Nonprofit organizations are often encouraged to include a lawyer on their board of directors. Afterall, what group couldn't benefit from some free legal advice now and then. But it's not quite as simple as that. Adam Aptowitzer, a lawyer with...
I read that a nonprofit employee recently committed suicide after being confronted with evidence that she had defrauded a nonprofit. Was the nonprofit ethically responsible for leading her into temptation? The responsibility for wrongdoing always rests primarily with the wrongdoer....
Founders of organizations are typically charismatic and driven individuals who inspire others to get involved. As a result of their commitment, a fledgling idea turns into a full-fledged reality. Then the day comes when the founder announces it’s time for...
The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) recently published a list of model objects (charitable purposes) that nonprofit organizations can consult before applying for charitable status. Adam Aptowitzer, a lawyer with the Ottawa-based law firm Drache LLP, explains what these model objects...
You agreed on the date of the board meeting at the last meeting and you sent an Outlook Meeting Invitation to ensure each board member had the next meeting date in his or her calendar. You sent out the board...
Last month, we spoke about the different types of people that can cause conflicts on the board. This month, we are going to talk about the ten things you need to keep in mind when you encounter one of these...
The company I approached for a grant this week asked for information to confirm that my charity operated in accordance with corporate socially responsibility. We exist for public benefit and are not a corporation in that sense, though we are...
If you feel like you are bombarded with challenges, barriers, problems, and other energy-draining negatives, you're probably in just the right head space to learn more about appreciative inquiry. David Cooperrider and his colleagues at Case Western Reserve University developed...
This checklist may be of use to those considering joining a board of a charity. As well, it may be useful to staff and the board of charities who are interested in improving their legal compliance and improving their risk...
Most nonprofit board members will tell you that at one point they had the misfortune of sitting on the board with a difficult person, someone who dominates discussions, intimidates other board members, is argumentative, shows up late, makes promises that...
