in nonprofits and
cooperatives and the author of several books; Mook is doctoral student at OISE/UT, who is a
former accountant and financial manager. She also is a SSHRC doctoral fellow. Richmond is a
faculty member at York University, Faculty of Education. For her doctoral thesis she developed a
Social Return on Investment Model that won the best thesis award from ARNOVA, the
Association for Research in Nonprofit Organizations and Voluntary Associations.
OISE/UT Social Accounting Certificate Program 2004
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Seminars
1. September 20: Orientation to Social Accounting and the Program
What is Social Accounting?
This seminar goes into the history of social accounting and addresses its fundamental principles.
Readings for this class:
Quarter, Jack, Laurie Mook & Betty Jane Richmond. 2003. What Counts: Social Accounting for
Nonprofits and Cooperatives. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, Ch. 1.
2. October 4: Volunteers Across Canada
What Is a Volunteer?
Although the definition of volunteering may seem self-evident, in fact there are debates in the
literature on this issue. These debates will be examined, as well as the debates on placing a value
on volunteer contributions. Also, a social economy framework will be presented to better
understand nonprofits and other social organizations within this context.
Readings for this class:
Cnaan, Ram, Femida Handy, and Margaret Wadsworth. 1996. Defining Who is a Volunteer:
Conceptual and Empirical Considerations. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly 25 (3): 364383.
Hall, Michael, Larry McKeown, and Karen Roberts. 2001. Caring Canadians, Involved
Canadians: Highlights from the 2000 National Survey of Giving, Volunteering and Participating.
Ottawa: Minister of Industry.
What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives, Ch. 2.
Supplementary:
Quarter, Jack, Laurie Mook & Betty Jane Richmond. 2003. What is the Social Economy? Centre
for Urban and Community Studies Research Bulletin #13. Toronto: University of Toronto.
3. October 18: Record-keeping and Valuing of Volunteer Contributions
This seminar examines practical procedures for keeping records of volunteer contributions. It
explores ideas for estimating and assessing value for organizational inputs and outputs. It also
discusses three different variations of replacement costs (generalist, specialist, modified
specialist) for attributing a value to volunteers.
Readings for this class:
What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives, Ch. 8.
Mook, L. & J. Quarter. 2004. How to Assign a Monetary Value to Volunteer Contributions: A
Manual. Toronto: Canadian Centre for Philanthropy.
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OISE/UT Social Accounting Certificate Program 2004
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4. November 1: Attributing Value to Social Outputs not Exchanged on the Market and
Accounting Frameworks – Part 1
This seminar discusses social outputs that are not exchanged on the market and looks at
techniques for attributing to them a comparative market value. The Community Social Return on
Investment social accounting framework will also be presented.
Readings for this class:
What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives, Chs. 3 & 4, and excerpts from
other chapters.
5. November 15: Accounting Frameworks—Part 2
This seminar deals specifically with the Expanded Value Added Statement. This is an adaptation
of a conventional Value Added Statement, and uses a combination of financial and social data.
Readings for this class:
What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives, Chs. 6 & 7.
Quarter, J., L. Mook, and B.J. Richmond. 2002. What Volunteers Contribute: Calculating and
Communicating Value Added. 2002. Toronto: Canadian Centre for Philanthropy.
6. November 29: Accounting Frameworks—Part 3
Between seminars 5 and 6, the participants will create an Expanded Value Added Statement for
their organization. In seminar 6, these statements will be shared with the group in class
presentations and poster sessions.
7. December 13:
Accounting Frameworks—Part 4
Two additional social accounting models will be presented: the Socioeconomic Impact Statement,
and the Socioeconomic Resource Statement. Ideas for further development of social accounting
models will be discussed.
Readings:
What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives, Ch. 5.
Implementation Strategies
This seminar will discuss strategies for implementation and obstacles to it. It will also discuss
next steps in moving this work forward. There will also be a ceremony and closing lunch.
Readings:
What Counts: Social Accounting for Nonprofits and Cooperatives, Ch. 9.
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