Climbing broken ladders: Women aspiring to nonprofit leadership

Women make up the majority of the nonprofit workforce at all levels, including leadership roles. So on the surface, it might seem like nonprofits have gender equality figured out. “I think there would be an expectation that because we’re a...

Celebrating invisible Everyday Heroes

From coast to coast thousands of Canadians who are helping the most vulnerable members of our communities go unnoticed. They do it not for a bonus, special mention, or even a shout out.  They dedicate their lives every day to...

It all starts with inclusion

This article is the third in a series. Read the first, second, and fourth articles. One question I am often asked by organizations is “how much diversity should we be aiming for?” When I hear this, I know that people are...

Creating culture with Maryann Kerr

When we think about our organizational culture, we refer to a nice culture deck then we're good to go. However, we know that what's on that deck isn't always reflective of how things are practiced or how things get done...

Burnout: How nonprofit leaders can better support their staff

Google burnout and you’ll find 110 million links. Self-care turns up even more - over three billion results. But, as every manager knows, an employee’s burnout isn’t only a self-care problem – it’s an organizational problem. The Mental Health Commission...

Creating a compelling argument for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

This is the second in a series of articles on this topic. Read the first, third, and fourth articles here. A large part of my work involves having conversations with members of diverse and intersecting communities. These dialogues are typically...

Playing to win with Josie Fung

Strategy. It’s one of those things we all know is important, but we never find the time to do it properly. We're so used to the inertia of our work and it's really hard to make time to undertake a...

How to create a successful collaboration between nonprofit organizations

In the late 1980s, an organizational consultant in rural America coined the term “information silos” to describe how an organization may be as rich with information as a silo is with grain, but the information remains trapped, again like grain...

Ten easy steps for nonprofit budgeting for beginners

Want to learn more about budgeting for beginners? Watch the accompanying webinar recording. I vividly remember the first time I was asked to prepare a budget. I wasn’t sure where to start. There was no written process. I couldn’t find any...

Community Bonds with Ryan Collins-Swartz

Community bonds are an alternative model of financing for charities and nonprofits, that are repayable to investors, with defined interest terms. The bonds allow organizations to collect capital for projects and pay it back over time, like a loan, but...