Continuing Professional Development Workshops

Governance for Not-for-Profits
Think Strategically!  Measure What Matters Most!
This interactive workshop combines presentation of concepts with an opportunity for hands-on application and group discussions drawing on the experience of the facilitator and participants. Participants will discover a logical framework for ‘connecting the dots’ between board practices and nonprofit performance. It will provide the tools and concepts necessary to establish efficient governance structures and effective board practices as well as clear objectives and performance benchmarks. Participants will be empowered with practical tools for immediate application that will help their own organizations excel in achievement of results, efficient use of resources and proper accounting to stakeholders.

Agenda

8:30 to 10:00 am – Governance and Accountability

1. Introduction and Overview
2. The not-for-profit landscape
3. Systems thinking
4. Three basic organizational functions
5. What is governance?
6. Seven pillars of good governance
7. Signs of a board in trouble group discussion (checklist)
8. Systems thinking
9. Board and organizational structure
10. Ownership and accountability
11. Governance models
12. Comparison of three primary board types
13. Governance responsibilities
14. Legal duties and liabilities of directors
15. Group discussion of study case (Pierre’s Paradox)

10:00 to 10:20 Break

10:20 to 12:00 – Board Best Practices   

16. Best practices: Board development
17. Best practices: Board management
18. Managing conflict and conflict of interest
19. Group discussion of study case (Heather’s husband)
20. Best practices: Decision-making
21. Managing the information flow
22. Role of the Board Chair
23. Small group discussion on role of chair (Pierre’s Paradox continued)
24. Organizational Culture
25. Characteristics of effective boards
26. Good governance: Providing a framework
27. Good management: Implementing within broad/board guidelines

12:00 to 12:45 Lunch

12:45 to 2:30 – Strategic Planning and High Performance Organizations

28. Board work that matters (80/20 rule)
29. Strategic planning: What it is and Why it Matters

1. Identifying the problem to be addressed or need to be filled
2. Environmental scanning and stakeholder engagement
3. Values, vision, mission and goals
4. Objectives as outputs and outcomes
5. Key indicators of organizational performance…what to monitor
6. Anticipating unintended consequences
7. Building the information management infrastructure

30. Putting the framework to work: individual exercise/group discussion (planning worksheet)
31. Ten characteristics of high performance organizations
32. Research sources
33. Good to Great Organizations
34. Three circles of the ‘hedgehog’ concept
35. What drives your resource engine? Individual exercise/group discussion

2:30 to 3:00 – Break

3:00 to 4:30 Monitoring Performance and Risk Management 

36. Zen of Governing for Results
37. Building a supportive culture
38. A logical framework for measuring performance (binder - Mission Impact evaluation)
39. Why, Who, What and How of performance measurement
40. Risk Management
41. Group discussion (study case – to be determined)
42. Keeping score – reporting frameworks
43. Governance Self-Assessment (Board Effectiveness Quick Check)
44. CEO performance evaluation
45. Wrap-up

• A bird’s eye view of Governance (Governance at a Glance)
• Keys to success
• Sense-Making & Positioning

Facilitator: Mel Gill
Course Length: 1 day
Time: 8:30AM - 4:30PM
Registration fee includes: breakfast, lunch, break and a copy of the presentation.

Please note that 5% GST (11896 9427RT) will be added.

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