As coronavirus spreads, registered charities and non-profit organizations (“NPOs”) that help the needy and vulnerable are likely to face unprecedented demands. Thus, it is critical that operations continue to the extent possible. This article discusses some key governance considerations that should be top of mind for management and boards of directors in the coming weeks, if not months.
As a community foundation grows, it gets pulled in multiple, competing directions. Those competing directions can harm its financial sustainability and the clarity of its value proposition to the community and donors. A clearer path to growth comes when the foundation is aligned toward a primary operating model. Building on their presentation at the 2019 CFC Conference, this is the first of two webinars by Ekstrom Alley Clontz & Associates’ on the Four Quadrants operating model framework, the reasons why foundations choose each model, and trends in philanthropy and the community foundation field challenging each model. Presenters: Tony Macklin and Steve Alley, Ekstrom Alley Clontz & Associates
We have a wealth of philanthropic experience and knowledge about community foundations and their work. We’re here to help you with guidance and expertise. From strategic planning to “who’s doing this?” questions, we’re here to track down resources, and connect you with the right information — and the right people — to put your vision into action.
With the increasing complexity of regulations, demand for accountability, and sophistication of donors and gifting vehicles, community foundations must not only be professional in their approaches to all of their work but also ready and able to handle any situations that arise. In fact, many people would agree that the Board’s most important responsibility is establishing policy. A policy can be a governing principle; a guideline for carrying out work; and a way for the Board to delegate authority. Policies let individuals make sound decisions while relieving the Board of Directors and the Executive Director of involvement in routine decision making. Policies ensure that operations within your community foundation are administered consistently, within regulations and that donors and members of the public are treated fairly and uniformly.
This manual is designed to be a starting point for your community foundation to put in place policies that represent best practices. Use these policy examples as a starting point to create your own. A more in-depth examination of the considerations required for each policy is available in the Policy Guidelines and Template Manual. It provides each community foundation Board of Directors with key questions to be considered in developing policy that is consistent with their model of governance as a community foundation.
The key to a highly effective and engaged board is one that has clarity around roles, responsibilities and aligns their work and performance with organizational values and vision. This webinar focuses on board members’ key responsibilities, how to move boards out of operations and into the “big picture”, provide increased clarity on the roles of board members vs. the roles of paid staff and operational volunteers and how to create efficient board meetings.
If you are a new board member, coming into your role as a board chair or looking to up your governance learning, this webinar is for you! Participants will discover the principles of good governance, how strong governance creates strong organizations and the importance of communication.
Join Community Foundations of Canada for an online fireside chat with CFC board member Victoria Grant. Designed for Board members of community foundations, this screencast will explore leadership topics that are essential to building strong organizational governance. This fireside chat will also focus on meaningful Board and stakeholder communications.
In Canada, charitable organizations provide services that benefit the public and improve quality of life through activities related to education, religion, social issues, arts, and sports. The defining characteristics of a charity are that its purpose is beneficial to the community and it is registered with the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA). When an organization receives charitable registration from the CRA, it is provided with a charitable number, which enables it to be tax exempt, apply for charitable funding and provide tax receipts. In this handbook, we refer to these organizations as charities. There are many groups, individuals and organizations whose purpose is beneficial to the community but who are not registered as charities with CRA. These may include informal community groups, societies, notfor-profit organizations and businesses. In this handbook, these are referred to as non-charities. Charities and non-charities will often partner to increase their impact in community. For example, a youth-serving charity may partner with a non-charity youth group to offer a summer camp program. The partnership enables the charity to reach more youth and allows the non-charity to provide activities that might not otherwise be available. If the partnership accesses charitable funding, specific guidelines must be followed. This handbook seeks to explain these guidelines, provide insights from community experience and promote examples of good practice. It strives to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the practice in compliance with CRA regulations so that charity and non-charity partnerships can be used to maximize community benefit.