Business
Plan
2015/2016 Operations
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1.0$Executive$Summary!
Company$Profile$Summary!
Canada!is!in!the!enviable!position!of!having!vast!resource!wealth.!Along!with!the!obvious!natural!
resources,!Canada,!and!southern!Alberta!in!particular,!has!excellent!solar!resources.!Heart!and!Solar!
recognizes!the!importance!of!charitable!work!and!initiatives!at!all!levels,!and!we!recognize!the!financial!
challenges!that!many!charities!face.!!
Heart!and!Solar!was!founded!as!a!not@for@profit!Corporation!with!a!view!to!providing!long!term!financial!
relief!to!Canadian!charities!while!simultaneously!reducing!carbon!emissions!and!supporting!local!
businesses.!Energy!bills!are!ever!rising,!and!the!operational!costs!for!Canadian!charities!rise!with!them.!
With!Alberta's!net!metering!program,!many!owners!of!approved!solar!projects!can!now!significantly!
reduce!or!eliminate!their!power!consumption!bills.!The!result!is!a!long!term!benefit!to!Heart!and!Solar’s!
beneficiaries,!as!well!as!to!the!business!partners!who!will!be!responsible!for!the!design,!installation!and!
maintenance!of!the!solar!arrays.!
Fundraising$and$Marketing$Summary!
Heart!and!Solar’s!fundraising!and!marketing!strategy!will!rely!on!both!individuals!and!businesses.!Heart!
and!Solar!plans!to!fundraise!year!round,!but!will!also!employ!initiatives!such!as!an!annual!fundraising!
drive,!and!annual!fundraising!events.!Marketing!will!take!place!through!a!combination!of!day@to@day!
networking,!attendance!at!conferences!or!community!events,!social!media!and!other!outreach.!!
Heart!and!Solar!will!develop!ties!with!businesses!and!potential!beneficiaries!as!part!of!its!long!term!
success!strategy.!Business!partners!will!be!engaged!to!provide!the!required!installation!and!connection!
services.!Heart!and!Solar!will!also!seek!to!partner!with!other!not@for@profits!in!efforts!to!expand!our!
reach!and!foster!cooperation!with!like@minded!organizations.!By!engaging!these!partners!early,!Heart!
and!Solar!hopes!to!gain!further!exposure!as!well!as!generate!momentum!in!its!operational!goals.!!
Operations$Summary!
Heart!and!Solar!will!operate!out!of!Calgary,!Alberta.!No!employees!will!be!hired,!and!no!commercial!
space!is!required!for!running!the!corporation.!As!a!result,!operational!costs!and!difficulties!are!expected!
to!be!minimal.!Heart!and!Solar’s!operational!focus!will!be!on!fundraising,!and!on!seeking!potential!
beneficiaries!who!will!qualify!for!site@generated!solar!power.!!
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Finance$Summary!
Heart!and!Solar’s!start!up!costs!will!be!minimal.!Income!will!be!limited!to!fundraising,!and!any!successful!
applications!for!grants.!Expenditures!will!be!made!almost!exclusively!in!the!course!of!installation!of!the!
photovoltaic!systems.!Heart!and!Solar!aims!to!obtain!funding!mostly!through!private!donations.!Our!
plan!is!to!raise!enough!for!a!successful!installation!by!2016.!As!operations!increase,!Heart!and!Solar!will!
begin!applying!for!public!and!private!grants!to!supplement!private!donations.!!
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2.0$Company$Profile!
Overview!
Through!the!process!outlined!below,!Heart!and!Solar!will!identify!various!charitable!organizations!that!
would!benefit!from!the!use!of!renewable!solar!energy!systems!to!reduce!or!eliminate!their!energy!costs.!
Heart!and!Solar!intends!to!meet!this!need!by!seeking!donors,!and!fundraising!to!purchase!and!construct!
photovoltaic!systems!for!these!charitable!organizations.!!
PV!systems!provide!excellent!value!and!savings!over!their!lifespan,!but!the!purchase!and!installation!of!
these!systems!presents!a!significant!up@front!cost.!Many!charities!do!not!have!the!available!funds!to!
justify!purchasing!a!solar!electricity!system!on!their!limited!budgets!while!still!achieving!their!charitable!
purpose.!!
With!the!funds!it!raises,!Heart!and!Solar!will!hire!Canadian!solar!installation!companies!to!construct!the!
systems.!The!construction!of!these!systems!will!be!free!of!cost!to!beneficiary!organizations.!Volunteers!
(as!well!as!the!directors)!will!be!the!driving!force!behind!fundraisers!and!other!personnel!needs!of!Heart!
and!Solar.!
Potential!donees!may!apply!to!Heart!and!Solar,!or!may!be!approached!by!Heart!and!Solar.!To!evaluate!
eligibility,!Heart!and!Solar!will!work!with!potential!donees,!as!well!as!solar!installation!companies,!to!
assess!the!viability!of!a!solar!energy!system!on!their!property,!and!outline!their!activities!and!the!nature!
of!their!need!for!renewable!energy.!Heart!and!Solar’s!Board!of!Directors!will!select!successful!
beneficiaries!according!to!need!and!capacity.!!
Heart$and$Solar$Biography!
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Jack!Schroder!first!conceived!of!Heart!and!Solar!when!he!moved!to!Alberta!to!start!his!legal!career.!Jack!
felt!there!was!significant!untapped!solar!potential!in!Alberta!and!wanted!to!tap!this!potential!while!also!
giving!back!to!the!community!at!large.!Shortly!after,!several!colleagues!joined!the!initiative!to!make!up!
the!Board!of!Directors:!Randon!Slaney,!Sheena!Josan,!John!Alex!MacDonald,!Nigel!Behrens!and!Kim!
Nusbaum.!The!Board!of!Directors!latched!onto!the!dual@purpose!nature!of!Heart!and!Solar!immediately.!
The!ability!to!help!local!charities,!while!promoting!the!use!of!solar!power!seemed!like!a!natural!fit!in!the!
province.!!
Board$of$Directors!
Jack!Schroder$sees!Heart!and!Solar!as!a!way!to!combine!his!interests!in!community!service!and!Canadian!
energy!issues.$Throughout!his!education!in!political!science!(Carleton!University)!and!law!(Dalhousie),!
Jack!focused!on!energy!issues.!During!this!time,!he!also!continued!to!be!an!active!participant!in!the!
volunteer!community,!working!with!a!number!of!organizations!in!various!capacities.!Jack’s!energy!
background!includes!study!of!the!solar!industry,!Alberta’s!oil!and!gas!sector,!and!interjurisdictional!
electricity!transmission.!!!
Randon!Slaney$has!long!had!an!interest!in!the!energy!industry,!particularly!international!energy!policy.!
The!opportunity!to!get!involved!with!Heart!and!Solar!was!exciting!as!it!combines!interests!in!alternative!
energy!technologies!while!furthering!the!reach!of!other!worthwhile!institutions.!!
Nigel!Behrens$grew!up!in!Cold!Lake,!Alberta.!He!attended!the!University!of!Calgary!where!he!was!a!
three@time!recipient!of!the!Canadian!Natural!Resources!"Building!Futures"!Scholarship!while!earning!his!
political!science,!English,!and!law!degrees.!$!
John!Alex!MacDonald!earned!his!finance!degree!from!St.!Francis!Xavier!University!and!his!J.D.!from!the!
Schulich!School!of!Law!(Dalhousie!University).!John!Alex!is!actively!involved!in!the!community!and!
believes!that!Heart!and!Solar!is!uniquely!positioned!to!leverage!Calgary's!extensive!energy!network!to!
better!serve!charities.!
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Sheena!Josan!grew!up!in!Edmonton,!Alberta!where!she!earned!her!Bachelor!of!Commerce!in!Economics!
at!the!University!of!Alberta.!Sheena!pursued!a!law!degree!at!Osgoode!(York!University)!before!moving!to!
Calgary!to!start!her!career.!Sheena!brings!a!wealth!of!financial!knowledge!and!business!strategy!to!Heart!
and!Solar.!
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Kim!Nusbaum’s!interest!in!the!energy!industry!stemmed!from!an!energy!law!course!she!took!at!the!
University!of!Hong!Kong!while!pursuing$her!law!degree.!!Kim!was!excited!by!Heart!and!Solar’s!mission!to!
utilize!Canada’s!solar!resources!while!simultaneously!investing!in!local!businesses!and!charitable!
organizations.!!Kim!holds!a!Bachelor!of!Science!from!McGill!University!and!a!!J.D.!from!the!University!of!
Victoria.!!
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Management!
Heart!and!Solar!is!a!federally!incorporated!not@for@profit!corporation,!registered!in!Alberta!as!Heart!and!
Solar!Ltd.,!with!a!six@member!board!of!directors:!
Jack!Schroder!@!President!
Randon!Slaney!@!Chair!of!the!Board!
Nigel!Behrens!@!Secretary!
John!Alex!MacDonald!@!Treasurer!
Sheena!Josan!@!Vice!Chair!
Kim!Nusbaum!@!Vice!Chair!
Location!
Heart!and!Solar!operates!out!of!Calgary!Alberta.!Its!registered!office!is!42!Armagh!Way,!Ottawa,!Ontario,!
K2J!4C1.!Heart!and!Solar’s!activities!will!initially!be!focused!in!southern!Alberta.!In!the!long!term,!Heart!
and!Solar!aims!to!grow!relationships!with!charities!and!businesses!from!across!Canada!in!furthering!its!
objectives.!!
Legal$Structure!
Heart!and!Solar!is!a!not@for@profit!corporation!registered!and!authorized!to!carry!on!business!in!Alberta!
under!the!assumed!name!Heart!and!Solar!Ltd.!
Vision$and$Mission!
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Heart!and!Solar!seeks!to!provide!long@term!relief!from!electricity!expenses!to!Canadian!charitable!and!
non@profit!organizations,!and!offset!carbon!emissions,!by!funding!the!construction!of!renewable!energy!
systems!on!their!properties.!
Goals$&$Objectives!
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Begin!forming!relationships!with!local!solar!businesses!and!charities!in!and!around!the!Calgary!
area!in!early!2015.!!
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Begin!fundraising!activities!and!collecting!donations!by!mid!2015.!!
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Complete!a!successful!installation!of!a!net@metered!solar!array!on!a!donee’s$property!by!2016.!!!
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3.0$Fundraising$&$Marketing!
Fundraising$Strategy!
Heart!and!Solar!plans!to!primarily!fundraise!through!both!an!annual!donation!drive!and!an!annual!event.!
Heart!and!Solar’s!fundraising!drive!will!take!place!each!March.!Heart!and!Solar!will!aim!to!hold!at!least!
one!event!per!year.!Heart!and!Solar!will!also!accept!donations!year!round,!including!in@kind!donations.!!!
Marketing$Strategy!
Networking+in+the+Calgary+area+!
Becoming!part!of!the!local!community!fabric!will!be!critical!for!the!success!of!the!business.!Heart!and!
Solar’s!strategy!is!to!be!an!active!member!of!the!community,!engaged!in!promotion!of!local!businesses!
and!charities.!
Conferences+and+Events!
A!secondary!strategy!will!be!for!Heart!and!Solar’s!directors!to!attend!energy@focused$conferences!and!
community!events!to!network!and!promote!its!initiatives.!
Social+Media!!
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On!social!media,!Heart!and!Solar!will!focus!on!raising!awareness!of!their!activities!and!major!
developments!in!the!solar!industry.!This!will!be!an!effective!way!to!communicate!directly!with!both!
potential!donors,!and!potential!partners!or!beneficiaries.!!
Other+Outreach+and+Education!
Educating!potential!donors!on!the!massive!potential!for!solar!in!Alberta!will!be!another!marketing!goal.!
Solar!systems!installed!in!Calgary!will!rival!the!output!of!the!same!system!installed!in!Miami,!and!have!
higher!output!that!the!same!system!in!Rome.!Heart!and!Solar!will!seek!to!cultivate!donors!and!partners!
by!educating!people!of!the!benefits!these!systems!can!have!for!the!beneficiaries!and!the!province!in!
general.!
Marketing!Objectives!
Goal$#1:!Establish!a!partnership!with!a!solar!installer!by!April!2015!
Goal$#2:$Launch!fundraising!capabilities!by!May!2015!
Goal$#3:!Host!a!fundraising!event!by!mid!2015!
The$Selection$Process!
The!selection!process!for!beneficiaries!will!begin!with!outreach!and!networking.!Once!initial!contact!is!
made!with!a!number!of!potentially!suitable!charitable!or!not@for@profit!organizations,!the!board!of!
directors!will!narrow!the!list!down!by!using!the!qualification!factors!listed!below.!If!two!or!more!
organizations!are!suitable,!the!board!and!directors!reserve!discretion!to!determine!which!beneficiary!
will!take!priority.!!
The$Installation$Process!
The!installation!process!will!be!undertaken!by!a!local!or!regional!solar!installation!business.!Heart!and!
Solar!anticipates!partnering!with!one!business!to!undertake!any!installations!completed!in!southern!
Alberta.!This!business!partner!will!assume!the!costs!of!regulatory!compliance!and!connection!fees!as!
part!of!the!installed!system!price.!!
Target$Market!
Heart!and!Solar!will!need!to!develop!relationships!with!beneficiaries,!as!well!as!donors.!!
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Target!Market!profile!for!beneficiaries:!!
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1. Charities!or!not@for@profits!located!in!southern!Alberta!
2. Organizations!that!own!their!own!building,!or!property!
3. Established!organizations!that!spend!the!majority!of!their!funding!on!charitable!activities!rather!
than!operation!and!management!costs!
Target!Market!profile!for!donors:!!
1. Individuals!seeking!to!benefit!charities,!the!environment,!and!local!businesses!
2. Businesses!involved!in!promoting!energy$in!Alberta!
3. Businesses!with!connections!to!chosen!beneficiaries!
Keys$to$Success!
An!enthusiastic!launch!and!early!momentum!are!key!to!the!success!of!Heart!and!Solar.!Photovoltaic!
systems!are!significant!purchases,!and!demonstrating!the!capacity!to!achieve!fundraising!goals!will!be!
crucial!in!enticing!more!donations!from!both!individuals!and!business.!!
Successful!networking!and!strategic!alliances!are!also!important!to!Heart!and!Solar’s!success,!both!in!
locating!suitable!beneficiaries,!and!in!obtaining!required!exposure.!
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4.0$Operations!
Location!
Heart!and!Solar!will!not!own!or!lease!a!physical!location!for!their!operations.!Most!operations!will!take!
place!at!networking!or!conference!events,!and!on!the!site!of!potential!beneficiary!lands.!
Website!
Heart!and!Solar’s!website!will!launch!in!March!2015.!
Heart!and!Solar’s!website!is!hosted!by!GoDaddy.ca.!The!website!will!explain!Heart!and!Solar’s!mission,!
link!to!partner!or!beneficiary!pages,!have!an!educational!page,!and!introduce!its!board!of!directors.!The!
website!will!also!contain!a!donations!page,!and!updates!on!fundraising!goals!and!progress.!
Website+Development!
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Heart!and!Solar’s!website!will!be!maintained!by!volunteer!developers.!While!most!of!the!website!will!
remain!static,!partners,!fundraising!goals!and!totals,!as!well!as!current!initiatives!will!be!updated!on!a!
regular!basis.!
Legal$Issues!
Heart!and!Solar!anticipates!the!following!legal!issues:!
● Regulatory!issues!@!It!is!anticipated!that!the!regulatory!environment!will!be!navigated!by!companies!
contracted!to!install!the!solar!panels!as!part!of!the!price!of!installation.!
● Contract!agreements!(partnerships,!independent!contractors!etc.)!@!The!legal!background!of!the!board!
of!directors!will!be!sufficient!to!avoid!most!contractual!concerns.$!
Heart!and!Solar!was!incorporated!federally!under!the!Not@for@profit+Corporations+Act!and!has!registered!
their!business!name!with!Service!Alberta.!Heart!and!Solar’s!year@one!revenue!is!estimated!at!under!
$100,000,!and!the!directors!have!waived!the!appointment!of!an!auditor,!making!them!compliant!with!
the!statutory!audit!requirements.!!
Human$Resources!
Heart!and!Solar!will!not!be!hiring!any!employees!at!this!time.!!
The!directors!of!Heart!and!Solar!will!not!earn!a!salary!for!their!involvement!on!the!board.!Further,!Heart!
and!Solar!has!adopted!a!resolution!mandating!that!salaries!will!not!make!up!more!than!10%!of!total!
annual!revenue.!!
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5.0$Financials!
StartUUp$Costs!
As!a!not@for@profit!that!has!no!salaried!employees,!and!no!requirement!for!commercial!space,!start@up!
costs!are!minimal.!!
Income$Statement!
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Heart!and!Solar’s!income!will!depend!on!donors!and!grants.!It!is!anticipated!that!fundraising!efforts!will!
initially!result!in!less!than!$100,000!in!annual!income.!!
Expenditures!
Heart!and!Solar’s!sole!major!expense!will!be!the!engineering,!licensing,!connection,!and!installation!
costs!of!the!solar!arrays.!These!expenditures!will!only!take!place!once!the!necessary!funding!is!in!place!
to!fully!satisfy!the!costs.!!
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