I sit on two nonprofit boards. One treats everything as secret, so even the staff do not know what got discussed or decided at board meetings except what the Executive Director chooses to tell them. Occasionally, an outvoted board member...
The federal government recently came out with policies on whistle-blowers. Working in a nonprofit organization, who protects whistle-blowers? I have encountered staff who work in nonprofits who feel that if they cannot go to the executive director, there is no...
Everyone in our society takes part in consumption. It doesn't matter if it's the regular Joe who buys a slice of pizza at lunchtime or the CEO of a multinational who buys a rival business to leverage his economic position....
"What difference do boards really make to organizations? What is governance anyway? How can boards add value to organizations? How can we evaluate their performance?" These are questions about boards many of us have asked or heard in recent years....
Since June 2005, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) has had the power to impose penalties on charities for breaking certain rules which stop short of revoking the charity's registered status. These intermediate penalties range from a $500 penalty for not...
My small charity serves a worthy cause and really depends on my work as program coordinator. There are only three other staff members. But there is no career path for me, and after six years it is time for a...
The board of directors is elected by members and the board is accountable to the members. boards delegate the implementation of their policies and plans to staff and committees, but the board remains accountable to members for the outcomes. They...
Woody Allen once said that: "Eighty percent of life is just showing up." The other 20% is where it gets complicated. Success demands learning, knowledge, creativity, hard work, and pragmatism...more than 'just showing up'. So it is with the demands...
Can our all-volunteer charity pay board members for time-consuming non-board duties on behalf of the organization? Should we? We are located in British Columbia, and our issue involves extensive consultation sessions with the provincial government. Normally, minimum ethical standards include...
This is the third in a series of articles offering tools to not-for-profit leaders. The first article described the strategic plan - your roadmap to lead you to your desired outcomes. Your strategic plan focuses on supporting your mission and...
