by: Sylvie Lalonde When people agree to join a board of directors, it is usually because they have an interest in or passion for the work of the organization. Most directors want and are committed to fulfilling their duties and responsibilities, including devoting the time to fully prepare for, regularly attend and participate in board […]
Reorganizing A Non-Profit/Charity to Secure Efficiency and Stability in Operations – A Current Case
By Mark S. Anshan In a series of articles here and here we discussed the importance of protecting a charity’s assets and organizing its activities to achieve maximum efficiency in operations and effectiveness in engaging with donors and volunteers. Long established charitable organizations sometimes find that they have a number of entities carrying on various […]
Securing the Future of Your Organization
Mark S. Anshan Non profit organizations (NPOs) are constantly looking for new talent to fill leadership roles that will ensure their ongoing viability and success. Leadership development and succession planning have become important issues being addressed by NPOs. There is competition for experienced and highly skilled leaders. The challenge for NPOs is to address the […]
Charity Board Responsibility
By Mark S. Anshan In following several not-for-profit and charity mailing lists, I have noticed there are discussions taking place among individuals serving as directors of charities and foundations expressing concerns about governance and apparent lack of proper controls and accountability. With news of charities coming under review and being subjected to government audits, directors […]
NPOs’ Internal Procedures are Subject to Judicial Review
NPOs’ Internal Procedures are Subject to Judicial Review By Alexandra Tzannidakis Within the microcosm of a not-for-profit organization, where internal bylaws and rules are generated and enforced by the organization itself, it can be easy to lose sight of the fact that there is always an external source of recourse in the form of judicial […]
Bylaws – Who Needs em
Bylaws: Who Needs ‘Em By: Adam Aptowitzer The ongoing changeover of Federal corporations to the Canada Not for Profit Corporations Act is raising interesting questions about the bylaws that may have been used by a corporation since its inception. (It bears mentioning that the same questions arise in the context of Ontario non share capital […]
The Friction Factor
The Friction Factor By C. Yvonne Chenier, Q.C. An American suffragist (Frances E. Willard, 1839-1898) apparently once said: “The world is wide, and I will not waste my life in friction when it could be turned into momentum”. I am not sure exactly what she was referring to but she could easily have meant what […]
T-3010 Mounting Complexity for Charities
T-3010: Mounting Complexity for Charities By Arthur Drache In the olden days, say a dozen or so years ago when the Voluntary Sector Initiative was still underway one of the objects was to simplify the annual report requirements for registered charities. Indeed, serious discussions were held about either exempting small charities altogether or devising a […]
Membership is About Control
Membership is About Control By Joel Secter Though we advise charities and non-profits at all stages in their evolution, we typically get involved in the start-up phase. At the start up phase we often recommend incorporation, most notably because of the limited liability protection it provides. Our discussions with clients invariably lead to the roles […]
Books and Records For Charities: Part 1 (An Introduction)
Books and Records for Charities: Part I (An Introduction) By Alexandra Tzannidakis The failure to maintain books and records is ground for suspension of a charity’s tax-receipting privileges. Such a suspension can translate into the loss of big donations. This article is the first in a series on what “books and records” means and how […]