Cultural accommodation in the workplace

We all know that Canada's population is becoming more diverse — and a large number of institutions and firms are leading the way in promoting cultural awareness and accommodation. Beyond the legal requirements under the Ontario Human Rights Code, it's...

When it’s time for founders to exit

Many nonprofit organizations owe their beginning to a founder with great vision. The founder goes on to assemble other people who share in his or her vision, and the world is better for their contribution. The board learns its roles...

Governance Q&A: When membership is not defined

Our bylaws do not define a "member" and we have no membership fee. Is it ethical to just let all adult attendees at the upcoming annual general meeting vote? Or all volunteers? Should we let staff be members and vote?...

The rise of the hybrid: Colliding sectors

"Like Dr Dolittle's Pushmi-Pullyu, the animal that had trouble moving because its two heads could not agree on a single direction, the hybrid model for non-profits is proving problematic. On occasion, the need to generate returns for investors overwhelms the...

Fundraising and communications: One hat or two?

The relationship between communications and fundraising in many organizations is a strained one. The friction arises over a variety of things: resources, turf, approvals, competing plans, different visions. The question many organizations are asking is whether fundraising and communications should...

Collaborating in the virtual space

"Two heads are better than one", as the old saying goes, and it certainly applies when thinking about the benefits of collaboration. Whether it's one nonprofit partnering with a like-minded organization to tackle a common issue, or combining individual efforts...

Great Northern Arts Festival

Last month in our series about summer arts festivals run by nonprofits, we looked at the partnership between Toronto’s Luminato festival and The New Yorker Magazine. This month, we head way up north, to the town of Inuvik on the...

Young…and restless: The 20-something ED

When Ilona Dougherty co-founded Apathy is Boring and became its national director, she was just 23 years old. Young though she was, it seemed apparent to everyone — herself included — that she was exactly where she needed to be....

Governance Q&A: Paying for board service?

Some of the directors of my nonprofit want to be paid a per diem for board and board committee work. Is this ethical? There's recently been a lively online international discussion among governance professionals and senior staff on this very...

The Canada Revenue Agency gets physical

When the federal government announced its budget on June 6, one of the measures within it made Registered Canadian Amateur Athletic Associations (RCAAAs) sit up and take notice. On June 10, Cathy Hawara, the Canada Revenue Agency's Charities Directorate executive...