I'm often asked what the role of the Board is in the strategic planning process. The most common answer is that the Board is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization and therefore should set the strategy. Few people...
As the nonprofit sector evolves, and with government funding in decline, more and more organizations are finding that a fundraising board is now a necessity. Realizing this, they then face the challenge of involving their board in fundraising, not always...
Most Ontario charities are aware - or should be - that they should address the potential for liability arising when their board of directors continues to delegate investment decision making to a discretionary investment fund manager. While a court might...
1. Your mission is your lighthouse (a beacon in the fog) Clearly express your agency's reason for being and make it pervasive in your organization before you look for people who can help achieve long-term goals. (Placing your mission on...
A good friend has asked you to join the board of directors of a well known nonprofit. After the first meeting you realize this once flourishing organization is trapped in a blizzard of financial mismanagement. Or perhaps you were the...
Charitable and nonprofit organizations in Canada are facing a wide variety of legal issues. Sometimes, these issues are of the organization's own making through inadvertence, negligence or misunderstanding, and they may, as a result, be involved in legal proceedings they...
Roles and Responsibilities The management of an organization's finances is one of the least understood, yet most important responsibilities of a board member. This responsibility is on two levels - as an individual board member and as a board collectively....
This should not be construed as legal advice and is for general information purposes only. Each year, hundreds of non-profit organizations search for liability insurance. This article will help those in search of liability insurance select the most appropriate coverage....
"There is no single `right way' to structure your board," says Michael Burns, a board consultant. "The design must reflect the maturity of the organization and its future needs." Trying to make boards conform to preconceived structures can seriously damage...
Is your board of directors fulfilling its role? This article examines some of the issues that make it increasingly difficult for non-profit organizations to build an effective board of directors and provides some rays of hope for those beleaguered by...
