In this learning section, you can engage in a variety of sessions to build and develop governance skills.
- 9:00am – “Board Basics 101: Things your Board Needs to Know!” (Paul Meunier – Federation of Calgary Communities)
- 9:00 am – “Practical Strategic Planning: The Basics Part 1” (Shari Hanson – Community Development Unit)
- 10:45 am – “Practical Strategic Planning: The Basics Part 2” (Jerry Firth – Community Development Unit)
- 1:45 pm – “Liability & Legal Fundamentals” (Yvonne Chenier – IntegralOrg)
- 1:45 pm – “The Board & Staff Relationship: How to Work Better Together” (Shari Hanson – Community Development Unit)
- 3:30 pm – “Govern Yourself Accordingly: Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures” (Yvonne Chenier – IntegralOrg)
“Board Basics 101: Things your Board Needs to Know!”
Time: 9:00am – 10:30am
Presenter(s): Paul Meunier, Federation of Calgary Communities
Description: Board Basics 101 is a foundational workshop that covers everything you’ll need to know to get started in your new role as a board member! First, you’ll learn broad roles and responsibilities, the standard foundations of non-profit structures, and we’ll cover some important nuances, including differences between a non-profit and charity. We’ll also look at how these distinctions affect operations and compliance. We’ll discuss the importance of leadership on a board, some of the common challenges boards face, but more importantly – some of the positive reasons that keep people coming back!
To learn more about the Federation of Calgary Communities, click on any of the links below.
“Practical Strategic Planning: The Basics Parts 1 & 2”
Time: 9:00am – 10:30am (PART 1) 10:45am – 12:15pm (PART 2)
Presenter(s): Shari Hanson & Jerry Firth, Community Development Unit, Alberta Arts, Culture, & Status of Women
Description: As a non-profit leader, you may realize that strategic planning is more important than ever, but it is not always easy to begin the process. In Part 1, we will explore the theory behind strategic planning and answer questions such as: where did this theory come from, what does the framework look like, how is it an important tool, and why should you bother?
Then in Part 2, through interactive exercises and resources, you will experience how to develop a basic strategic plan, from the earliest planning stages all the way through to ensuring the outcomes can take root throughout your organization. You will leave this session with actionable tips, resources, and confidence to return to your organization and apply proven-by-practice methods and new insights and ideas from current strategic approaches
This is a 2-part session. If you register for part 1, please ensure you also register for part 2.
To learn more about the Community Development Unit, click on any of the links below.
“Liability & Legal Fundamentals”
Time: 1:45pm – 3:15pm
Presenter(s): Yvonne Chenier, IntegralOrg
Description: To understand the risks your nonprofit faces, you need to understand the legal fundamentals that shape your organization as well as the liabilities and protections that board members have when volunteering for organizations.
In this workshop, you will learn from an experienced charity lawyer about:
- What is the legal framework that surrounds your organization and how do you find out?
- What are the fundamental duties of board directors? What is the board’s role in managing risk?
- What liability protections exist for board members? What is not protected and how does that relate to insurance coverage?
- Starting points to identify risks in your organization.
To learn more IntegralOrg click on any of the links below.
“The Board & Staff Relationship: How to Work Better Together”
Time: 1:45pm – 3:15pm
Presenter(s): Shari Hanson, Community Development Unit,
Description: Resourcing and sustaining the different types of work in organizations is exhausting and hard. It is also inspiring, gives meaning and purpose, and motivates generosity. The working relationship between the board and the executive leader is a critically important dynamic to resourcing and organizing the work. In this session, we will collect and together develop a list of recommended practices for cultivating the trust, respect and communication needed for board-staff working relationships. Organizations need everyone’s resourcefulness, creativity and commitment to their work in order to maintain strong and impactful local organizations.
To learn more about the Community Development Unit, click on any of the links below.
“Govern Yourself Accordingly: Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures”
Time: 3:30pm – 5:00pm
Presenter(s): Yvonne Chenier, IntegralOrg
Description: 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 you will learn from an experienced charity lawyer about:
- Differences and relationships between bylaws, policies, and procedures.
- The basics of managing, drafting, and changing bylaws.
- The limitations of bylaws, policies, and procedures and as it applies to organizations incorporated/registered under a variety of legislation
Learn about the inner workings of bylaws, policies, and procedures and try your hand at creating a new policy and pertinent bylaw clause for your organization.
To learn more IntegralOrg click on any of the links below.