Board Leadership Lethbridge 2020 Sessions
Non-Profit Boards: What does good governance look like?
Non-profit boards function effectively when they understand what it means to be a non-profit organization and what is expected of them as a board of directors. Join us for an interactive session to learn more about the:
Protecting your assets: Risk Management for Non-Profit Boards
Boards of non-profit organizations are responsible and potentially liable for the actions and activities of the organization and virtually every organization undertakes activities with inherent risk and liabilities. In this session you will learn:
First Strategic Thinking, Then Strategic Planning
What will participants walk away with at the conclusion of the session?
In this interactive session you will explore with other delegates the importance of strategic thinking and what it means to be truly “strategic” before you begin the typical planning process. You will also have the opportunity to learn some more advanced level theory around organizational planning. And best of all – you will come away with tips on how to build ownership and commitment, resulting in a plan that is closely followed, versus one that collects dust!
You must attend Part 2 from 10:35 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. if you select Part 1.
You must attend Part 1 from 8:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. if you select Part 2.
Grant Writing: Increasing your Success Rate
What are the steps to putting together a great grant? There is a lot of work to do before you even start writing the grant. This workshop will explore organizational preparation before starting to write a grant, what funders are looking for and exploring the components in developing a successful grant application
Effective Meetings: The Art of Time Well Spent
Have you ever left a meeting and thought to yourself “Why did we meet, anyway?” Learn the ingredients of effective meetings and leave with tips and resources to help your board have productive meetings. Join us to learn more about how to structure and run a meeting with:
Developing Effective Teams - Board, Staff and Everyone in Between
Effective team work is the key to the successful operation of your organization and a strong team will make it through challenging times that may lie ahead. In this session you will learn:
Committee and Executive Roles
So you hold an executive position on the board, now what? These positions serve important roles on the board. Committees can be an effective way for boards to carry out many of their responsibilities. This interactive workshop will cover the basics of committees including how committees can support the board's work, how to start a committee, how to write a terms of reference and how to delegate authority to a committee while ensuring oversight as a board.
Rules of Order for Better Meetings
Rules of Order help support effective dialogue. They provide board members (and/or assemblies of any size) with clear set of rules for conducting meetings, raising topics, discussing items, and making decisions. Join us for an interactive session to learn more about the:
Asking for money from Donors and Sponsors – is it really that scary?
This interactive worship will focus on the ins and outs of asking donors and sponsors for money and helping your organization raise the necessary funds. The workshop will include discussions and examples to demonstrate how to do a successful cold call to potential sponsors and donors. Participants will learn about how to retain sponsors and donors once you secure them including what to do to make them feel like their money is going to the right place. This workshop will also provide discussions about some of the more challenging aspects of sponsors and donors including the ins and outs of saying no to a donation and the ethics and rights of the sponsor.
Pros and Cons of Charitable Registration + Living Your Charitable Purpose:
Thinking about becoming a Registered Charity? Already a Registered Charity? Do you need to better understand the pros and cons of charitable registration? Are you puzzled by how to become a Registered Charity? Do you want to understand how to align the activities that you are carrying out with your charitable purposes? Do you need a refresher on what your charitable purposes are and how they apply both at the governance and management levels of your organization?
In this workshop we will cover:
Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures:
Integral to a healthy organization are its bylaws, policies, and procedures. But what is behind an organization’s bylaws, policies, and procedures? What are the differences and what are the limits of these important tools?
In this workshop we will cover:
Volunteer Recruitment
A board role is one of the greatest volunteer opportunities there is. Impacting change by moving an organization forward! Volunteer Canada has released the updated version of the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement (CCVI). This session will use the CCVI as a tool to guide participants through evaluating the current volunteer program within the organization. The standards described in the CCVI will assist with the process of effective volunteer management. Begin with a plan, recruit for the skills the agency requires, build upon developing the volunteer team desired that matches the vision of the organization.
DON’T HATE, EVALUATE! Best Practices in Board and Organization Evaluation
While a strong and vibrant Board of Directors is indicative of a healthy organization, even the healthiest Boards need ongoing check-ins to continue to thrive. Regular evaluations, when properly administered, help a Board stay relevant and on-track to achieving strategic priorities. This session provides an overview of different types of evaluations relevant to not-for-profit organizations, including Board, staff, and program/service evaluations. Discussion focuses on evaluation types, methods, and timelines. Well-managed evaluations help Boards improve overall Board dynamics, manage organizational risk, and improve decision-making, ultimately making an organization stronger and more effective.
Budgeting for non-profit boards
This workshop will focus on the annual budget cycle from planning to monitoring and making changes when necessary. Participants will learn about the process of creating a budget, different types of budgets, budget categories, monitoring and follow-up, as well as good budgeting practices and budgeting pitfalls.
Financial Responsibilities of board (which includes understanding financial statements)
This workshop will focus on your Board’s overall fiduciary responsibilities, the importance of financial literacy, the Board’s role in budgeting, the ins and outs of non-for-profit financial statements, a guide to overseeing your auditor, the basics of risk management, board policies, and financial oversight.
True Collective Impact
Collective Impact is the commitment of a group of actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a complex social problem. In order to create lasting solutions to social problems on a large scale; organizations – including those in government, civil society, and the business sector – need to coordinate their efforts and work together around a clearly-defined goal. Collective Impact is a significant shift from the social sector’s current paradigm of ‘isolated impact’ because the underlying premise of collective impact is that no single organization can create large-scale, lasting social change alone.
For Collective Impact to be successful, five conditions should be met:
Social Media for Non Profits - Learn how to develop a social brand and foster a connection with your audience. In this session, you'll learn what to post, when, why, and how often. Social media can quickly become frustrating when you aren't finding the results you were hoping for. The tips and tools from this session will help you approach social media with confidence and an effective strategy.
Board & Administration Relations: Upholding the Organizational Directive with Prudence, Respect and Accountability.
The relationship between the Board of Directors (BOD) and the Executive Director/Administrators is key to ensuring the health of your not-for-profit. It is a fine line between being involved in the operational duties of the organization and expecting accountability. BOD’s and Administration need to be able to work in an open and honest way that transcends the board room, yet maintains the mission, vision and values of the organization through the Leadership they’ve chosen.
In this Session we will Discuss:
Non-profit boards function effectively when they understand what it means to be a non-profit organization and what is expected of them as a board of directors. Join us for an interactive session to learn more about the:
- legal landscape of non-profit organizations
- key roles and core responsibilities of board members
- skills and qualities of effective boards
Protecting your assets: Risk Management for Non-Profit Boards
Boards of non-profit organizations are responsible and potentially liable for the actions and activities of the organization and virtually every organization undertakes activities with inherent risk and liabilities. In this session you will learn:
- key concepts including risk, liability, due diligence, duty of care, and negligence
- to identify risk and strategies for determining acceptable risk for your organization
- how boards can manage risk through effective risk management policies and strategies as well as insurance coverage.
First Strategic Thinking, Then Strategic Planning
What will participants walk away with at the conclusion of the session?
In this interactive session you will explore with other delegates the importance of strategic thinking and what it means to be truly “strategic” before you begin the typical planning process. You will also have the opportunity to learn some more advanced level theory around organizational planning. And best of all – you will come away with tips on how to build ownership and commitment, resulting in a plan that is closely followed, versus one that collects dust!
You must attend Part 2 from 10:35 a.m. – 12:05 p.m. if you select Part 1.
You must attend Part 1 from 8:45 a.m. – 10:15 a.m. if you select Part 2.
Grant Writing: Increasing your Success Rate
What are the steps to putting together a great grant? There is a lot of work to do before you even start writing the grant. This workshop will explore organizational preparation before starting to write a grant, what funders are looking for and exploring the components in developing a successful grant application
Effective Meetings: The Art of Time Well Spent
Have you ever left a meeting and thought to yourself “Why did we meet, anyway?” Learn the ingredients of effective meetings and leave with tips and resources to help your board have productive meetings. Join us to learn more about how to structure and run a meeting with:
- effective and timely agendas
- minutes that help us track our progress, record policy and manage risk
- ground rules and rules of order help support full participation and inclusive decision making, and ways to improve the quality of your meetings and sense of team
Developing Effective Teams - Board, Staff and Everyone in Between
Effective team work is the key to the successful operation of your organization and a strong team will make it through challenging times that may lie ahead. In this session you will learn:
- Ways to understand skills, interests and motivations of team members
- How structures and processes can help support your team
- Tips to help prevent and address conflict
- How to divide and conquer the work while ensuring everyone fulfills their roles and responsibilities
Committee and Executive Roles
So you hold an executive position on the board, now what? These positions serve important roles on the board. Committees can be an effective way for boards to carry out many of their responsibilities. This interactive workshop will cover the basics of committees including how committees can support the board's work, how to start a committee, how to write a terms of reference and how to delegate authority to a committee while ensuring oversight as a board.
Rules of Order for Better Meetings
Rules of Order help support effective dialogue. They provide board members (and/or assemblies of any size) with clear set of rules for conducting meetings, raising topics, discussing items, and making decisions. Join us for an interactive session to learn more about the:
- The purpose and intent of having Rules of Order
- A brief introduction to different types of Rules of Order and other parliamentary procedures
- Key players: important roles of the Chair and the Secretary
- Agendas and Minutes – what to include, what to leave out
- How decisions are made
- Common meeting myths and practical tips
Asking for money from Donors and Sponsors – is it really that scary?
This interactive worship will focus on the ins and outs of asking donors and sponsors for money and helping your organization raise the necessary funds. The workshop will include discussions and examples to demonstrate how to do a successful cold call to potential sponsors and donors. Participants will learn about how to retain sponsors and donors once you secure them including what to do to make them feel like their money is going to the right place. This workshop will also provide discussions about some of the more challenging aspects of sponsors and donors including the ins and outs of saying no to a donation and the ethics and rights of the sponsor.
Pros and Cons of Charitable Registration + Living Your Charitable Purpose:
Thinking about becoming a Registered Charity? Already a Registered Charity? Do you need to better understand the pros and cons of charitable registration? Are you puzzled by how to become a Registered Charity? Do you want to understand how to align the activities that you are carrying out with your charitable purposes? Do you need a refresher on what your charitable purposes are and how they apply both at the governance and management levels of your organization?
In this workshop we will cover:
- Pros and cons of charitable registration
- How to become a Registered Charity
- Governance responsibilities
- Charity legal compliance
Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures:
Integral to a healthy organization are its bylaws, policies, and procedures. But what is behind an organization’s bylaws, policies, and procedures? What are the differences and what are the limits of these important tools?
In this workshop we will cover:
- Differences between bylaws, policies, and procedures
- Limits of bylaws, policies, and procedures
- Drafting bylaws, policies, and procedures
Volunteer Recruitment
A board role is one of the greatest volunteer opportunities there is. Impacting change by moving an organization forward! Volunteer Canada has released the updated version of the Canadian Code for Volunteer Involvement (CCVI). This session will use the CCVI as a tool to guide participants through evaluating the current volunteer program within the organization. The standards described in the CCVI will assist with the process of effective volunteer management. Begin with a plan, recruit for the skills the agency requires, build upon developing the volunteer team desired that matches the vision of the organization.
DON’T HATE, EVALUATE! Best Practices in Board and Organization Evaluation
While a strong and vibrant Board of Directors is indicative of a healthy organization, even the healthiest Boards need ongoing check-ins to continue to thrive. Regular evaluations, when properly administered, help a Board stay relevant and on-track to achieving strategic priorities. This session provides an overview of different types of evaluations relevant to not-for-profit organizations, including Board, staff, and program/service evaluations. Discussion focuses on evaluation types, methods, and timelines. Well-managed evaluations help Boards improve overall Board dynamics, manage organizational risk, and improve decision-making, ultimately making an organization stronger and more effective.
Budgeting for non-profit boards
This workshop will focus on the annual budget cycle from planning to monitoring and making changes when necessary. Participants will learn about the process of creating a budget, different types of budgets, budget categories, monitoring and follow-up, as well as good budgeting practices and budgeting pitfalls.
Financial Responsibilities of board (which includes understanding financial statements)
This workshop will focus on your Board’s overall fiduciary responsibilities, the importance of financial literacy, the Board’s role in budgeting, the ins and outs of non-for-profit financial statements, a guide to overseeing your auditor, the basics of risk management, board policies, and financial oversight.
True Collective Impact
Collective Impact is the commitment of a group of actors from different sectors to a common agenda for solving a complex social problem. In order to create lasting solutions to social problems on a large scale; organizations – including those in government, civil society, and the business sector – need to coordinate their efforts and work together around a clearly-defined goal. Collective Impact is a significant shift from the social sector’s current paradigm of ‘isolated impact’ because the underlying premise of collective impact is that no single organization can create large-scale, lasting social change alone.
For Collective Impact to be successful, five conditions should be met:
- Common Agenda among key stakeholders,
- Shared Measurement to assess impact,
- Mutually Reinforcing Activities aligned to priority objectives,
- Continuous Communication among stakeholders to maintain trust and alignment; and
- Backbone Organization Supports to coordinate and convene partners
- Defining the problem to be solved
- Co-creating a strategy based on the concepts of collective impact
Social Media for Non Profits - Learn how to develop a social brand and foster a connection with your audience. In this session, you'll learn what to post, when, why, and how often. Social media can quickly become frustrating when you aren't finding the results you were hoping for. The tips and tools from this session will help you approach social media with confidence and an effective strategy.
Board & Administration Relations: Upholding the Organizational Directive with Prudence, Respect and Accountability.
The relationship between the Board of Directors (BOD) and the Executive Director/Administrators is key to ensuring the health of your not-for-profit. It is a fine line between being involved in the operational duties of the organization and expecting accountability. BOD’s and Administration need to be able to work in an open and honest way that transcends the board room, yet maintains the mission, vision and values of the organization through the Leadership they’ve chosen.
In this Session we will Discuss:
- Hiring & Performance Reviews
- Employee Relations, Reporting, Engagement
- Protecting your organization through transition
- Wage Gaps and Workflow
- The Progressive Board Structure
