It should come as no surprise that the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) is often classified as one of the most ethnically diverse urban centres in the world. Consisting of the central city of Toronto, along with four surrounding regional municipalities...
Our board is very new to fundraising. What would you recommend to support their efforts? The board’s role in fundraising is one of my favourite topics, albeit an evolving one. Times are changing as the development profession matures but many...
Given how much time board members give to their charity, is it ethical to also expect them to donate? Yes, it is. Volunteers are usually the best source of funds for a charity, and it would be irresponsible not to...
Is it ethical for a member to demand a list of fellow members of a charity, or is this a breach of confidentiality? I'll have to break this question into component parts. a) Is this a breach of confidentiality? This...
"That decision is up to the board." "I'll have to take this back to the board for a vote." "We'll see what the board recommends." Sound familiar? A board of directors is clearly a powerful and necessary mechanism for any...
Our founder stepped down from being chair after accomplishing our initial goal over our first three years. However, she remains on the board as past chair, and everyone defers to her opinions, opinions that are not helping us move forward....
Here are two related committee stories I've encountered over the past week. First, board members were interviewing an executive director candidate. The interview panel asked the candidate, currently employed in government, what was appealing about moving to a job in...
If a member thoroughly disrupts an annual general meeting (AGM), can they be removed or prevented from attending in future? Usually, AGMs are open to everyone although only members, or certain classes of members, have a vote. And members are...
"To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice." ~ Confucius Volunteers and staff have all experienced a wayward member who is considered the loose cannon in the organization, known for wreaking havoc on boards and...
My nonprofit had more people come forward to run for the board than the number of vacancies. The board recommended only certain candidates to the members, the same number as there were vacancies. Was it ethical to do that? It...
