risk management

The Challenges of Setting Up a Non-Profit Home Office

The Challenges of Setting Up a Non-Profit Home Office

Posted in office operations / risk management

It’s hard to believe it’s been three years since offices were shut down and we started working from home. At the time, it seemed like a temporary move, kind of like being displaced because of a city street repair… in a couple weeks we’d be right back to normal. Not even close.   As the...


Risk Management is the Umbrella You Didn’t Think You Needed

Risk Management is the Umbrella You Didn’t Think You Needed

Posted in emergency / risk management

Non-profits are complicated organizations. Strategic plans are directly tied to the wants and needs of clients, members, and stakeholders, which creates a big responsibility to protect those needs from something damaging or undesirable. Most non-profits are usually funded through grants,...


The Emergency Red Binder – Peace of Mind for HR Emergencies

The Emergency Red Binder – Peace of Mind for HR Emergencies

Posted in office operations / emergency / risk management

What is the emergency red binder? Let’s imagine you’ve just won the lottery (sigh); 60 million dollars in your name, received the very day after the board chair chewed you out over a trivial matter. Think you’ll give two months’ notice before you leave? I think we’re talking more about a text...


What do you do when a board member goes rogue?

What do you do when a board member goes rogue?

Has there been a time when a board member didn’t follow policy and no one, you or other board members, said anything? Has a board member reported tasks that they’ve handled when they were neither asked, nor given the authority, to handle those tasks? Has a board member been making decisions...


Anatomy of a Policy

Anatomy of a Policy

Posted in policy / risk management

Operating policies are the rules required for a specific task in how your non-profit will be run. You don’t need to have operating policies for every operational task, only for required tasks. Some of those required tasks might include, handling cash, cell phone etiquette, branding rules,...