Governance

Five Good Ideas on engaging your board effectively

Robin Cardozo

Published on September 22, 2014

Today’s not-for-profit sector boards have enormous responsibilities. To fulfill those responsibilities, volunteer board members, who for the most part lead very busy lives, need to feel actively engaged and attached to the organizations they govern. How can they build that sense of engagement in the space of a few hours each month? This session explored a number of ways of achieving passionate and committed engagement. Robin Cardozo discussed these ideas with an experienced panel of board members from a diverse range of large and small organizations.

Joining him were Jehad Aliweiwi, Executive Director, Laidlaw Foundation; Earl Miller, Board President, West Neighbourhood House; and Jini Stolk, Board Chair, Ontario Nonprofit Network.

Five Good Ideas

Inspired Recruitment: Assess and discuss a potential board candidate’s capacity to become passionately engaged.
Thoughtful Orientation: Plan an orientation schedule that’s a lot more than a single event.
Managed Risk: The board should encourage and manage – rather than avoid – risk-taking.
Meaningful Conversation: Actively plan for board dialogue at every meeting; board meetings need more than great presentations!
Getting out and having fun: Look for opportunities to get out of the boardroom, and also look for fun.

Five Good Resources

Introducing the panel

Jehad Aliweiwi is a strategic thinker with more than 15 years of experience in senior management positions in social, settlement and community service organizations. Since January 2014, Jehad has held the position of Executive Director with the Laidlaw Foundation. For 10 years before that Jehad was the Executive Director with Thorncliffe Neighbourhood Office, a multi service non-profit organization serving the Thorncliffe community for more than 30 years. Prior to that, he was Regional Director, Metro Region of Catholic Cross-Cultural Services. Jehad also worked with the Canadian Arab Federation for eight years, as Race Relations Officer and, later, as Executive Director. He is a Trustee of the Ontario Science Centre and a board member of Fred Victor Services and the Canadian Council for Refugees. He served on the Board of Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) and the Toronto Neighbourhood Centres. In 2010 Jehad was the recipient of the Local Hero Award from the Canadian Urban Institute.

Earl Miller is Director, Partnerships – Government and International Relations at MaRS Discovery District. He leads MaRS’ Regional Innovation Centre and is responsible for provincial commercialization partnerships, collaboration with government stakeholders in the Toronto Region and business development with Canadian and international partners. He collaborates with organizations in the public and private sectors looking to source new technology, invest in startup companies and undertake projects to share knowledge about innovation best practices. Earl has master’s degrees in political science and environmental studies, and is an accredited partnership broker. Prior to joining MaRS, he worked at senior levels in the Ontario Public Service, and at Scotiabank and Ryerson University. Earl is President of the Board of West Neighbourhood House and has served on a number of volunteer Boards including the Ontario Trillium Foundation, United Way of Toronto and Harbourfront Corporation.

Jini Stolk is a Research Fellow at the Toronto Arts Foundation, and writes a blog on building capacity, audiences and space for the arts. She chairs the Ontario Nonprofit Network, and has been chair or member of the executive of the Toronto Artscape, Centre for Social Innovation, Toronto Arts Council, Hum Dance, and 6 Stages Theatre Festival boards. She’s led Creative Trust, where she worked to strengthen the financial capacity and organizational potential of Toronto’s performing arts companies, Toronto Dance Theatre and the Toronto Theatre Alliance, and has been involved in many community and cultural advocacy activities. She received the 2012 William Kilbourn Award for the Celebration of Toronto’s Cultural Life, and was a Sandra Tulloch Award and Harold Award winner.

Robin Cardozo

Chair, Ontario Nonprofit Network, and former Chief Operating Officer, SickKids Foundation

Robin Cardozo is Chair, Ontario Nonprofit Network, and former Chief Operating Officer, SickKids Foundation. He has worked in senior positions in Canada’s not-for-profit sector, and has served on several Boards over the past 25 years. In 2012, Robin joined SickKids Foundation as Chief Operating Officer. Next to government, SickKids Foundation is the largest funder of child health research, learning and care in Canada. For twelve years before that, Robin served as Chief Executive Officer of the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). OTF is one of Canada’s largest granting foundations, with a mission to help build healthy and vibrant communities in Ontario. Prior to joining OTF, Robin served for more than a decade as Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of United Way Toronto. He currently serves on the boards of Centennial College and the Ontario Nonprofit Network, and recently completed a term on the board of Bridgepoint Active Health. Robin was born in Pakistan, and was educated in Pakistan and in Britain. In 2013, he was awarded the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario’s Medal of Distinction in Public Administration.