Literacy Basics - Community Literacy of Ontario

Although not as common within literacy delivery agencies, many organizations that play a support and/or umbrella role also play a key role in advocacy. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA ) has issued new guidelines to try to clarify the types of political activity (including advocacy) non-profit charities in Canada can be involved in. Check out The Art of Advocacy: A Handbook for Non-Profit Organizations for more information.

See Board Roles and Responsibilities written for The Corporate Fund by Ed Tomey for specific details on activities related to some of the roles listed above.

Individually, each board member must:

• Act in the best interests of the organization
• Understand the roles and responsibilities of being a board member
• Be familiar with the organization's bylaws, policies and procedures, strategic plan, mission, etc.
• Ensure he/she avoids conflicts of interest including operating in the best interest of the organization not in self-interest or the interest of a stakeholder group
• Respect confidentiality policies that pertain to membership and board discussions
• Keep informed about the organization's financial activity and legal obligations
• Bring his/her own skills, experience and knowledge to the organization
• Attend board meetings regularly and arrive prepared for meetings
• Support board decisions once they have been voted on

Ideally, when joining a board (or perhaps before deciding to join) one should learn the:

• Governing structure the organization operates under
• Roles, responsibilities, and functions of the board within the governing structure
• Job description for board members
• Measurement and standard by which board members are evaluated

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