This section is where you’ll find valuable information about the boards’ role in the critical process of strategic planning.

What’s your plan?

We all want to be intentional in our work: to have a purpose in mind, and to know what methods we should use to help the companies whose boards we serve on be robust, resilient, and artistically vital. But what happens when the path ahead is filled with complex challenges – or a range of unpredictable, unforeseeable unknowns? Uncertainty can be a spur to creative thinking, and the collaborative wisdom of your own experiences – joined to those of your company’s artists or admin staff solving problems in creation, rehearsal, or engaging audiences – may provide the inspiration you need to uncover solutions and create a new way forward. 

“Plans are useless, but planning is indispensable.” – Dwight D. Eisenhower

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore.

• The Big Lie of Strategic Planning  Webinar by Roger L. Martin (Director of the Martin Prosperity Institute) for Harvard Business Review, January 18, 2018.
• The Strategic Plan is Dead, Long Live Strategy  In today’s fast-changing world, why freeze your strategic thinking in a five-year plan? by Dana O’Donovan & Noah Rimland Flower, Stanford Social Innovation Review, January 10, 2013.
• Reflections on Strategic Planning in Arts Organizations  By Adrian Ellis, AEA Consulting from Arts Professional, November 2003.
• The New Game Plan for Strategic Planning  By Anaplan for Harvard Business Review, December 2016.

The Process

• Strategic Planning for Nonprofits  Article by National Council of Nonprofits.
• 4 Elements of an Effective Nonprofit Strategic Planning Process  By James Mueller, James Mueller and Associates for Bloomerang, April 2017.
• Your Strategy & Your Board: How involved should your board be in strategic planning?  By Dr. Rob Sheehan, Adaptive Planning Toolkit, Spark Policy Institute, 2016.
• Conversations & Change: The Crucial Link  By Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, January 2018.
• Business Planning for Nonprofits 
• Strategic Management in the Arts  By Lidia Varbanova, publ. by Routledge, 2013.
• Five Good Ideas for Greater Strategic Clarity  Video by Robin Cory, Colbeck Strategic Advisors, for Maytree, February 28, 2018.

Examples

• Toronto Arts Council Strategic Plan: 2016-2025, Arts-Making 2025 
• Artscape 5.0 Strategic Plan 2018-2022 
• Ontario Nonprofit Network Strategic Plan 2017 

In this section, you’ll find resources that can help your organization become a respectful, supportive and satisfying workplace.

Amid the growing call for “decent work” in the non-profit sector, many in the arts community are working towards becoming employers of choice for people interested in a life-time career that embodies their commitment to creativity through the arts. But how to get from here – a sector where salaries are notoriously low, hours of work are notoriously high, and benefits are few and far between – to there? What can boards do to see that artists and administrative staff are paid fairly and as generously as possible? What can be done to ensure respectful, supportive and satisfying workplaces? What policies and practices should we establish to advance diversity, equality of opportunity, and safe work environments within our organizations? Can we move from a world of rapid staff turnover as people move to better-paid jobs with better working conditions, to a place where our values are more truly reflected in our employment practices?

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document: 

The Decent Work Movement

• Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) – The Decent Work Movement 

Policies and Practices

• Fair Workplaces and Better Jobs Act  A plan for fair workplaces and better jobs (Bill 148), 2017.
• Example of Non-discrimination Statement and Policy  From Richard Male and Associates.
• Canadian Human Rights Commission, Anti-harassment policies for the workplace: An Employer’s Guide 
• Accessibility Ontario  Accessibility Resources, Plans and Templates, Webinars and AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) Training
• 20 Questions Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations Should Ask About Human Resources  By Adrienne Campbell, for Charted Professional Accountants Canada, 2011.
• Work in Culture Human Resources Guide  Tools and Tips on Best HR Practices in the Cultural Sector, Dealing with Conflict, Rewarding Volunteers, Recruitment, Terminations and more.
• Annual Performance Reviews RIP  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, November 10, 2015.

Wages

• Canada Council’s National Compensation Study  First update since 2009 survey, available on the Canada Council website under Research.
• 2017 Canadian Nonprofit Sector Salary & Benefits Report  Executive Summary, by The Portage Group Inc. for Charity Village, January 2017.
• High and Low Pay Fields for Nonprofit CEOs, and the Woman Problem: GuideStar’s 2017 Compensation Study Is Out!  By Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, September 12, 2017.
• Waging Culture: A Report on the Socio-Economic Status of Canadian Visual Artists  By Michael Maranda, Art Gallery of York University, 10 December 2014.
• When You Don’t Disclose Salary Range on a Job Posting a Unicorn Loses Its Wings  Nonprofit with Balls blog by Vu Le, June 2015.
• People First  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, July 2016.
• Generator #UrgentExchange, Desiring Diversity, but who can afford to work for free?  Workshop recording January 4, 2018.
• Who Can Afford to be a Starving Artist? The Key to Success Might Be Risk Tolerance, Not Talent  By Shawn Lent, Louise Geraghty, Michael Feldman, Talia Gibas, and Ian David Moss, Createquity, June 2016.

Working Conditions

• Employee Engagement and Retention In Canada’s Nonprofit Sector  A discussion paper based on survey data collected as part of the 2016 Nonprofit Employer of Choice (NEOC) Awards program.
• Why People Really Quit Their Jobs  By Lori Goler, Janelle Gale, Brynn Harrington, Adam Grant, Harvard Business Review, January 11, 2018
• Take This Quiz to Figure Out How to Be Happier at Work  By Annie McKee, Harvard Business Review, October 13, 2017
• A Call to Inaction: Nonprofits Give Your Staff a Break  Nonprofit AF blog, by Vu Le, December, 2017.
• What are the Chances? Success in the Arts in the 21st Century  By Alexis Clements, Los Angeles Review of Books, November 17, 2016.

Pay Attention!

• Generator #UrgentExchange, Who is a Monster? What makes a Monster? Am I a Monster? #MeToo What next?  Workshop recording January 6, 2018.
• Boards Must be Proactive to Protect Employees  Toronto Star Editorial, January 8, 2018.
• Ballet Leaders Allowed Peter Martins to Act with Impunity, Dancers Say  Current and former dancers and executives at New York City Ballet say that some leaders were enamored with or fearful of Mr. Martins, New York Times, January 2, 2018.

Here you’ll find resources that can help you become a strong voice on issues that matter to your organization and the wider arts community.

BoardSource recently added advocacy (defined as publicly supporting a cause or proposal) to its classic Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards.  Whether you’re hoping to persuade a public official to support your organization’s once-in-a-lifetime special project; joining a campaign to speak out about arts funding; or seeking to change some of the ground rules around cultural policy and government action, these resources can help you become a strong voice on issues that matter deeply to your organization and the wider arts community. 

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document: 

Why?

• Why Board Engagement in Advocacy is Essential  Nonprofit Quarterly article by Anne Wallestad, July 2015.
• Stand For Your Mission  A U.S. initiative by Board Source and partners to unleash the full potential of the nonprofit sector to creative positive impact by engaging board leaders more directly in the advocacy work of their organizations
• The Stand By Your Mission Discussion Guide for Boards  Discussion guide for The Stand By Your Mission Campaign
• Does Your Institution Have An Advocacy Policy?  Part 1 of 2, Museums 2.0 blog by Nina Simon, January 2016.
• Why Now Is An Especially Good Time To Create An Advocacy Policy  Part 2 of 2 (“Does Your Institution Have An Advocacy Policy?”) Museums 2.0 blog by Nina Simon, April 2016.

How?

• Advocate – Toronto Arts Council Website  Toronto Arts Council Resource Page.
• Artsvote Guiding Principles  November, 1995. Principles behind one of Toronto’s most successful ongoing cultural advocacy campaigns: from resisting divide and conquer strategies to commitment to non-partisan advocacy to the necessity of both year-round and election cycle activities.
• How Non-Profit Board Members Can Be Effective Advocates in Troubled Times  Nonprofit Quarterly article by Dr. Abbas Hyderi, July 2017.
• How Small and Medium Size NFP’s Can Contribute To Public Policy  Five Good Ideas About Public Policy, Maytree 5 Good Ideas by Sunil Johal, April 2016.
• Wanted: Master Storytellers  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, December 2015.
• The Scope of Our Impact  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, March 2017.

Canadian Regulations

• CRA Policy Statement on Permitted and Prohibited Political Activities by Charities  CRA Policy Statement, Effective September 2, 2003.
• Overcoming Fear of Advocacy  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, August 2015.
• Canadian Arts Coalition  The Canadian Arts Coalition is a collaborative non-partisan movement spearheaded by a group of national arts service and membership organizations. They are united in the belief that the future of our citizens, their towns and cities, and the nation itself depends on a rich, vibrant and diverse arts and heritage community.

Advocacy Organizations: Recent Initiatives

• Good News for 401 Richmond – But What Took So Long?  Toronto Star article by Murray Whyte, September 26, 2017.
• Canadian Arts Coalition  The Canadian Arts Coalition is a collaborative non-partisan movement spearheaded by a group of national arts service and membership organizations. They are united in the belief that the future of our citizens, their towns and cities, and the nation itself depends on a rich, vibrant and diverse arts and heritage community.
• The Ontario NonProfit Network  ONN is the independent network for the 55,000 nonprofits in Ontario, focused on policy, advocacy, and services to strengthen Ontario’s nonprofit sector as a key pillar of our society and economy.
• OAC Celebrates Government’s Increased Investment  Ontario Arts Council News Article, September 8, 2017.
• Annual Arts Day at the City  Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and Friends of Arts Network, December 9, 2017.

This section is where you’ll find important resources, viewpoints and reports on why, and how, to think about diversifying your board.

Toronto has been called one of the most diverse cities in the world – but is this proud reality reflected on our arts boards and in our arts organizations? One of the most urgent challenges facing the arts in Toronto today is building vibrant organizations that speak to the rich mix of experiences and backgrounds in our diverse community. Volunteer board leaders can be a powerful force for change, bringing new ideas, approaches and energy to the table. 

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document: 

Toronto’s Diversity: City of Toronto Diversity Profile

Core Resources

• Five Good Ideas for being an effective disruptor  Uzma Shakir, Maytree Five Good Ideas session, January 2017: “If we want meaningful change to happen, we must disrupt the status quo.”
• Civic Action DiverseCity – The Greater Toronto Leadership Project  Launched in 2008 by Maytree and CivicAction to change the face of leadership in Greater Toronto; creating a more diverse leadership for a stronger and more prosperous city region.
• DiverseCity On Board  A program of the Ryerson Global Diversity Exchange offering board training, help in finding board members and in joining a board; working to bridge the gap between who sits on public, non-profit and corporate boards and the demographic make-up of the population.
• Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion  A national non-profit offering consulting, workshops, e-learning, tool kits and other resources on diversity and inclusion and employment equity.
• The Institute of Corporate Directors  Board Diversity Toolkit
• Canadian Board Diversity Council  Research on the progress of diversity on Canada’s corporate boards; education programming to build a greater pipeline of highly skilled diverse board candidates; board diversity best practices and principles.

Why diversify arts boards?

• Diversifying Your Board  Why it’s good and how to do it.
• Good governance includes diversifying boards. 
• NP Direction  Could a lack of diversity be affecting the performance of your board? By Dr. Lawrence Hunt
• Building a board with diverse skills and perspectives  This series looks at what skills future business leaders need to have to tackle the challenges of an ever-shifting marketplace. By: Mary Gooderham, special to the Globe and Mail
• Boards, succession and diversity  Avoid being called out for lack of diversity.

Diversifying backstage, onstage, and in the audience

• Neighbourhood Arts Network’s Arts & Equity Toolkit  Toronto Arts Foundation, created by Skye Louis & Leah Burns.
• Starting with diversity of thought  Blog post on missionparadox.org.
• Waiting for unicorns: The supply and demand of diversity and inclusion  Blog post on nonprofitwithballs.com.
• Cultural diversity as contemporary theatrical practice  Interview with Modern Times Stage Company’s Soheil Parsa, Brad Wheeler for The Globe and Mail. Published March 8, 2017. Updated April 14, 2017.
• Expanding audiences with Donna Walker-Kuhne  Blog post on creativetrust.ca
• A report on diversity in Canadian arts attendance in 2010  Report published by Hill Strategies on March 5, 2014.

Viewpoints

• Toronto arts boards in dire need of diversity  The largely white, male boards of Toronto’s top arts organizations may be one reason for declining attendance and reduced funding Bob Ramsay for The Toronto Star. Published June 10, 2015.
• Speaking Diversity from a Privileged Space. LinkedIn post by Melanie Fernandez, Faculty Member, Arts Management at Centennial College.
• Nonprofit Quarterly: Troubling Trends  White savior status quo remains intact, by Fairouz El Tom, published May 26, 2015.
• The debate over audience diversity  No, white people didn’t invent theatre – but the debate over audience diversity continues. Kate Taylor for The Globe and Mail. Published December 10, 2014, updated May 12, 2018.
• Thoughts on race in performance and the performance of race  J. Kelly Nestruck for The Globe and Mail. Published November 20, 2015, updated March 23, 2018

The landscape of inclusion

• New York Department of Cultural Affairs Diversity Study 2016  A study of the racial, ethnic, and gender makeup of New York City cultural organizations.
• Native Canadian Centre of Toronto  Indigenous Cultural Competency Training: promoting cultural competency for Indigenous relations within Canada; group sessions and facilitation for agencies, organizations, institutions to build a foundational awareness of Indigenous peoples.
• Accessibility Ontario  A training and development organization that helps nonprofits and businesses in Ontario to understand and comply with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (2005).
• Practical Toolkits by Picasso Pro & Creative Trust, 2012  For Producers and Presenters of Audio Described Theatrical Performances (Part 1)
• Practical Toolkits by Picasso Pro & Creative Trust, 2012  For Producers and Presenters of American Sign Language Interpreted Theatrical Performances (Part 2)
• TCG Circle  Too Young to Sit at the Adult Table? Breaking the age barrier for trustees. Post by Adam Natale.
• Sensory friendly performances at Theatre Passe Muraille welcome people with autism  Globe and Mail article by J. Kelly Nestruck, published February 25, 2016. Updated May 16, 2018.
• The Deaf Artists & Theatres Toolkit  By Cahoots Theatre Company.

Here you’ll find information about best practices and tools that may help enrich your knowledge of the boards’ role in financial oversight.

We’ve broken this section into five areas of focus: 1) Financial Oversight, 2) Fundraising 101, 3) Fundraising 2.0, 4) Fundraising 3.0, and 5) Building a Culture of Philanthropy.

Financial Oversight

Whether your organization is operating on a shoestring or has a healthy mix of contributed and donated revenues, financial oversight is one of the board’s most important responsibilities. But what does that mean in practical terms? What is the board’s role in financial planning, and in maintaining that fine balance between creative risk-taking and the resources needed to support and sustain it into the future? What should the the board look for in reviewing budgets and interim and year-end financial statements? What are the reasonable expectations between board members and arts managers regading reporting – and what of those tasks should be assigned to the Treasurer and finance committee? 

We’ve complied a compendium of resources, reports and articles for you to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document:

Understanding the Board’s Financial Responsibilities

• Board Development: Financial Responsibilities of Not-For-Profit Boards  The Muttart Foundation, Revised Edition, 2000.
• Court Rules in Case Involving Director’s Liability for Income Tax and Other Amounts  Miller Thompson Charities and Not-for-Profit Newsletter, October 2014.

Understanding the Finances

• Hidden in Plain Sight: Understanding Nonprofit Capital Structure  Clara Miller, Nonprofit Finance Fund, 2010.
• Ten Tips for Better Financial Planning  Heather Young, Young Associates, Nov 30 2011. Ideas for better short- and long-term financial planning in non-profit organizations. This website contains excellent tip sheets and advice covering all the basics of financial management in the arts.
• Boards and Finance  Creative Trust blog, Jini Stolk, November 10, 2015.
• The Dirty Little Secret of NonProfit Boards  Hildy Gottlieb, Help4Nonprofits, 2003

Sustainability: A Board’s Special Responsibility

• Beyond Financial Oversight: Expanding the Board’s Role in the Pursuit of Sustainability  Jeanne Bell, Nonprofit Quarterly April 26, 2011.
• Deconstructing Sustainability  Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka and Steve Zimmerman, Adapted from Non-profit Sustainability, published on Blue Avocado, Oct 5 2012.

Fundraising 101

• Fundraising Capacity Inventory  A check-list of elements to consider for a Board’s fundraising capacity.
• Tax Incentives for Charitable Giving  Presentation given at the September 7th, 2016 workshop, by Jamie Golombek
• The Road to Fundraising Success  The Board’s Role in Successful Fund Development. Presentation given at the September 7th, 2016 workshop, by Cynthia Armour

If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll end up someplace else. This is especially true in the world of fundraising, where success requires a clear strategy and a dedicated team of board, volunteers and staff working in harmony to implement it. Your board can contribute to creating a “culture of philanthropy” and a fundraising plan that leads to success. Whether you’re working in partnership with a professional Development Department or are part of a volunteer team working to meet your annual revenue needs, you’ll achieve better results if you have clear direction about your company’s priorities; realistic, measurable goals; diversified funding sources; and a plan of action that clarifies the roles and responsibilities of each team member.  

Fundraising 2.0

Click here to access the document:

The Board’s Role in Fundraising

• Fundraising Q&A: How to Get Your Board to Fundraise  By Cynthia Armour, March, 2009.
• Fundraising Q&A: Helping Your Board to Fundraise  From Cynthia Armour, May, 2012.
• Fundraising Q&A: Approaching Small Businesses for Support  By Cynthia Armour, August, 2012.
• Encouraging Fundraising-savvy Boards  Article by Cynthia Armour, January 2014.
• The Board and Fundraising  By Kim Klein, Grassroots Fundraising Journal, 1997.
• The Board’s Role in Securing Philanthropic Support  By David Fishel for Board Connect, November 2015.

Building a Fundraising Board

• IInvolving Your Board Members in Fund Development  By Simone Joyaux.
• Enabling Your Board Members and Other Fundraising Volunteers  Article by Simone Joyaux, September, 2014.
• 15 Ways to Transform Your Board of Directors into Fundraising Champions  Article by Marc Koening.
• The Non Profit Achievement Gap: Seven Ways Small and Medium Non Profits Stunt Their Own Fundraising  By Armando Zumaya, July 21, 2014.

Budgeting/Planning for Fundraising Success

• Fundraising on a Budget and Understanding the Fundraising Budget  Article by Simone Joyaux, September, 2016.
• How to Plan a Nonprofit Fundraising Event on a Budget  Free e-book from DonorPerfect.

More Fundraising Essentials for Board Members

• Pure gold – the 34 Fundamental Foundations of Fundraising  Article by Ken Burnett, May, 2016.
• Webinar: Fundraising Bright Spots: The Secrets of Successful Fundraising from Individuals  Nonprofit Quarterly, April 18, 2017.
• Fundraising by Registered Charities  CRA Policy, Issued April, 2012.
• Charitable giving by Canadians  By Martin Turcotte, Statistics Canada, Canadian Social Trends, April 16, 2012

Fundraising 3.0

We’ve complied a compendium of resources that expand on the resources found in Fundraising 101 and Fundraising 2.0. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document: 

Planning for Fundraising Success

• “Bright Spots” Report a Goldmine for Nonprofits about Successful Fundraising at the Grassroots,  By Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, September 15, 2017.
• Not Just Money: Equity Issues in Cultural Philanthropy  By Helicon Collaborative with funding from the Surdna Foundation, 2017.
• Is Fundraising REALLY a Priority in Your Organization?  By Mena Gainpaulsingh, Hilborn Charity e-news, June 15, 2017
• The Non Profit Achievement Gap: Seven Ways Small and Medium Non Profits Stunt Their Own Fundraising,  By Armando Zumaya, LinkedIn, July 21, 2014
• Fundraising on a Budget and Understanding the Fundraising Budget  Nonprofit Quarterly September 8, 2016

The Board’s Role

• Involving Your Board Members in Fund Development,  By Simone Joyaux, PDF download at simonejoyaux.com
• Creating Fundraising Savvy Boards  Creative Trust blog by Cynthia J. Armour, April 2014
• Helping Your Board to Fundraise  By Cynthia J. Armour, Charity Village, May 30, 2012
• How to Say “No” to Nonprofit Board Members  By Terry Ibele, blogpost on Wild Apricot, September 2017

Other Resources

• How Did You Get Those Great Auction Items?  By Ira Grossman, Hilborn Charity e-news, June 8, 2017
• A Guide to the Silent Auction Technology Makeover  By Dale Carter, Hilborn Charity e-news, November 24, 2015
• Crowdfunding Indie Theatre: Understanding the Costs  By Alex Dault, Canadian Theatre Review 160, Fall 2014.
• Launching a Crowdfunding Campaign? The Tools You Use Can Make It or Break It,  Slides from webinar produced by CanadaHelps, March 12, 2018
• Indiegogo Help Centre 
• The One Thing Every Sponsor Wants (And Nobody is Doing)  By Chris Baylis, President and CEO of The Sponsorship Collective, Wild Apricot blog, April 2017
• ArtsVest  Business for the Arts’ sponsorship training and matching fund incentive program to stimulate innovative business sponsorship and corporate engagement in arts and culture.
• Study Finds that Corporate Sponsorships Negatively Impact Nonprofit Brands  By Danielle Holly, originally in Harvard Business Review, Nonprofit Quarterly, August 31, 2016.
• More Than Money: How Social Finance Can Build Resilience in the Arts Sector  by Elizabeth MacKinnon and Christine Pellerin Innovation Fellows, Metcalf Foundation publication, 2018.
• The Value of Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: 5 Biggest Lessons From Leading Digital At charity: water  Blogpost by Paul Young, Re:Charity, August 10, 2015
• Peer-to-Peer Fundraising: Building Advocates Through Development  By Lesly Ceballos, Carnegie Mellon University Arts Management & Technology Laboratory, April 2018.
• Social Enterprise’s Missing Factor: Is There a Soul in the Corporate Machine?  By Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, May 11, 2018.
• How to Plan a Nonprofit Fundraising Event on a Budget  free E-Book, DonorPerfect.

Building a Culture of Philanthropy

All arts organizations, large or small, struggle to meet their fundraising goals. But what would happen if we started to think of fundraising as the best possible way to reach out and engage others in passionate support of our artistic vision? What if every staff and board member took pride in their role in achieving our organization’s fundraising goals? In other words, what would life be like if we moved past thinking of fundraising as a hard-slog series of annual campaigns and events organized by the the development team (or sole, brave, development officer), and instead embraced a true culture of philanthropy?

We’ve complied a compendium of resources, reports and articles for you to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document: 

Culture of Philanthropy: The Basics

• Building a Culture of Philanthropy  By THE NONPROFIT WHISPERER, Nonprofit Quarterly, June 18, 2018
• Pure gold – the 34 fundamental foundations of fundraising  By Ken Burnett for SOFII, May 12, 2016
• “Bright Spots” Report a Goldmine for Nonprofits about Successful Fundraising at the Grassroots  By Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, September 15, 2017
• Not Just Money: Equity Issues in Cultural Philanthropy  By Helicon Collaborative with funding from the Surdna Foundation, 2017

Inspiring Donor Loyalty

• Creative and effective ways to inspire donor loyalty  By Jose van Herpt, Hilborn: Charity eNews, February 3, 2016
• Operation Thank You  By Cathy Barrick and Rickesh Lakhani, Hiborn: Charity eNews, June 6, 2017
• 60% of your donors never give again: Smart ways to retain, renew and upgrade your donors  By Nicola Dickinson, Hilborn: Charity eNews, Nov 4, 2015

Leadership From Within

• Is fundraising REALLY a priority in your organization?  By Mena Gainpaulsingh, Hilborn: Charity eNews, June 15, 2017
• Fundraising on a budget and understanding the fundraising budget  By Simone Joyaux, Nonprofit Quarterly, September 8, 2016
• The Non Profit Achievement Gap: Seven Ways Small and Medium Non Profits Stunt Their Own Fundraising  By Armando Zumaya, Vice President of Development at Goodwill Industries, LINKEDIN POST, July 21, 2014
• From Chaos to Control  By Sharron Batsch, Hilborn: Charity eNews, May 14, 2014

The Board’s Role

• The Board’s Role in Fund Development  By Andrea McManus, Alberta Libraries Trustees Association, 2009
• The Board and Fundraising  By Kim Klein, Grassroots Fundraising Journal, 1997
• Involving your board members in fund development  By Simone Joyaux, PDF download at simonejoyaux.com
• Creating fundraising savvy boards  By Cynthia J. Armour, Creative Trust blog, April 2014
• Helping your board to fundraise  By Cynthia J. Armour, Charity Village, May 30, 2012
• Having trouble getting some of your non-profit board members motivated?  By Dr Lawrence Hunt, NPdirection, October 17, 2016

The Fundraiser’s Role

• How to inspire a culture of philanthropy in your organization  By Jennifer Wilson, Hilborn: Charity eNews, July 11, 2018
• Embracing change to strengthen your culture of philanthropy  By Juniper Locilento: PRESENTATION for Fundraising Day, AFP (Association of Fundraising Professionals) Greater Toronto Chapter, May 25, 2017
• Donor Retention—A Call to Action and to Organization-wide Quality Performance,  By Simone Joyaux, Nonprofit Quarterly, October 21, 2016

Successful Campaigns

• WEBINAR: Fundraising Bright Spots: The Secrets of Successful Fundraising from Individuals  Nonprofit Quarterly, April 18, 2017 – 1 hour 2 minutes
• Asking the Right Person for the Right Amount  By Kim Klein, Nonprofit Quarterly, September 21, 2006
• Asking and teaching don’t mix  By Fraser Green, Hilborn: Charity eNews, Dec 4, 2014

Here you’ll find vital information about the boards’ role in planning for the transition of senior leaders and board members.

Planning for the transition and recruitment processies is crucial to the sustainablility and vitality of all organizations – whether they be large or small. Succession planning is one of an arts board’s and organization’s most important leadership roles. 

We’ve broken this section into two areas of focus: 1) Succession Planning for Board Members, and 2) Succession Planning for Senior Leadership.

Succession Planning For Board Members

Are you always recruiting new board prospects; watching for future leaders; identifying, cultivating and bringing forward new members? Do you have a succession process and system in place? If not, you’re not alone! Succession planning is one of an arts board’s and organization’s most important leadership roles: learn how to shift from a haphazard, last-minute process to one that thoughtfully recruits the right individuals – and clearly communicates what you want them to contribute once they join.

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document:

Renewal: An Essential Board Function

• Working With Your Board  By Denny Young, Hilborn: Charity eNews, February 2017.
• Governance Matters: Board Succession Planning Briefing, Booker & Associates  August, 2015.
• Succession Planning  By Betsy Clarke, CFRE, au courant: Newsletter of the Canadian Federation of Friends of Museums, Winter 2012.
• The Case for Board Succession Planning  By Jane Garthson, November 30, 2016.
• How to Build a More Demanding Board  By Jane Garthson, November 30, 2016.
• Board Games: The Push for New Blood in the Boardroom  By Janet McFarland, The Globe and Mail, November 25, 2013 (A corporate perspective).

Recruitment and Succession Practices

• Board Recruitment and Succession Planning  BoardConnect Fact Sheet, subscribe for (free) access.
• Board Composition and Recruitment  Recruitment Resource by BoardSource.
• Interview Strategies for Boards and Candidates,  By Joan Garry for DiverseCity on Board, November 2016.
• I’ve Looked at Boards From Both Sides Now  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, July 2014.
• Three Tips for Grappling with Insiders who are Resistant to Change  by Nina Simon, Museum 2.0, October 2016.

Thoughtful Orientation

• Orientation and Education 
• Mining For Board Member Gold  By Karen Santangelo, Hilborn: Charity eNews, Aug 5, 2015.
• Creating Fundraising Savvy Boards  Creative Trust blog by Cynthia Armour, April 2014.

Continuing Board Development

• Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices  By Boardsource.
• Board Development – Seven Tips for Creating an Effective Board Development Program  NPdirection, by Dr Lawrence Hunt, Nov. 10, 2016.

Senior Leadership

One of the most important and difficult tasks a board can face is guiding a senior leadership transition. The buck truly does stop with the board when it comes to a changing of the guard at the CEO, Artistic or Managing Director level – when the future of your organization may well rest on a successful conclusion to your search and hiring. This is especially fraught when it involves the replacement of a long-time leader, but can be thorny and challenging no matter who’s moving on.

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document:

Planning for Leadership Continuity

• The Maytree Foundation  Five Good Ideas about succession planning and leadership continuity to enhance stability and sustainability in the non-profit sector: a webinar with Robin Cardozo for Maytree, October 2017
• Succession Planning for Nonprofits: Managing Leadership Transitions, National Council of Nonprofits 
• Building Leaderful Organizations – Succession Planning for Nonprofits  The Annie E. Casey Foundation by Tim Wolfred, 2008.
• Sustaining Great Leadership: Succession Planning for Nonprofit Organizations  First Nonprofit Foundation by Tom Adams, 2010.

The Process

• Searchlight Recruitment Inc  Daniel Weinzweig, Managing Partner
• Planning for Succession: A Toolkit for Board Members and Staff of Nonprofit Arts Organizations 
• A Model Succession Process  B.C. Alliance for Arts + Culture. Prepared for the Vancouver International Writers Festival by Alice Niwinski, March 2006.
• Boards and Leadership Hires: How to Get It Right  Nonprofit Quarterly by Deborah Linnell, March 21, 2008.
• Ask the Right Questions, Hire the Right People  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, May 2011

Cultivating the Next Generation of Leaders

• Racial and Ethnic Diversity in Arts Management: An Exposé and Guide  By Elena Muslar, May 2015.
• Learning How to Do Succession Planning from Younger Leaders  The Philanthropist by Daniel Moore, October 30, 2017.
• Why You Should Be Growing Executive Nonprofit CEOs from Within  Nonprofit Quarterly by Ruth McCambridge, February 27, 2017.
• It’s Unanimous! Why?  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, April 2016.
• How to rise up the Canadian arts ranks? Move Abroad  The Globe and Mail by Kate Taylor, August 12, 2016.
• Brooklyn Academy of Music Chooses New President  New York Times, by Robin Pogrebin, April 9, 2015.

Shaping the Future

• How to rise up the Canadian arts ranks? Move Abroad  The Globe and Mail by Kate Taylor, August 12, 2016.
• Our Unique Leadership Model  Creative Trust blog by Jini Stolk, April 2017.
• Shared Platforms and Charitable Venture Organizations: A Powerful Possibility for a More Resilient Arts Sector  Metcalf Foundation by Jane Marsland, 2013.
• Ontario Nonprofit Network, Building a Decent Work Movement in Ontario’s Nonprofit Sector 

This section is where you’ll find valuable information about governance practice, board engagement, legal duties and evaluation tools.

We’ve broken this section into two areas of focus: 1) The Art of Good Governance and 2) How the Best Boards Function.

The Art of Good Governance

Simply put, the basics. We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below.

Understanding Governance

• Legal Duties of the Board of Directors  An overview of Board structure and legal obligations of a Board.
• Good Governance and Board/Staff Relations  Article by Mel Gill, Charity Village, June 6 2006.
• Diversity in Governance  Ann Decter (editor), Maytree Foundation, 2007.
• Three Expert Talks About Good Board Governance  Blogpost on good board governance and relationships, featuring three Five Good Ideas sessions: Good Governance in Disruptive Times (JoAnne Doyle), Strong Governance for Strong Organizations (Richard Powers) and Successful Board-Executive Director Relationships (Medhat Mahdy and Tim Penner), Maytree, June 6, 2018
• Eight Building Blocks of Strong Nonprofit Brands  By Peter Frumkin, Nonprofit Quarterly, October 2, 2015
• Creating Effective Boards  (for professional presenters) RECORDED WEBINAR, by Sandra Thomson, for Ontario Presents, March 7, 2018
• Deserving of Trust: Helping a Nonprofit Board Move Toward Good Governance  By Dr. Thomas Wolf, Sounding Board: Perspectives On Nonprofit Strategies from Wolfbrown, February 20, 2018
• 25 Awesome Things Board Members Do  By Vu Le, Nonprofit AF, June 2016
• Nonprofit Boards and the Board Member: A Distinction with a Difference  By Simone Joyaux, Nonprofit Quarterly, July 2014
• Fundraising Capacity  A helpful checklist to do with your board. Adapted, with special thanks, from Mo Davies, CFRE & Associates (b.1945 – d. 2012)
• How to make board reports more effective & less work  By Ian McLintock, The Charity Excellence Framework, LinkedIn post January 30, 2018
• How to make your meetings more effective  by Ian McLintock, The Charity Excellence Famework, LinkedIn post January 16, 2018
• More than Minutes  By Ann Rosenfield, Hilborn Charity eNews, Aug 2, 2018
• Boards adding value  By Jini Stolk, Creative Trust Blog, April 2017

Best Governance Practices

• Good Board Practices Checklist  11 considerations for effective governance.
• Board Engagement Checklist 
• Board Self-Evaluation Tool  A Tool for Improving the Governance Practices of Non-Profit Organizations.
• Board Member Work Plan  Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, Sample Yearly Work Plan, 2005/2006 Season
• Building on Strength: Improving Governance and Accountability in Canada’s Voluntary Sector  Panel on Accountability and Governance in the Voluntary Sector, Final Report, February 1999
• Is your board structured for impact?  Online workshop and slides with Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, October 13, 2017
• It’s nearly December: are your board members burned out? Try this  By Cindi Phallen, Create Possibility, 2018.

Defining Board Roles and Responsibilities

• Mutual Responsibilities and Roles of Board Members and Staff  Board and staff roles when it comes to mission, programs and activities, communications and community relations, organizational sustainability and personal growth and fulfilment.
• Executive Director Performance Review  Creative Trust, December 2012,
• The Dynamic Duo: The Board Chair/Executive Relationship  by Sara Wilson, LinkedIn post, April 18, 2016
• Volunteer Boards and Executive Directors: A Relationship for Organizational Stability  By Larissa Silver, Paula Speevak Sladowski, with Robbie Giles, Carmen Drouin and Christopher Jennings, Imagine Canada, 2007.
• The Board Chair Experience: Most helpful related leadership roles, functions  By Ben Youssef, Board Learning, September 19, 2016
• From a board member’s perspective: the role of committees  By Jini Stolk, Creative Trust blogpost, Feb 26, 2014
• Struggling with Stagnant Standing Board Committees  by Mark Light, Nonprofit Quarterly, August 8, 2017
• My worldwide mission to destroy all executive committees  By Simone Joyaux, SOFII, November 15, 2013
• Executive Committees as Nonprofit Pestilence  by Mark Light, Nonprofit Quarterly, April 19, 2017
• Much Ado About Nothing? Why Directors Should Think About Committee Governance  By Lampros Stougiannos, Miller Thomson Social Impact Newsletter, May 17, 2017
• Have you ever hesitated to hold board members accountable?  by Cindi Phallen, Create Possibility, 2019

Human Resources

• Succession Planning  Canadian Federation of Friends of Museums/ Fédération canadien des amies des musées, au courant Winter 2012 newsletter, Pg 3-4.
• Building Boards That WorkDeveloping A Board Recruitment Process  By Wild Apricot.
• 20 Questions Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations Should Ask About Board Recruitment, Development and Assessment  Dr. Richard Leblanc and Hugh Lindsay, Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants, 2010
• How Effective Are Your Board Members?  Article Simone Joyaux, SOFII, April 22 2014.
• Problem Boards or Board Problem?  By William P Ryan, Richard P. Chait, and Barbara E. Taylor, Non-profit Quarterly, Summer 2013.
• Board Building: Recruiting and Developing Effective Board Members for Not-for-Profit Organizations  The Muttart Foundation and Alberta Community Development, Revised Edition, 1997.
• Firing Lousy Board Members  Article by Simone Joyaux, SOFII, November 15 2013.
• Using the Whole Talent Pool  Interview with Shannon Maynard and Robert Grimm (Corporation for National and Community Service) Nonprofit Quarterly, January 19, 2018
• Are Two Heads Better Than One?  By David Leighton and Peter Herrndorf, International Journal of Arts Management, Vol. 4 No.2, Winter 2002, pgs 4-8.
• Board Composition: It’s A Question of Balance  By Dr Lawrence Hunt, NPdirection, August 2, 2016
• Understanding Community Relevance  Discussion Paper By Tandi Williams and Bridget Jones, Australia Council for the Arts, July 2011.
• Making the Right Hire: Assessing a Candidate’s Fit with Your Non-profit  By Bridgestar, 2008

Other Resources

• Ambassadors Cheat Sheet – 20 Easy Things Your Board Members Can Do Right Now  Article by Create Possibility, April 2018.
• Nine Ways Nonprofits Can Increase Community Engagement  By Forbes Nonprofit Council, October 17, 2017
• Understanding Programs: A Great Unrecognized Correlate to Board Excellence  (including in external relations and ambassadorship), by The Editors, Nonprofit Quarterly, November 15, 2017
• What’s in a Frame? A Need to Know for Nonprofits  By Julie Sweetland, Nonprofit Quarterly, February 27, 2018
• Who Brands Your Nonprofit? Who Tells its Story and How?  By Carlo Cuesta, Nonprofit Quarterly, April 9, 2014.
• Mission Haiku: the Poetry of Mission Statements  By Christopher Finney, Nonprofit Quarterly, reposted October 27, 2017
• Projecting  By Jini Stolk, Creative Trust blogpost, August 2013
• Five Good Ideas about speaking to a large audience  Video and Transcript. By Ravi Jain and Dan Watson, for Maytree, May 23, 2018.
• Ten Tips for More Powerful Public Speaking  By Nina Simon, Museum 2.0, March 20, 2018
• Sharpening your message for maximum impact, So you’ve got 30 minutes with the Minister… Now what?  Video and Slides. By Liz Mulholland, for Maytree and the Ontario Nonprofit Network, June 30, 2018.
• The elements of ‘executive presence’  By Harvey Schachter, The Globe and Mail Report on Business, September 19, 2016
• The scope of our impact  By Jini Stolk, Creative Trust blogpost, March 2017
• Why Board Engagement in Advocacy is Essential 
• Why organizational values are so awesome and sexy  By Vu Le, Nonprofit AF, May 2, 2016
• Disrupting the Dominant Frame: An Interview with Susan Nall Bales of the FrameWorks Institute  By Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, February 5, 2015
• Hearts and Minds: The Arts and Civic Engagement  A report by Nick Rabkin, for The James Irvine Foundation, April 2017

How the Best Boards Function

It turns out that the best boards work hard at understanding what their individual members are best at – in order to help them contribute their best to their organization’s health and sustainability.

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document: 

Structure For Impact

• Is your board structured for impact?  Online workshop and slides with Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, October 13, 2017
• Nonprofit Boards and the Board Member: A Distinction with a Difference  By Simone Joyaux, Nonprofit Quarterly, July 2014

The Board’s Effectiveness

• It’s nearly December: are your board members burned out? Try this  By Cindi Phallen, Create Possibility, 2018.
• Creating Effective Boards  (for professional presenters) RECORDED WEBINAR, by Sandra Thomson, for Ontario Presents, March 7, 2018
• Have you ever hesitated to hold board members accountable?  by Cindi Phallen, Create Possibility, 2019

Productive Meetings

• How to make your meetings more effective by Ian McLintock, The Charity Excellence Famework, LinkedIn post January 16, 2018
• How to make board reports more effective & less work By Ian McLintock, The Charity Excellence Framework, LinkedIn post January 30, 2018
• More than Minutes  By Ann Rosenfield, Hilborn Charity eNews, Aug 2, 2018

Role Of Committees

• Much Ado About Nothing? Why Directors Should Think About Committee Governance  By Lampros Stougiannos, Miller Thomson Social Impact Newsletter, May 17, 2017
• From a board member’s perspective: the role of committees  By Jini Stolk, Creative Trust blogpost, Feb 26, 2014
• Struggling with Stagnant Standing Board Committees  by Mark Light, Nonprofit Quarterly, August 8, 2017
• My worldwide mission to destroy all executive committees  By Simone Joyaux, SOFII, November 15, 2013
• Executive Committees as Nonprofit Pestilence  by Mark Light, Nonprofit Quarterly, April 19, 2017

Board Leadership’s/staff Leadership’s Role

• The Dynamic Duo: The Board Chair/Executive Relationship  by Sara Wilson, LinkedIn post, April 18, 2016

Useful Tools

• Board Self-Evaluation Questionnaire: A Tool for Improving the Governance Practices of Non-Profit Oganizations Dalhousie University College of Continuing Education, revised 2013
• Code of Conduct for Board Members (Template) BoardConnect 2017

Here you’ll find resources that can help your organization better engage your board of directors from recruitment to retirement.

Today’s arts and other not-for-profit sector Boards have enormous responsibilities. To fulfil those responsibilities, volunteer Board members, who for the most part lead very busy lives, need to feel actively engaged and attached to the organizations they govern.

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document: 

Recruitment: Building Boards That Work

• Inspired Recruitment  “Developing A Board Recruitment Process”, Wild Apricot.
• Diversity in Governance  A Toolkit for Inclusion on Non-profit Boards, Ann Decter (editor), Maytree Foundation, 2007.

Orientation: Starting off Right

• Board Building: Recruiting and Developing Effective Board Members for Not-for-Profit Organizations  The Muttart Foundation and Alberta Community Development, Revised Edition, 1997.
• Board Member Work Plan  Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, Sample Yearly Work Plan, 2005/2006 Season.
• How Effective are Your Board Members?  By Simone Joyaux, SOFII, April 22 2014.
• Values in Your Organization  By Simone Joyaux, Nonprofit Quarterly September 11, 2015.

Meaningful Conversations: Effective Meetings

• Engaging Your Board  Jeannette Archer Simons, Non-profit Resource Network, 2008.
• Problem Boards or Board Problem?  By William P Ryan, Richard P. Chait, and Barbara E. Taylor, Non-profit Quarterly, Summer 2013.
• Succession Planning  Canadian Federation of Friends of Museums/ Fédération canadien des amies des musées, au courant Winter 2012 newsletter, Pg 3-4.

Risk Management: Not Risk Avoidance

• Hidden in Plain Sight: Understanding Nonprofit Capital Structure  By Clara Miller, 2003.
• Sustainability: A Board’s Special Responsibility  By Jeanne Bell, Jan Masaoka and Steve Zimmerman, Adapted from Non-profit Sustainability, published on Blue Avocado, Oct 5 2012.

Other Resources

• BoardSource  National U.S. organization providing resources to strengthen non-profit boards.
• BoardConnect  Australian source of resources and useful fact sheets to support arts and non- profit boards
• Creative Trust  A blog on building strong and sustainable arts organizations, with frequent posts on arts boards and board issues

This section contains a number of resources to assist board members in understanding their role in program evaluation.

Are your organization’s programs achieving their goals? (And what exactly are those goals?) Funders and donors are increasingly taking a hard look at whether the programs they fund – from arts in schools to other youth and education, audience engagement, access, diversity and inclusion initiatives – are having the impact they promised. Managers, artists and boards are equally keen to know if their efforts are meaningfully contributing to the development of their organization, neighbourhood and the larger arts community. 

We’ve compiled a series of articles, reports and resources for you and your board to explore. Click any of the links below, or access a roll-up of all the resources in one easy-to-print document. Click here to access the document:

Why?

• Impacts of a Live Performance  by Alan S. Brown & Jennifer L. Novak, WolfBrown, January, 2007
• When the going gets tough invest in evaluation  by Garth Rule, blog post in CLICK: Centre for Social Innovation newsletter, April 17, 2019
• New Online Impact Tool for Sharing Your Impact and Results with Canadians  from CanadaHelps.org

How?

• ArtReach: Evaluation Resources, Tools and Templates 
• ArtReach Toolkit: Arts Based Evaluation 101 
• ArtReach: Toolkit: Evaluation 101 
• Measuring Joy: Evaluation at Baltimore Clayworks  by Deborah Bedwell, Executive Director, Baltimore Clayworks, January 13, 2001
• Is data really important to you?  by Ann Rosenfield, MBA, Hilborn Charity eNews editorial, January 24, 2019
• There’s an Art to It: Exploring Creative Evaluation  by Helen Yung, Ontario Nonprofit Network blog post, March 23, 2016
• MuseumCamp 2014: Experiments in Social Impact Assessment  by Nina Simon, Museum 2.0, August 6, 2014

Input, Output, Outcome, Impact?

• Free on-line evaluation training with Ontario Trillium Foundation 
• Impact and Strategic Clarity, Innoweave Practical Tools for Social Innovation module (an extended learning process) 
• Four-part Nonprofit Quarterly Advancing Practice webinar series, Claiming Your Results: Making Evaluation a Core Organizational Practice 
• Dude, what’s with this notion that nonprofits don’t have clear outcomes?  by Vu Le, Nonprofit AF blog post, March 2016
• Evaluating Public Benefit: How Changing Evaluation Practice Might Help to Solve an Identity Problem  by Andrew Taylor, Ontario Nonprofit Network blog post, December 15, 2017

Meaningful and Action Oriented

• Let’s Talk About Learning Before We Talk About Measurement  by Andrew Taylor and Ben Liadsky, Ontario Nonprofit Network blog post, September 12, 2018
• Ontario Nonprofit Network evaluation blog posts  including Learning about Learning Organizations, by Andrew Taylor and Ben Liadsky May 28, 2018
• Shifting from prove to improve  Innoweave blog post, November 28, 2018

The Evaluation Landscape

• The Stage of Evaluation: Measurement and Evaluation Practices in Canada’s Charitable Sector  by David Lasby, for Ontario Nonprofit Network and Imagine Canada, October 2018
• Committing to Action: Next Steps for Canada’s Evidence Ecosystem  by Lisa Lalande, Joanne Cave, Adam Jog, Mowat NFP, March 29, 2019

Collaborating for Impact

• Collaborating for Greater Impact: Building an Integrated Data Ecosystem  report from Mowat NFP, by Joanne Cave, Tracey Gyateng, Lisa Lalande, Tris Lumley, February 2018

The Grantmakers Perspective

• Collaborative Evaluation Approaches: a how-to guide for grantmakers  by Ben Liadsky and Andrew Taylor, for Ontario Nonprofit Network, January 2018
• A Funder’s View on importance of communicating impact  by Steven Plunkett, MacKenzie Strategic Philanthropy, May 15, 2014
• Study of Arts Nonprofits Shows Donations Drop as Audience Numbers Rise  by Steven Plunkett, MacKenzie Strategic Philanthropy, May 15, 2014