Is a project management office right for you?

Introduction Implementing a project management methodology in your organization is very easy if you are the only project manager or there are only a couple of projects to manage. You can go out for a coffee, think about a project...

Improving analysis in strategic planning

Introduction Throughout our work at ABARIS Consulting Inc. in helping organizations develop, implement and manage their strategy, we have made a few observations that are worthwhile sharing. When it come to strategic planning in the nonprofit sector we've noticed two...

Governance Q&A: Is it ethical for the chair of the board to become the executive director?

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...

Governance Q&A: Should direct beneficiaries or their families serve on our board?

Should direct beneficiaries or their families serve on our board? Many charity boards are made up almost entirely of clients or caregivers of clients. Most professional associations (as distinct from professional colleges) have boards made up solely of members; their...

Board assessment and ethical governance

Board Assessment Common sense suggests that individuals and organizations committed to self-improvement are more likely to perform at or near peak capacity and achieve their goals. But a prerequisite of such improvement is having benchmarks to gauge where you're starting...

Capturing charisma: Reflecting on past management

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....

Four reasons for project failure

Introduction There is a hard reality that everybody has to face. Sometimes our performances are less than stellar, and we are not always destined for success. You can't always be brilliant! This truism very much applies to project management. Not...

Governance Q&A: The ethics of employees donating to employers

The director of development at the charity where I work wants to be able to tell foundations that 100% of the board and staff make a donation every year. I agree that the board members should donate, but can donating...

The Taxman Cometh: Shedding light on charitable receipting issues

When B.C. policeman Caedmon Nash took his financial planner's advice and became an art donor, he never thought the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) would come knocking. After buying pieces of native art at a low cost, he donated them two...

Tools for Not-for-Profit Leaders: The Strategic Plan

Both staff and elected leaders of not-for-profit organizations can be well served by basic "tools of our trade". These include: A strategic plan A communications plan Policies and procedures A volunteer handbook A succession planning strategy A risk management strategy...