Understanding appreciative inquiry: Is the glass half empty or half full?

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...

Canadian charity legal checklist

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...

How do you deal with a difficult board member?

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...

Governance Q&A: When should a charity close its doors?

Is it ethical to shut down a charity when there is a group of people that would like to form a new board, drawing on new contacts and strategies, to help the organization carry on its work? When should a charity...

Nonprofit-consultant collaborations: What to look for and why

There’s an old adage that states when you want something done right, do it yourself. Many times, that philosophy can pay dividends to those who apply it on an individual basis. But when one looks at the voluntary sector and...

Governance Q&A: Fee-for-service vs salary for executive directors

Is it ethical to hire our executive director on a fee-for-service basis rather than on salary? Does this arrangement help us avoid liabilities such as an unjust dismissal suit if we terminate the individual? Many organizations do use this method,...

Tools for nonprofit leaders: Conducting an organization review

Many high performing not-for-profit organizations engage an objective third party - with the required expertise - to conduct an organization review. This involves a rigorous evaluation of how effectively resources are being applied to serve an organization’s vision, mission, and...

Canadian nonprofit and charity legal audits: Forget about it!

Some Canadian charity boards and senior staff when dealing with legal, accounting, governance problems seem to operate under the premise “Forget about it”. Hey, it even seems to sometimes works. In many cases, however, there is a time of reckoning....

Can nonprofit directors be compensated financially?

The directors who serve on a nonprofit board do so voluntarily. But there are instances when directors are financially compensated for their time and effort. Adam Aptowitzer, a lawyer with the Ottawa-based law firm Drache LLP, explains when this may...

Governance Q&A: How to manage troublesome volunteers who mean well

I have some volunteers that are more trouble than they are worth, but they are good-hearted people who mean well. Another team leader suggested I fire them. Can a nonprofit ethically get rid of people who want to help? Not...