Checking our Vital Signs®: How it impacts communities

In this three-part series, we explore the findings of the national and local Vital Signs® reports issued by Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and 11 local community foundations. In the first installment, Monica Patten, CFC president and CEO, described the...

What happens when a charity shuts down?

The founding of a new charity is often a cause for celebration, but when an organization decides to close its doors for good, people aren't as vocal about the process. Still, there are steps involved and legal requirements that must...

Tools for nonprofit leaders: Essential governance tools

Discussion of not-for-profit organization governance has risen to common conversation for those engaged in associations; this includes members/donors, staff, volunteer leaders, government and more. Governance refers to the processes that govern the organization. This article reviews what they are and...

Understanding the public benefit test

Your organization may be doing great work in the community, but would it pass the CRA's public benefit test? Adam Aptowitzer, a lawyer with the Ottawa-based law firm Drache LLP, explains what the test is and what it actually means...

Governance Q&A: Accepting donations from tobacco companies

My charity has just been offered a large donation from a tobacco manufacturer. Is it ethical to take money obtained from a product that kills when used as directed? Many people are surprised to find there are two sides to...

Checking our Vital Signs®: The findings and the process

In this three-part series, we explore the findings of the national and local Vital Signs® reports issued this past Fall by the Community Foundations of Canada (CFC) and 11 local community foundations. In the first installment, Monica Patten, CFC president...

Sports as a charitable object?

The Supreme Court of Canada ruled last year that sports organizations below the national level do not qualify as registered charities. The ruling is the result of a case involving the Amateur Youth Soccer Association (AYSA), which operates at the...

Using metrics in not-for-profit organization management

To ensure we're all on the same page when reading this article, let’s establish the definition of metrics: metrics are measurements. Another published definition is: “Metrics are a system of parameters or ways of quantitative and period assessment of a...

Understanding charitable objects: Benefit to the community

For an organization to be registered as a charity, its purposes must fall within one of four categories, one of which is "other purposes beneficial to the community in a way the law regards as charitable". Adam Aptowitzer, a lawyer...

Governance Q&A: When a board doesn’t follow its bylaws

I am very concerned that the board of a charity to which I belong is not following its bylaws. I read the minutes and also hear about problems from staff and volunteers, and there are numerous ongoing violations. They appear...