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Benefits of Membership

Join the Canadian Council for Refugees and become part of a vibrant and active national network of over 180 organizations committed to refugee and immigrant rights and the integration of newcomers. (To learn more, download Introduction to membership in the CCR)

The CCR has been the national voice on refugee protection and newcomer settlement in Canada for over thirty years.  Issues identified by our members get onto the agenda of the various players in immigration and refugee law and policy in Canada, including parliamentarians, Citizenship and Immigration Canada, Canada Border Services Agency, the Immigration and Refugee Board and other levels of government. We have excellent working relationships with counterpart organizations internationally, allowing us to conduct collaborative research and advocacy, enhancing our credibility with governments and intergovernmental organizations.

Many of the national media also turn to the CCR as a reliable and accurate voice on breaking refugee issues.

The Council serves the networking, information-exchange and advocacy needs of its membership.  CCR members receive regular informative mailings containing analyses of policy changes, up-to-date information on refugee and immigration issues and tools to help with grassroots advocacy and public education initiatives. They also benefit from lower registration rates at our Consultations - national conferences that take place each spring and fall.  Additional benefits include reduced costs on orders of CCR publications and exclusive access to information and resources on the members-only area of the CCR website.

The most important benefit - and responsibility - of membership is the right to vote: the right to shape the policy direction of the CCR and the right to nominate and vote for members of the Executive Committee. By participating in and voting at the Consultations, and at the Summer and Winter Working Group meetings, you help set the policy for the CCR.

The Consultations and Working Group meetings provide the ideal place to network with individuals and organizations involved in similar work, and to bring forward your issues of concern for advocacy. Being involved in the CCR provides the staff and volunteers of member organizations with many opportunities for professional development and for networking, as they are invited to participate in various projects, committees and activities, including at the international level.

The members of the CCR are primarily organizations (see below).  For information on additional membership categories and how to apply, select one of the options in the lefthand menu.

Members

To be eligible to become a voting member of the Canadian Council for Refugees, an organization must be a Canadian non-profit organization concerned for refugees and for the settlement in Canada of refugees and immigrants. For reasons of continuity, participation, and commitment we seek organizations as Members rather than individuals, although the latter can join as Associate Members.

To apply to become a Member, please fill out the CCR Member form  and mail to the CCR office with the required documents. The fee structure can be found on the second page of the form - it tells you what fee to pay according to your organization's budget.

All applications for membership are subject to approval by the CCR Executive Committee. For the Committee to evaluate a membership application from an organization the following information is needed (also stipulated on the application form):

• a completed application form
• a cheque for the first year's membership
• a copy of your organization's mission statement or constitution, or a description of the work it does relating to refugees and immigrants
• a copy of the last completed financial report
• confirmation that your Board or Executive Committee has endorsed application for membership in the CCR (minutes from the relevant Board or Executive meeting would suffice)

Once we receive your completed application, we will present it for approval to the next meeting of the CCR Executive Committee (at the time of the next Consultation or Working Group meeting, whichever comes first), and you will be informed of the outcome.

Other types of membership

The CCR also has other membership categories of membership:

• Associate Members (for individuals)
• Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs) outside Canada
• Observers