Governance Resources

Board Basics:

Understanding the difference between not-for-profit and charity status, the lifecycle of a board, and defining governance.

Understanding and structuring your organization

• What is the difference between a registered charity and a non-profit organization? (Canadian Revenue Agency)

Board Development:

Resources on good practice in developing your board of directors, including recruitment, orientation, evaluation and succession planning.

Recruitment

• A Guide to Successful Board Recruitment (Dalhousie University College of Continuing Education, 2013)[ PDF 121kb ]

• Board Recruitment: Part 1 [ PDF 134 KB ]& Part 2 (Imagine Canada, Beth Deazeley, 2010) [ PDF 126kb ]

• 20 questions directors of not-for-profit organizations should ask about board recruitment, development and assessment (CICA, Richard Leblanc & Hugh Lindsay, 2010) [ PDF 1.07mb]

• 20 Questions que les administrateurs des organismes sans but lucratif devraient poser sur le recrutement, la formation et l’évaluation des membres du conseil (CICA, Richard Leblanc & Hugh Lindsay, 2010) [ PDF 1.07mb]

 Orientation

• Effective Director Orientation (Imagine Canada, Beth Deazeley, 2009) [ PDF 130kb ]

• Orientation for board members for registered  charities (CRA, 2012) [video]

• Creating a Board Member’s Manual (Governing Good, Grant MacDonald, 2016) 

• Example Board Orientation Package (Creative Trust, 2013) [ PDF 614kb ]

Evaluation

• Director Non-Performance (Imagine Canada, Beth Deazeley, 2010) [ PDF 455kb ]

• Overcoming the Fear of Board Assessments (Imagine Canada, Beth Deazeley, 2010) [ PDF 408kb  ]

• Board Self-Evaluation Questionnaire  (Governing Good, Grant MacDonald, 2013) 

Succession

• Succession Planning for the Board (Imagine Canada, Beth Deazeley, 2010) [ PDF 108kb ]

• Tools for nonprofit leaders: Succession planning in the not-for-profit world (CharityVillage, Paulette Vinette, 2006)

Board Requirements and Risk Management:

This section outlines how to establish by-laws, roles and responsibilities of the board, managing risks, and Board and Director’s Liability Insurance.

 Board By-Laws

• Not-for-Profit Corporations Act: Draft Organizational By-law  (Ontario Ministry of Consumer Services, Provincial Resources)

• Rule for General By-law Amendments – (Industry Canada, Federal Resource)

Roles and Responsibilities

• Guidelines: Roles and Responsibilities of Museum Boards of Trustees (Canadian Museums Association & Canadian Art Museum Directors Organization, 2004) [ PDF 235kb ]

• Example Roles and Responsibilities of Board and Staff – (Creative Trust) [ PDF 25kb ]

• Financial Responsibilities of Non-Profit Boards Workbook (The Muttart Foundation, Government of Alberta, 2008)  [ PDF 686kb ]

• Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards (The National Center of Nonprofit Boards) [ PDF 42kb ]

• Governance Q&A: Executive Director Succession planning (CharityVillage, Jane Garthson, 2009)

Ethics and code of conduct

• Ethics Guidelines - (The Canadian Museums Association, 2009)

• Code of Ethics 
  Code de Deontologie 
  - (International Council of Museums, 2004) [ PDF  684kb ]

• 20 Questions Directors Should Ask About Codes of Conduct (CICA, Michael Gunns & Mark Wexler, 2010) [ PDF 927kb ]

• Ethical Code Handbook – (Imagine Canada, 2011) [ PDF 334kb ]

Risk Management, Liabilities, and Insurance

• Oversight of Risk by the Board of Directors (Imagine Canada, Beth Deazeley, 2009) [ PDF 129kb ]

• Directors' Liability: a discussion paper on legal liability, risk management, and the role of directors in nonprofit organizations (Volunteer Canada, 2002) [ PDF 70kb ]

• Board liability and non-profit organizations – (Centre for Community Organizations, 2010) [ PDF 184kb ]

• Canadian Museums Association Directors and Officers Liability: Museums can access insurance through the Canadian Museums Association

Board Policies, Planning and Practice

This section provides example policies and some essentials for running effective meetings and other good governance practice.

Effective Board Practice

• Sample Governance Schedule [ PDF 322kb ]
• Government documents : minutes – (Charity Central, 2010) [ PDF 3.2mb ]
  Documents constitutifs :Procès-verbaux – (Charity Central, 2010)[ PDF 3.2mb ]
• Seven Tips to Facilitating a Great Meeting (Jessica Bell, 2014) [ PDF 229kb ]

• Board and Governance: Creative Trust Open Source Toolkit - (Creative Trust, 2013)

 Strategic Planning

• Strategic Planning (Jon Linton, 2013) [ PDF 296kb ]
  Video  OMA Archived Webinar in partnership with Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport

• Seven Sins of Strategic Planning – (Charity Village, Ron Robinson, 2002)

• Best Practices in Strategic Planning – (Charity Village, Ron Robinson, 2003)

• The Balanced Scorecard: From Strategic Plan to Effective Execution – (Charity Village, John Paul de Silva, 2012)

• Producing a Forward Plan: MGC Guidelines for Good Practice – (Museums & Galleries Commission, Stuart Davies, 1996) [ PDF 2.08mb ]

• 20 Questions Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations Should Ask about Strategy and Planning (Hugh Lindsay, 2008)

• Imagine Canada Standards Reference Guide - Standard A2 - Strategic Plan

• 2 Minute Answer Guide for Nonprofits - Strategic Planning (Center for Nonprofit Management)

Vision and Mission Statements

• How to Create an Effective Nonprofit Mission Statement (Harvard Business Review, Fancis Pandolfi, 2011)

• The Importance of Vision, Mission and Values (Imagine Canada, Beth Deazeley, 2009) [ PDF 112kb ]

• Mission and Vision Statements (Jon Linton, 2009) [ PDF 306kb ] Video

Sample Policy

Privacy:

• Privacy Policy – (sample from Imagine Canada)

• Act to Charitable and Non-Profit Organizations – (Fact Sheet from the Office of the Privacy Commissioner)

Conflict of Interest:

• Conflict of Interest Policy – (Creative Trust, 2003) [ PDF 19kb ]
   
• Ontario Municipal Conflict of Interest Act
  Loi sur les conflits d’intérêts municipaux

• Conflict of Interest Policy – (Alberta Museums  Association, 2006) [ PDF 36kb ]

Complaints:

• Complaints policy and procedure – (sample from Imagine Canada, 2011) [ PDF 288kb ]

• Legal Aid Ontario Complaints Policy (Legal Aid Ontario Complaints Department, 2012) [ PDF 364kb ]

Board Regulation and Legislation

Information on changing Federal and Provincial Legislation for not-for-profit corporations in Canada and Ontario.

 Legislative Updates

• Canada Not-for-profit Corporations Act 
  Vos obligations de déclaration en vertu de la Loi canadienne sur les organisations à but non lucratif (Loi BNL)
  (Government of Canada)(Federal Resource)

• Not-for Profit Corporations: Transition Guide [ PDF 1.91 mb ]
  Guide Pour La Transition: Des Corporations à but non lucratif  [ PDF 1.91 mb ]
  (Industry Canada,) (Federal Resource)

• Get Ready for the Ontario Not-for-profit Corporations Act with Community Legal Education Ontario – (Community Legal Education Ontario, Brenda Donner, 2013) [ PDF 362kb ] 
  Video  Archived Webinar in partnership with Community Legal Education Ontario (Provincial Resource)

• Transitioning Under the New Ontario Not-For-Profit Corporations Act, 2010: Practical Considerations – (Theresa L.M. Man, 2013) [ PDF 182kb ] (Provincial Resource)

• Get Ready for the ONCA Resource Directory - Community Legal Education Ontario (Provincial Resource)