Trends that are becoming mainstream, affecting most associations and charities, need to be high on the list of issues for strategic discussion and action by nonprofit leaders. These trends are pronounced and are becoming more significant. The question becomes how...
It's official. Today marks the launch of Imagine Canada's new Standards Program. The initiative, which was in a testing phase from last year into early 2012, now goes full steam ahead with a set of requirements, funding partners and participating...
Innovation is both buzzword and bugbear: everyone wants to be seen as innovative but no one really wants to take on the risks of something new; no one really knows how to innovate (is that even a proper verb?); and...
Is it ethical for a member to demand a list of fellow members of a charity, or is this a breach of confidentiality? I'll have to break this question into component parts. a) Is this a breach of confidentiality? This...
Readers in British Columbia may be aware of the current consultations taking place regarding Ministry of Finance staff recommendations for changes to the Society Act – the legal framework for societies in BC. Consultations took place in February in Vancouver...
"That decision is up to the board." "I'll have to take this back to the board for a vote." "We'll see what the board recommends." Sound familiar? A board of directors is clearly a powerful and necessary mechanism for any...
Our founder stepped down from being chair after accomplishing our initial goal over our first three years. However, she remains on the board as past chair, and everyone defers to her opinions, opinions that are not helping us move forward....
The Canada Revenue Agency's new guidance on fundraising is scheduled to be released in March. Preliminary details were revealed in an hour-long webinar on February 10, hosted by charity lawyer Mark Blumberg and co-sponsored by both the CRA's Charities Directorate...
Workers of the nonprofit sector, unite! That famous Marxist quote — altered slightly here for effect — could apply to the 21% of unionized employees in Canada's nonprofit sector. And that number could have increased since that statistic was recorded...
Here are two related committee stories I've encountered over the past week. First, board members were interviewing an executive director candidate. The interview panel asked the candidate, currently employed in government, what was appealing about moving to a job in...
