Upcoming Speaking Engagements - Drache Aptowitzer LLP

November 2018

On November 3rd, Yvonne Chenier will be presenting “Objects & Bylaws – Govern yourself accordingly!” to Board Leadership Calgary 2018.

October 2018

On Wednesday, October 24th, Yvonne Chenier will be speaking to the Edmonton Chamber of Voluntary Organizations (ECVO) entitled “Living Your Charitable Purposes and Keeping your Non Profit Healthy”.

On Thursday, October 25th, Drache Aptowitzer LLP will be attending the CSAE National Conference 2018 here in Ottawa. Sylvie Lalonde will be presenting to the conference in addition to our booth in the exhibitor area. Feel free to come by and say hello!

September 2018
A special Senate Committee was held to examine the impact of federal and provincial laws and policies governing charities, nonprofit organizations, foundations, and other similar groups; and to examine the impact of the voluntary sector in Canada. Adam Aptowitzer was asked to be an expert witness during their discussion of donations of private securities to Charities. Click here to view the discussion.

April 2018

Adam Aptowitzer and Karen Cooper will be speaking at the 25th Annual Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP) Conference in Winnipeg. This Sold Out event will take place on April 11-13, 2018 at the Forks: Canada Historical Meeting Place. There are still spaces in the pre-conference workshops. For more information check the CAGP Conference Website

Topic: Donation of Bitcoin and Other Cryptocurrencies
Summary: Many gift planners have heard of Bitcoin but there are hundreds of other cryptocurrencies out there with many more created daily. Indeed, the entire asset class is worth over $100 billion dollars and is growing daily. Gift planners interested in the future of generosity must understand this asset class and how to attract donations of it.

May 2018

May 11-12, 2018 – Sylvie Lalonde will be speaking at the 24th East Region Solicitors Conference in Montebello, Quebec – more information to follow

May 11th, 2018 – Karen Cooper will be speaking at the CBA Charity Law Symposium – more information to follow

May 28th, 2018 – STEP – Karen Cooper will be presenting to the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners Canada taking place at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre – more information to follow

Past Events

March 2018

Alexandra Tzannidakis presenting at the NEEP Buzz Forum

On Wednesday, March 7th, 2018 Alexandra Tzannidakis will be a panelist at the NEEP Buzz Forum presented by the World Skills Employment Centre. NEEP stands for Non-profit Employer Engagement Project and will deal with the top issues facing non-profits. If you are interested in attending please visit the NEEP event page for further details on this free event.

February 2018

Adam Aptowitzer Speaking at the CPA NFP Forum February 27, 2018

On February 27th, 2018, Adam Aptowitzer will be speaking at the Chartered Professional Accountants – Not for Profit Executive Forum taking place in Toronto at the Hyatt Regency this year. Adam dealing with the topic of running businesses in both charities and not for profits from a legal perspective.

Topic:Making Money the Old Fashioned Way – How Charities and Not for Profits Can Engage in Business and Social Enterprise

Adam Aptowitzer Discusses Social Enterprise at the CPA NFP Forum, February 27,2018

Summary: Charities and NFPs are seeking new revenue streams but both of these organizations face legal restrictions on engaging in such ventures. Understanding these restrictions is key to evaluating the risks of getting involved in such operations and ensuring the proceeds from these activities remain tax – free. This session will review the various tax and corporate laws applicable to these organizations and provide some alternatives for the problems they face.

This Conference is exclusive to accountants, however if you are interested in finding more information on the CPA Canada’s NFP Executive Forum please visit their website.

January 2018

Karen Cooper speaks to the STEP Ottawa Chapter regarding Philanthropy- Taxation and Best Practices on January 17th at 3:00pm at the Rideau Club. For more details please visit the STEP Ottawa Chapter website.

October 2017

C. Yvonne Chenier will be involved in a panel discussion for ViTrēo discussing “Nonprofit Leadership: How can the fundraiser be a bold leader?” The podcast will appear on October 12th on the ViTrēo website.

Adam Aptowitzer will be speaking at the annual Canadian Society of Association Executives (CSAE) 2017 National Conference and Showcase in St. John’s, Newfoundland taking place on October 25th – 27th this year. Adam will be addressing the topic of Social Enterprise in his session. Hear about Adam’s talk with Diane Hodgins from Shorefast Foundation here. More information to come.

If you would like to know more about the CSAE conference, please visit their website.

September 2017

Karen Cooper will be speaking at the Association of Treasurers of Religious Institutes annual conference in Montreal on September 29-October 2, 2017. She will be speaking about a Charity Law Update with a Focus on Mergers and Amalgamations. Karen’s presentation will provide an update on charity law and CRA issues of relevance to religious institutes including recent legislative changes, CRA publications and caselaw. Part of the presentation will also focus on some of the civil law issues and processes relevant when religious institutes deal with fundamental changes such as mergers, amalgamations and dissolution, including some key considerations and best practices.

Join us during the last week of September as C. Yvonne Chenier and Adam Aptowitzer go on tour with the annual Global Philanthropic National Training Academy.

These workshops will be delivered in Mississauga, Toronto, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver, featuring four internationally renowned speakers: Simone Joyaux (U.S.A.), Guy Mallabone (Canada), Bernard Ross (U.K.), Tom Ahernx (U.S.A.).

September 25: Mississauga
September 26: Toronto
September 27: Calgary
September 28: Edmonton
September 29: Vancouver

For more information on the Extraordinary Donor Journey, please visit extraordinarydonorjourney.com.

July 2017

Sylvie Lalonde – pratiquO talk, July 17, 2017

On July 17th, 2017, Sylvie Lalonde presented to the University of Ottawa’s new francophone CLE program for lawyers, called “PratiquO”. Sylvie’s presentation was in French and was an introduction to Not for Profit Organizations for lawyers who do not practice in the area. It was recorded and will be posted on the PratiquO portal where it can be viewed by other lawyers for CLE hours. For more information on the PratiquO program please see this announcement or visit the portal.

** UPDATE** Find a copy of Sylvie’s talk online here!

March 2017

Yvonne Chenier Q.C. and Alexandra Tzannidakis will speak at the CAGP conference in Toronto on Wednesday, March 29th, 2017.

Topic: Fundraising Without Borders

CAGP 2017 - Fundraising without borders, Yvonne Chenier

C. Yvonne Chenier, CAGP 2017- Fundraising without borders

Summary: Looking to expand your fundraising base? Come learn the legal ins and outs of fundraising across Canada and throughout the world. In today’s fast-paced and globalized world the rules seem to be constantly changing. Learn about legal and tax issues and concepts when searching for cross border donors. Find out what it takes to fundraise for a charity in other Canadian provinces, navigate foreign tax systems, and create a donor network that works for you.

May 2017

Karen Cooper will be speaking at the upcoming Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) conference to be held on May 4th, 2017 in Kingston, Ontario.

Topic: Best Practices for Your Gift Acceptance Policy

Summary: With the increasing demand for donor involvement with and recognition from substantial gifts, it is important for charities to manage expectations by establishing clear guidance on what they can and cannot accept. This presentation will discuss the purposes of gift acceptance policies, the process of developing a gift acceptance policy and some of the best practices, including compliance with Imagine Canada’s accreditation requirements and ethics, by examining some specific examples.

If you would like to attend and hear Karen speak, please visit the AFP conference website for further details.

C. Yvonne Chenier QC will be participating in a panel at the annual Canadian Bar Association Charity Law Symposium Charity held on May 12th, 2017 in Toronto, Ontario discussing “PRACTICE TIPS FOR VOLUNTARY DISCLOSURES FOR NPOs AND CHARITIES”. She hopes to see you there.

To find out about the Canadian Bar Association Charity Law Symposium visit their website for further details.