In this learning section, you can engage in a variety of sessions to build and develop governance skills.
- “Board Basics 101: Things your Board Needs to Know!” (Paul Meunier – Federation of Calgary Communities)
- “Charting the Future: Strategic Planning for Nonprofits” (Daniela Galindo – Community Development Professional)
- “Govern Yourself Accordingly: Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures” (Yvonne Chenier – IntegralOrg)
- “Liability & Legal Fundamentals” (Yvonne Chenier – IntegralOrg)
- “Getting the Work Done: Distinguishing Governance and Operations” (Jennifer Beyer – Convoke Consulting)
- “Cybersecurity Strategies for Non-Profits” (Greg Miller – Industry Professional)
“Board Basics 101: Things your Board Needs to Know!”
Time: 1:15 pm
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!
At The Federation, we support passionate people who give back to their community, no matter the cause. Our mission is to build the capacity of volunteer-run organizations by delivering resources, workshops and professional services. Through our work, people gain the skills to guide their organizations with confidence and clarity.
To learn more about the Federation of Calgary Communities, click on any of the links below.
“Charting the Future: Strategic Planning for Nonprofits“
Time: 1:15 pm
Presenter(s): Daniela Galindo, Community Development Professional
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. 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, through interactive exercises and resources, you will experience how to develop a basic strategic plan, from the planning stages all the way through to ensuring the outcomes can take root throughout your organization. You will leave this session with actionable tips and confidence to return to your organization and apply proven-by-practice methods and new insights and ideas from current strategic approaches.
“Govern Yourself Accordingly: Bylaws, Policies, and Procedures“
Time: 3:00 pm
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.
IntegralOrg helps Alberta nonprofits thrive, flourish, and achieve through education and support in governance, leadership, strategic planning, risk management, financial management, and legal services. We offer free consultations and practical workshops and toolkits. We problem solve with organization through organizational development projects. IntegralOrg is a proud nonprofit charity.
To learn more IntegralOrg click on any of the links below.
“Liability & Legal Fundamentals”
Time: 1:15 pm
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.
IntegralOrg helps Alberta nonprofits thrive, flourish, and achieve through education and support in governance, leadership, strategic planning, risk management, financial management, and legal services. We offer free consultations and practical workshops and toolkits. We problem solve with organization through organizational development projects. IntegralOrg is a proud nonprofit charity.
To learn more about IntegralOrg ,click on any of the links below.
“Getting the Work Done: Distinguishing Governance and Operations”
Time: 9:00 am
Presenter(s): Jennifer Beyer, Convoke Consulting
Description: Making the best use of every volunteer hour we put into the non-profits we care about may feel like a lot in our busy lives. It is worth the time, though, so that we can make the most of our support and effort. This workshop will help you sort out those details:
- Understand how separating governance and operations can help you manage workload, prevent burnout, and even reduce the number of hours you need to put in as volunteers.
- Distinguish between governance functions and operations functions.
- Start making small tweaks to your current board practices right away.
This will be a relaxed traditional style workshop, with some presentation of content and ideas, plenty of time to ask questions as we go, and some small group work time to start applying what we discuss right away.
We help people work together better, whether they are trying to find a way forward, solve problems, lead organizations, make recommendations, find common ground, implement strategy. We are dedicated to aiding and empowering non-profits, public organizations, collaborative and multi-sector groups, community groups, companies, and teams to have impact and make positive change. We customize and tailor all of our services to your organization’s or team’s goals and needs: if we’re not meeting you where you’re at so what you get from the project is immediately helpful, we’re not doing our jobs.
To learn more about Convoke Consulting, click on any of the links below.
“Cybersecurity Strategies for Non-Profits“
Time: 9:00 am
Presenter(s): Greg Miller – Industry Professional
Description: This will be a presentation describing the reality and the risks of the multi-billion dollar cybercrime industry and its impacts on small non-profits and their boards.
The goal is to provide non-technical leaders and board members with a basic understanding of this rapidly evolving threat, including the extent of cybercrime and the risks it means for our organizations. We’ll use real-world examples, including right here in Alberta.
We’ll focus on practical strategies and steps you can take to safeguard your organization, your staff, and the communities you serve. We’ll explain some of the jargon and technical terms so you can participate in the discussions that impact the people, policies, and technologies you need to consider.