Become a Core Member / Refer a Client

Whether you are someone reaching out for help, a family member or a professional referring someone, the following checklist guides our assessment of an applicant’s suitability for a Circle of Support and Accountability with CoSA-Ottawa:

  • Has been convicted of a sexual offense(s) and admits to committing a sexual offense in the past;
  • Has been incarcerated in the federal or provincial system;
  • Has been assessed as being at risk to re-offend sexually;
  • Has high needs (i.e.: has little or no support in the community, special needs);
  • Agrees to share his/her correctional/criminal file and allow open discussion with involved professionals (psychiatrists, parole officers, etc.) with CoSA Ottawa by signing a consent form.
We trust that participants in CoSA will display genuine commitment to turn their life around by voluntarily entering into a supportive relationship with volunteers and agreeing to:

  • Honour the terms of the Circle Agreement by communicating openly with the volunteers;
  • Participate in counseling or other community-based programs, as recommended;
  • Commit to being involved for a minimum period of one year.

In order to begin the application process, applicants should send us a letter of interest. Once received, an application form will be sent, and an interview arranged (in person or by phone). After the intake discussion and consulting with professionals whom the applicant consents to speaking with us, we will be in touch with the applicant to confirm our decision of their suitability for CoSA.

Please note that, as CoSA is a voluntary program with no legal requirement to participate, we do not approve an applicant prior to being sentenced or a parole board hearing.

Core Member Applicant Brochure
Referral Form
Back To Top

Unlike other platforms which typically charge a user fee in addition to transaction fees on every single transaction, Zeffy is 100% for the organisations that use our platform. Zeffy covers all credit card fees and does not charge a platform use fee. In return, Zeffy includes a suggested voluntary contribution to donors at the payment step. As it is a voluntary contribution, donors can choose a different amount from the suggested one by clicking "Other" and entering the amount of their choice, or they can enter "$0" if they do not wish to support our platform.

 Zeffy’s model is driven by the belief that all nonprofits should have access to 100% of the donations intended for their mission, therefore these contributions are Zeffy’s only source of revenue. They help to cover transaction fees, platform development and service costs. On a large scale, the voluntary contribution gives thousands of organizations access, for the first time, to a high-quality fundraising technology completely free of charge (normally the charge is a minimum of 4% per donation received). For the more than 10,000 organizations that work with Zeffy, this means a bigger budget and greater efficiency in fulfilling their mission to society.