Introduction This article presents a nonacademic review of what it takes to create effective boards for nonprofit organizations. It identifies the main factors affecting the board’s operation which shape its impact on the organization. For each set of factors, the typical problems that can arise are noted and various approaches to handling them discussed. The…
Contents: Volume 13 (1995-96)
Introduction In 1993 Revenue Canada reported more than 70,000 registered charities in Canada. A report by the Canadian Centre for Philanthropy estimates that over $86 billion passed through registered charities in 1993: approximately 12 to 13 per cent of Canada’s Gross Domestic Product. Charities paid $40 billion in salaries and benefits to 1.32 million people;…
Introduction Two very important areas for trustees of not-for-profits (NPOs) to consider thoughtfully are investment policy [on adopting an investment policy, see Kelly Rodgers in (1995), 12 Philanthrop., No. 3, p. 9-12] and the spending rate. The spending rate is a measure that is applied annually to the capital base of the NPO to determine…
Charity and the Internet The Federal Court of Appeal’s jurisdiction over the Income Tax Act makes it the principal Canadian court that rules on the meaning of “charity”. Over the last two decades the Court has consistently held that its principal point of reference for deciding the scope of the fourth head of charity-purposes “beneficial…
To close this volume of The Philanthropist, we focus primarily on management issues. Vic Murray gives us the benefit of his long experience in the sector by advising how to build better boards. Bruce Levine reports on the findings of the United Way of Lower Mainland, B.C., which conducted a survey of financial management practices…
Foundation Management in Canada: An Introduction for Trustees By Milton K. Wong, Leopold Amighetti, Jane Butterfield and Patti Ryan Published by M.K. Wong & Associates Limited, Vancouver, B.C. REVIEWED BY COLIN GRAHAM Vice President, Finance and Administration, Royal Conservatory of Music, Toronto Investment management is becoming increasingly complex and competitive. Foundations are not simply financiers…
JAMES PHILLIPS Faculty of Law, University of Toronto B.C. Law Reform Commission The Law Reform Commission of British Columbia has released its Report on Conflicts of Interest: Directors and Societies (1995). This follows its previous Consultation Paper on the subject, released in 1993 and discussed in (1994), 12 Philanthrop., No. 2, pp. 34-36. The principal…
Introduction In March 1996, The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants released new accounting recommendations! that will dramatically affect the way many not-for-profit organizations account for capital assets and contributions and change the basic financial statement presentation for such organizations. The new recommendations should make not-for-profit organizations’ financial statements easier to understand and reduce inconsistent accounting…
Today, it is almost a truism to say that not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) need strong governance and control. Gone are the days when various levels of government could be relied on to fund a substantial part of the operating budget, when corporate and personal donations were often a matter of straightforward philanthropy and when the “customers”…
This issue continues our usual combination of opinion and instruction aimed at boards, financial managers and …the public at large. Ed Waitzer, Chair of the Ontario Securities Commission, was active in philanthropy and a onetime member of our Editorial Board before his appointment. He gives us the benefit of some time for reflection in his…