Presented by Donald Golob

Successful Strategic Planning Sessions for NPOs

Strategic planning sessions are an important and necessary part of every not-for-profit organization's annual planning cycle.   They provide an out-of-the ordinary time to focus on the bigger issues related to and affecting the organization and to set the course for the group over the longer term.

This interactive session identifies and discusses in detail the issues that need to be considered when planning a session and provides a roadmap for not-for-profit organizations to plan and execute a successful strategic planning session. 

The session includes a comprehensive handout.

 "An excellent session.  Great ideas to take back and fine tune our planning sessions." "A step-by-step approach, clear guidelines on what to do and how to do it." "This course provided me with the tools to enable me to bring forward the idea of holding a strategic planning session to my board of directors."

Click here to read a summary of the evaluations of the session presented to members of Volunteer Campbell River in June 2011.

Successful Strategic Planning for NPOs

Strategic planning is a vital part of the ongoing development of all not-for-profit organizations.  Because of the wide variety of strategic planning approaches that are available it is important for not-for-profit organizations to understand what is available and how to tailor the process to meet the specific needs of their organization.

This interactive session defines strategic planning and what makes it different from other types of planning, identifies and reviews the different approaches to strategic planning that are available, and presents a process and outline for developing and implementing a strategic planning process that takes into account the typical strategic planning challenges faced by not-for-profit organizations. 

The session includes a comprehensive handout.

"Concise information that related specifically to our organization." "It provided me with more tools to present to my board." "The comprehensive handout was great." "I liked the group interaction and hearing what the presenter and others in the room had to say." "Great overview of strategic planning!"

Co-Presented With Anders Ourom, Lawyer & Consultant to Not-For-Profit Organizations

Donald Golob and Anders Ourom have collaborated on the development and co-presentation of a series of seminars for societies, charities, and foundations, and continue to develop new sessions on topics of importance to the not-for-profit sector.   A profile of Anders can be found in the Associates section of this website.

Constitutions and Bylaws:  Their Role, Use, and Revision for Societies and Charities

Constitutions and bylaws play a more important role in the governance and operation of societies and charities than many appreciate. They are intended as a foundation for everything an organization does, and how it does it. Like the foundations of buildings, they should do the job that’s needed, and be there when they’re needed. That in turn means designing them so that they meet current and foreseen needs, provide reasonable certainty and flexibility, and address likely issues. Societies and charities need to understand the importance of the role these documents play in their organizations, their use, and how to amend and update them.

This session will address:

• What constitutions and bylaws are, their relationship to each other, and what they contain;
• The limitations and requirements set by the Society Act and the Income Tax Act, and how they inter-relate;
• The role and purpose of constitutions and bylaws in the structure and operation of societies and charities;
• The differences between the constitutions and bylaws of incorporated societies and of registered charities;
• What is your “official” constitution and bylaws, where you can get them, and why it’s important to have them, and keep track of amendments;
• When and why to amend them, the legal process required to do so, and the related requirements;
• The particular process required for amendment of the constitutional purposes of a society that is a registered charity;
• The relationship between bylaws and policies, and what  is usually included in one versus the other;
• Many precedents of useful bylaw clauses for consideration; and
• Key issues are in considering a merger or amalgamation with another society or charity, downsizing, or other significant organizational change.

How to Become A Charity or Foundation:  The Process, Issues, Tips

"Can/should we become a charity or a foundation?" is a question that a lot of groups ask themselves; however, answering this important, multi-faceted question is not easy!

This interactive session, co-presented with Anders Ourom, a lawyer who specializes in providing legal and consulting services to charities, societies, and other not-for-profit organizations, identifies and discusses Canada's charity laws, what is involved in becoming a charity or foundation (and the distinction and similarities between the two - which are both 'charities'), and the costs and benefits that groups need to take into consideration in making a decision whether to pursue registered charity status. 

The session includes a comprehensive handout.

"Lots of info!  Very useful!  There's so much we didn't know about the process!"

How to Maintain Your Charity or Foundation:  The Process, Issues, Tips

All  federally registered charities (including foundations), and their directors and officers, need to clearly understand what it means to  be and to operate as a charity under the Income Tax Act, both on an ongoing basis, and when making decisions about the future of their organizations.

This session addresses:

• What it means to be a charity or foundation registered under the Income Tax Act;
• The distinction and relationship between being an incorporated society and a federally registered charity;
• How registered charities must be organized and operate under the Act;
• What obligations all charities have under the Act;
• What charities and foundations must do in order to maintain charitable registration;
• What charities are prohibited from doing;
• The different requirements for public and private registered charitable foundations;
• The opportunities in terms of operations, structure, and activities;
• What ability charities/foundations have to carry on business and how this relates to venture philanthropy and social enterprise;
• Captive (“tied”) foundations – when and why; and
• Key issues in considering a restructuring, downsizing, or merger or amalgamation with another charity.

"Very informative! The details & tips on how to fill out the Charity information return and issuing charitable receipts was great!  The handout alone is worth the price of admission!"

Meetings and Minutes: Organizing, Conducting and Recording Meetings of the Members and Directors of Societies and Charities

Meetings of the members and directors of societies, and keeping good minutes, play a more important role in governance and operations than many appreciate. They are the main way in which societies do the business of governing themselves. Both types of meetings, and proper minutes, are legally required of all societies, including those which are also charities. Good meetings involve understanding the legal requirements, developing appropriate processes to prepare for and run the meetings and keep appropriate minutes, being prepared, and knowing where there is flexibility. This is the only program offered in B.C. that specifically addresses the need of societies and charities for guidance in organizing and conducting these important meetings.

The session will address:

• The role that meetings of the members and of the directors, and minutes, play in the governance and operation of societies.
• Legal requirements that must be met in organizing and conducting directors’ and members’ meetings, and recording the proceedings in minutes.
• When general meetings of the members are required, under the Act and the bylaws.
• How general meetings can be called – by the directors, by requisition of the members.
• The importance of the annual general meeting.
• Giving proper notice of general meetings – members’ rights and societies’ responsibilities.
• Organizing and preparing – agenda, reports, financial statements, elections, special business.
• Special (extraordinary) general meetings – what they do, preparing.
• The contested general meeting, and what to do to avoid ending up in court. Preventive medicine is always the best.
• Proceedings at general meetings under the Society Act, the bylaws, and rules of order (if adopted), and for charities.
• Meetings of the directors – when they are required, notice, and conduct.
• The job of the chair. Use and misuse of parliamentarians.
• Taking, approving and maintaining records of meetings – what is required by the Act, the bylaws, and the Charities Directorate; the roles of the chair and the secretary; preparing; developing templates; the fine art of listening; what is business and what isn’t; “in camera” minutes; process for approval of the minutes; keeping duplicate records, paper and electronic.
• What not to include in minutes, and why.
• Use of the minutes as a society’s corporate memory.

I just took my first set of minutes last week and I was prepared ahead of time and it made things so much easier. At first I was scared of taking minutes before your session from what I heard about taking them and I thought I would never be able to do minutes but found it not bad at all. Thanks to you!

I know that a few of the other staff have been using some of the techniques. So we do have a better format now of taking the minutes.

Gosia Nowoszewska, Office Assistant, BC Real Estate Association

Privacy, Records and Information Management, and Access for Societies & Charities

If a member of the media contacted your group and asked for a copy of your 'financials' would you know what to do?  What should you do if you are subject to an FOI request because you submitted a proposal in response to an RFP from a public institution?  What information are you required to keep on members, for how long, and who can have access to them? What about client information?  Are you complying with the privacy legislation that came into force in 2004?

This session focuses on what all not-for-profits need to know about the records and information they must and should keep, and what they need to know about management of and access to that information.  This is an important topic that many societies and charities find challenging.

This session includes a comprehensive handout.

The BC Society Act:  Understanding Your Society's Obligations and Taking Advantage of the Opportunities

The B.C. Society Act plays a more important role in day-to-day operations than many incorporated societies appreciate.  The Act, and each society’s constitution and bylaws, are the foundation for everything else your society does, and, like all other foundations, it’s important to ensure that it meets your needs, and that what you’ve built on it is solid. In these times, all societies need to be clear about the Act and its requirements, as a starting point when making decisions about their organizations.

This session addresses:

• What it means to be a society incorporated under the Act;
• How all societies are required to be structured and to operate under the Act;
• What obligations all societies have under the Act;
• What societies must do in order to maintain their incorporated status;
• What societies are prohibited from doing;
• What opportunities exist for societies to pursue purposes and activities and to structure and operate themselves as they so choose;
• What the distinction and relationship is between being an incorporated society and a registered charity;
• What ability societies have to carry on business, trade, industry or profession as incident to the purposes of the society;
• What some of the key issues are in considering a restructuring, downsizing, or merger or amalgamation with another society;
• The major changes that have been made to the Act in the past few years;
• The key recommended changes to the Act proposed by the B.C. Law Institute.

"Fantastic!  As usual with a lot of clubs with volunteers, each person has a real life which can interfere with club life, so the ‘I’s don’t always get dotted.  Now we know how to organize the whole thing!" "Very informative and valuable!  Something that all directors (voluntary or otherwise) should attend."

Schedule of Upcoming Seminars and Registration Information

These seminars and workshops are offered to the public at various times throughout the year.  Click 'Upcoming Seminars & Registration' on the menu to view a current seminar schedule and to register.

List of Past Attendees

To view a list of past attendees, click here.

In-House Sessions

These seminars can be offered in-house for an organization's internal audience, or for a group of organizations in an area. They can be offered individually or offered as a series over the course of a day or multiple days.  

Examples of groups that have taken advantage of this service include:

Edward Milne Community School, Sooke, British Columbia

Donald Golob presented his session on effective decision-making for not-for-profit organizations to not-for-profit organizations in the Sooke, BC area, as part of the British Columbia government's Involve BC program to build the capacity of not-for-profit organizations across the province.  A comprehensive handout for the session participants was also provided.

Helping Hands Support Committee, Lillooet, British Columbia

Donald Golob presented his session on how to be a great board director in the morning and effective meetings for not-for-profit organizations in the afternoon for not-for-profit organizations in Lillooet, as part of the British Columbia government's Involve BC program to build the capacity of not-for-profit organizations across the province.  A comprehensive handout for the session participants was also provided.

Multilingual Case Management Unit, Immigrant Services Society of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia

Donald Golob facilitated a combined session on effective meetings and effective minutes for the Unit's staff to help the staff identify ways to improve its approach to its meetings and the taking of meeting minutes.  A comprehensive handout for the session participants was provided.

Sayward Futures Society, Sayward, British Columbia

Donald Golob presented a full day session for the group's Board of Directors that provided a condensed version of his sessions on how to play the not-for-profit society game, how to be a great board director, how to develop job descriptions for your board, effective decision-making for not-for-profit organizations, strategic planning for not-for-profit organizations, effective meetings, effective meeting minutes, as well as an additional section on board recruitment.  A comprehensive handout for the session participants was provided.

Social Planning and Research Council of British Columbia, Community Development Institutes, Vancouver, British Columbia

Donald Golob presented a series of seminars on various aspects of not-for-profit organizations, entitled A Toolbox for Community Organizations at the Council's 2000 and2002 Community Development Institutes.  Donald presented four, half-day sessions at the 2000 Institute that were so well received that he was asked to expand the half-day session to four, full-day sessions, each of which were oversubscribed.  Comprehensive handouts were provided for each of the sessions.

Donald was subsequently recognized by SPARC BC as one its '35 bright lights' as part of its 35th year anniversary celebrations for the quality of the sessions he provided at its Community Development Institutes.

The Burnaby Lions Housing Society, Burnaby, British Columbia

Donald Golob presented a combined and condensed version of his seminars on how to be a great board director, effective decision-making for not-for-profit organizations, and how to establish and manage effective committees to the group's board of directors.  A comprehensive handout for the session participants was provided.

The Greater Vancouver Real Estate Board, Vancouver, British Columbia

Donald Golob presented his session on how to take meeting minutes for not-for-profit organizations and put them to use to twelve of the Board's administrative assistants and others responsible for taking minutes of the Board's various meetings.  A comprehensive handout for the session participants was provided.

Volunteer Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia

Donald Golob presented his session on mergers and amalgamations in the not-for-profit sector to the members of Volunteer Vancouver.

If you would like to make arrangements to have one or more of these sessions offered in-house or to a group of organizations in your area, please contact us.