This page aims to provide you with diverse online board and governance resources relevant to the Canadian non-profit sector.
Imagine Canada is a major resource for non-profit resources, so you’ll find quite a bit of information from them on this page. This national charitable organization supports charities and non-profits in strengthening the communities they serve. Check out its research and facts on the Canadian non-profit sector, or its board governance tools, some of which we have highlighted individually below.
We also regularly upload free resources from BoardSource. It’s an American organization but many of the topics it addresses are universal in terms of being helpful for non-profits. You’ll see a number of their free resources below, but you can also go straight to the BoardSource online library and search by topic.
The Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada have some exceptional resources for non-profits – we’ve given them their own section below, though you’ll find some of CPAC’s other documents from their “20 Questions” series scattered through other categories here as well.
If you know of a resource that we should add to this page, please email our executive director and we’d be happy to add them.
Tools to assess and improve your board
A Template for a Great Board Orientation – Joan Garry
Are your board committees working well? Revisiting your board structure – BoardSource
Find the right board member for your non-profit organization – National Council of Non-Profits (US)
Board Recruitment – BoardSource
The Board Chair’s Role – BoardSource
Innovation in Board Structure and Dynamics – BoardSource
Board Self-Evaluation Tool and Guidelines for Using Board Self-Evaluation Tool from Dalhousie University
Finding and recruiting the right board members – National Council of Non-Profits
Best board meeting ever – BoardSource
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Mind the Gap: Measures for Accomplishment of Your Mission (BoardSource)
2018 National Study of Board Practices in Canada’s Non-Profit and Voluntary Sectors
On becoming a great board director
How to succeed as a non-profit board director – Conference Board of Canada
Asker, Ambassador, Advocate: Which Kind of Board Member are You? – The Curtis Group
Non-profit board member codes of conduct and ethics – BoardSource
What makes a good board member? – BoardSource
Strategic Planning
Three keys for non-profit strategic planning now – Non-Profit Pro
Five Phases of Strategic Planning – BoardSource
A Beginner’s Guide to Strategic Planning – The Ascent
Charted Professional Accountants of Canada – Resources for Non-Profits
Operating in the Post-Pandemic World: Resources for NFPs
What Not-For-Profits Need to Know About Annual Reporting
20 Questions Directors of Not-For-Profit Organizations Should Ask About A Director’s Duties
Directors and Officers Indemnification and Insurance: 20 Questions for Directors
20 Questions Directors Should Ask About Cyber-Security
20 Questions Directors Should Ask About Risk
Financial statements
Red Flags, Yellow Flags: Are Your Financial Statements Trying to Tell You Something? – BoardSource
Reading Financial Statements: What Do I Need to Know? – Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
Every board’s must-have documents – BoardSource (** Ignore the one about IRS Form 990 – BoardSource is American and that form does not apply to Canadian charities and non-profits)
Thoughtful and impactful governance
Board responsibilities and structures – BoardSource FAQs
Governing a Collaborative Organization – Stanford Social Innovation Review
The Four Principles of Purpose-Driven Board Leadership – Stanford Social Innovation Review
Governance for Not-for-Profit Organizations: Questions for Directors – Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
Tools and resources from Centre For First Nations Governance for First Nations organizations transitioning from Indian Act to inherent right governance
Advocacy
Five good ideas to influence public policy
Advocacy and Ambassadorship – tools and resources from BoardSource
Non-Profit Advocacy Survival Guide – Imagine Canada
Recruitment and retention of senior leadership
Six core competencies of non-profit CEOs – BoardSource
Board chair and CEO executive partnership – infographic from BoardSource
20 questions directors of not-for-profits should ask about human resources – Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
Six tips for successful executive director performance review – Charity Village
20 Questions Directors Should Ask: Recruiting, Developing, Assessing and Renewing Directors – Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
20 Questions Directors Should Ask About CEO Succession – Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada
Giving and receiving criticism: Five tips for executive directors and board chair
Diversity, equity and inclusion
Five questions to get you started on board diversity – BoardSource
Recruiting for board diversity without disrespecting people of colour – BoardSource
Building the boards we need – Rick Moyers blog post at BoardSource
Challenging assumptions and practices in board diversity – BoardSource
Beyond Political Correctness: Building a Diverse and Inclusive Board – BoardSource
Opinion from Canadian Senator Ratna Omidvar – “Canadian Non-Profits Have a Diversity Problem” (June 2020)
Has your board got cognitive diversity? (aka diversity of thought) – Charity Village
Opinion: Why we need to decolonize boards to ensure equity – Liben Gebremikael on Imagine Canada website (March 2021)
Decolonizing and reconciliation
Decolonize Your Board – Natalie Walrond, Stanford Social Innovation Review 2021
The Challenge of Indigenous Leadership Within Mainstream Organizations – Leslie Varley, Executive Director of BC Association of Aboriginal Friendship Centres, 2016
Conflict resolution, risk and crisis management
Managing Conflict: A Guide for Volunteer Boards (Governing Good)
Dealing effectively with non-profit board conflicts (Charity Village)
Handling Conflict During Board Meetings (BoardSource)
Moving from dissonance to harmony (BoardSource)
Common non-profit board problems (BoardSource)
Crisis communications – BoardSource
Understanding vicarious liability in Canadian employment law
Templates and tips for hiring
Sample human resources policies (evaluation, social media, code of conduct, much more) – Imagine Canada
Conflict and complaint resolution policy – sample
Six Tips for Writing an Effective Performance Review – Business News Daily
Conflict of interest policy – template
Template – Board Governance Committee terms of reference – (BoardConnect, Australia)
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Board-Chair-President-Sample-Job-Description
Six Competencies that Every CEO Should Have – Board Source
Five Practical Recruitment Strategies – Charity Village
Online tools for engagement
Four steps to kickstart your non-profit engagement strategy – Tom Jager
Eight essential online free tools and resources for non-profits – Donor Box
Seven social media management tools for non-profits – Whole Whale
Dealing with negative social media:
How to Handle Negative Comments
Eight Ways to Deal with Negative Social Media Comments
How to Positively Handle Negative Comments
Compliance
Reviewing your bylaws in accordance with BC Societies Act
Duties and Liabilities of Directors and Officers of Non-Profits in Canada
Imagine Canada Standards Program for Charities and Non-Profits
Succession planning
Governance Q&A on succession planning – Charity Village
Article on leadership succession planning from the magazine Corporate Board Member
Succession planning for non-profits: Managing Leadership Transition – National Council Of Non-Profits
Toward a better board recruitment process – BoardSource
Other resources
Charity Village Learning Centre
Conversations with Tainted Donors: Lessons from the Sackler disaster – BoardSource
Community Foundations, a network of 191 community-based foundations across Canada
Stanford Social Innovation Review – articles for non-profits and NGOs
Resources for non-profit board members – Volunteer Canada