John (Jay) H. Remer Jr. is a North American consultant specializing in corporate etiquette and international protocol. He writes regularly about etiquette on his website www.etiquetteguy.com and has extensive cross-border board experience on which he reflects. "Sitting on a corporate...
People who willingly take on significant board challenges inspire me. Tanya Gulliver is one of those people. After serving as president of the Professional Writers Association of Canada (PWAC) for one year, Gulliver volunteered to do it again and serve...
What makes a successful fundraising committee? The simplest answer to your question is people who understand your organization’s priorities and enjoy asking for money! However, given those individuals are the exception and not the rule, let’s break it down specifically...
Occasionally, while doing research on an organization, you may learn that it supports a cause or position you don’t or can’t ethically stand behind. It would therefore be your duty to decline the board position, as it is unlikely that...
Is it legal and ethical to take over a dormant Canadian charity? This article considers the questions: "Is it legal and ethical to take over a dormant Canadian charity in order to avoid the long bureaucratic process of application? And...
One of the most important aspects of operating a nonprofit is to have a board which can give direction to the organization. Without being comprehensive in terms of board duties, it must set policy, manage investments, handle personnel issues, raise...
It seems that a recurring frustration for volunteers and chief staff officers in the sector is governance — specifically, how to define the roles and responsibilities of the board of directors and staff, consistently follow what has been agreed to,...
It seems there are never enough volunteers to go around. It also seems that too often, people agree to take on volunteer roles without knowing what they’re in for, how much time it will take and the full extent of...
Shouldn’t a good organization provide a committee chair with a graceful way to exit within a reasonable time frame? Most of our organizations are highly dependent on the contributions of skilled and passionate individuals, and our lives would be much...
What would we do without our nonprofit boards? Board members are often considered indispensible assets to the organization they represent. They provide guidance and direction, they keep staff on target and on mission, they open doors to their networks and,...
