Rebuilding after the storm

A good friend has asked you to join the board of directors of a well known nonprofit. After the first meeting you realize this once flourishing organization is trapped in a blizzard of financial mismanagement. Or perhaps you were the...

Potential for director’s liability substantial

Charitable and nonprofit organizations in Canada are facing a wide variety of legal issues. Sometimes, these issues are of the organization's own making through inadvertence, negligence or misunderstanding, and they may, as a result, be involved in legal proceedings they...

Nonprofit mergers: The perils and the possibilities

Royal Bank and Bank of Montreal. Telus and BC Tel. Loblaws and Provigo. Corporate mergers are daily news. The trends of the New Economy, such as globalization, technological developments, increased competition and diminishing revenues, have incited merger mania in the...

CRTs offering great potential, but awaiting clarification from hesitant Canada Customs & Revenue Agency

In Canada the charitable remainder trust has, until recent years, been virtually unknown. The United States, however, has been so taken by the concept that the most common form of a planned gift there, with the exception of a bequest,...

Accountability: The maturing of the charitable sector

"We have not passed that subtle line between childhood and adulthood until we move from the passive voice to the active voice - that is; until we have stopped saying "It got lost", and say, "I lost it." - Sydney...

Financial responsibilities of not-for-profit boards

Roles and Responsibilities The management of an organization's finances is one of the least understood, yet most important responsibilities of a board member. This responsibility is on two levels - as an individual board member and as a board collectively....

Financial stability of endowments not always the right approach

Just as each one of us faces the challenge of balancing our financial obligations today while preparing for the uncertainty of tomorrow, charities experience a similar destiny. Today, in Canada, over 75,000 registered charities compete for some $3.2 billion donated...

Registering your nonprofit trademark

While one trade-mark application can cover both wares and services, you must file a separate application for each trade-mark. The basis of your application will be to cover existing use, proposed use, use and registration abroad, or making the mark...

Directors and officers liability insurance: An overview

This should not be construed as legal advice and is for general information purposes only. Each year, hundreds of non-profit organizations search for liability insurance. This article will help those in search of liability insurance select the most appropriate coverage....

Board structures should reflect the organization, not textbook models

"There is no single `right way' to structure your board," says Michael Burns, a board consultant. "The design must reflect the maturity of the organization and its future needs." Trying to make boards conform to preconceived structures can seriously damage...