I have a number of umbrellas in my closet that I pull out depending on my mood. My favourite is bright pink, a perfect antidote to a gloomy, rainy day. Another one lies dormant next to the bag of used...
More than 260,000 people immigrated to Canada from around the world in 2005. They came here for a better life, a chance to start over, escape from persecution and a multitude of other reasons. For many newcomers, getting here is...
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...
Is it ethical for the chair of the board to become the executive director? If the executive director position is vacant or about to be vacant, the board of directors must try to find the best new executive director they...
A previous article - Changing of the Guard - examined what happens to organizational memory when people leave. In response, one reader e-mailed a story about his cousin who died of cancer while an employee of a satellite communications company....
Our last column about international aid dealt with the views of front-line workers, NGO's and charities with regards to Canada's international aid role. Today's piece takes a look at what our government thinks about where Canada is and should be...
Generally speaking, Canadians are proud of being a courteous and helpful people, almost to a fault. We are taught that we're a cultural mosaic, accepting of everyone in a spirit of inclusiveness. For much of our history we have taken...
When David Jenkins started his nonprofit venture, Montrealite, in 2002, he thought he had it all figured out. With a social mission of employing and training at-risk youth, the company hired troubled kids to sell t-shirts creatively embossed with symbols...
The only surprise about Philanthropy Journal's breathless October 6th headline, "Nonprofits face leadership shortage," was its expression of surprise. Warnings about an impending labour crisis have been out for years. From executive suites to mailrooms, in every industry sector, organizations...
