Creative Champions Network Creative Champions Network: Resources for Board Members We are pleased to provide you with resources designed to get you thinking about your board, from self-evaluation tools to information on fundraising, legal duties, the roles and responsibilities of an arts board, and more. Resources For Board Members This is a curated space designed to direct you to specific resources, online learning, plans, funding initiatives, toolkits, reports and valuable information to support your role as a board member. If there is anything you would like to see added to this section, do not hesitate to contact us today. Click any of the sections below to access resources relating to each topic. Strategic Planning This section is where you’ll find valuable information about the boards’ role in the critical process of strategic planning. 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 New Game Plan for Strategic Planning By Anaplan for Harvard Business Review, December 2016 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, Updated, 2025 Conversations & Change: The Crucial Link By Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, January 2018 Business Planning for Nonprofits Five Good Ideas for Greater Strategic Clarity Video by Robin Cory, Colbeck Strategic Advisors, for Maytree, February 28, 2018 Human Resources In this section, you’ll find resources that can help your organization become a respectful, supportive and satisfying workplace. The Decent Work Movement Ontario Nonprofit Network (ONN) – The Decent Work Movement Policies and Practices Anti-Racism & Organizational Change: A Guide for Employers, Canadian Human Rights Commission, October, 2023 Accessibility Ontario Accessibility Resources, Plans and Templates, Webinars and AODA (Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act) Training Future of Work: HR Tools to Support Talent Acquisition, Retention, and DEI in Canada’s Creative Community, Work In Culture Working Conditions 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 Advocacy 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. Why? 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 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? Toronto Arts Council – Advocacy Page Canadian Arts Coalition Arts Day at the City, Toronto Alliance of Performing Arts Provincial Advocacy, Ontario Nonprofit Network 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 Diversity This section is where you’ll find important resources, viewpoints and reports on why, and how, to think about diversifying your board. Five Good Ideas for being an effective disruptor – Maytree Foundation, January 2017 Five Good Ideas for being inclusive of Indigenous Peoples, Maytree Foundation, June, 2024 Board Diversity Toolkit, Board Diversity Charter Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion Canadian Board Diversity Council Access, Equity and Diversity, City of Toronto Fundraising & Financials Here you’ll find information about best practices and tools that may help enrich your knowledge of the boards’ role in financial oversight. Fundraising 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 15 Ways to Transform Your Board of Directors into Fundraising Champions Article by Marc Koening. 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, 2017 Fundraising by Registered Charities CRA Policy, Issued April, 2012. Planning for Fundraising Success Not Just Money: Equity Issues in Cultural Philanthropy By Helicon Collaborative with funding from the Surdna Foundation, 2017. Fundraising on a Budget and Understanding the Fundraising Budget Nonprofit Quarterly September 8, 2016 “Bright Spots” Report a Goldmine for Nonprofits about Successful Fundraising at the Grassroots, By Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, September 15, 2017. Other Resources 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 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. 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. DonorPerfect NonProfit Guides Culture of Philanthropy: The Basics Building a Culture of Philanthropy By THE NONPROFIT WHISPERER, Nonprofit Quarterly, June 18, 2018 Not Just Money: Equity Issues in Cultural Philanthropy By Helicon Collaborative with funding from the Surdna Foundation, 2017 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 Succession Planning Here you’ll find vital information about the boards’ role in planning for the transition of senior leaders and board members. The Case for Board Succession Planning By Jane Garthson, November 30, 2016. How to Build a More Demanding Board By Jane Garthson, September 28, 2016. Board Composition and Recruitment Recruitment Resource by BoardSource. Three Tips for Grappling with Insiders who are Resistant to Change by Nina Simon, Museum 2.0, October 2016. Orientation and Education Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices By Boardsource. Succession Planning Information touching on one of the most important and difficult tasks a board can face: guiding a senior leadership transition. 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 Planning for Succession: A Toolkit for Board Members and Staff of Nonprofit Arts Organizations Learning How to Do Succession Planning from Younger Leaders The Philanthropist by Daniel Moore, October 30, 2017 How to rise up the Canadian arts ranks? Move Abroad The Globe and Mail by Kate Taylor, August 12, 2016 Ontario Nonprofit Network, Building a Decent Work Movement in Ontario’s Nonprofit Sector Good Governance This section is where you’ll find valuable information about governance practice, board engagement, legal duties and evaluation tools. Simply put, the basics. Understanding Governance Three Expert Talks About Good Board Governance, Maytree, June 6, 2018 25 Awesome Things Board Members Do By Vu Le, Nonprofit AF, June 2016 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 Other Resources 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 Mission Haiku: the Poetry of Mission Statements By Christopher Finney, Nonprofit Quarterly, reposted October 27, 2017 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 Why Board Engagement in Advocacy is Essential Why organizational values are so awesome and sexy By Vu Le, Nonprofit AF, May 2, 2016 Is your board structured for impact? Online workshop and slides with Ruth McCambridge, Nonprofit Quarterly, October 13, 2017 Much Ado About Nothing? Why Directors Should Think About Committee Governance By Lampros Stougiannos, Miller Thomson Social Impact Newsletter, May 17, 2017 The Dynamic Duo: The Board Chair/Executive Relationship by Sara Wilson, LinkedIn post, April 18, 2016 Board Self-Evaluation Questionnaire: A Tool for Improving the Governance Practices of Non-Profit Oganizations Dalhousie University College of Continuing Education, revised 2013 Board Engagement Here you’ll find resources that can help your organization better engage your board of directors from recruitment to retirement. Evaluation This section contains a number of resources to assist board members in understanding their role in program evaluation. Why & How? 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 ArtReach: Evaluation Resources, Tools and Templates Input, Output, Outcome, Impact? 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 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