Findings of the first National Study of Board Governance Practices in the Non-profit and Voluntary Sector in Canada were released on 
April 26, 2006


The full report and executive summary are available for download.
 

Strategic Leverage Partners and the Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development, a joint initiative of  Carleton University and the University of Ottawa, have developed a web-based survey that will form the base of a National Study of Board Governance Practices in the Non-profit and Voluntary Sector in Canada.  The study has been designed in response to shifts in the environment in which Canada’s nonprofits operate and a desire to share governance practices across sub-sectors and organizations. The survey, together with focus groups and key informant interviews, aims to gather information that will assist nonprofit and voluntary sector boards across the country become more effective in their governance roles. 

The results of the study will be made public and shared with nonprofit organizations across Canada in early 2006.

In particular, the goals of the study include:

1. developing a current snapshot of the context in which voluntary organizations in Canada are working, with a focus on the implications for board governance;  
2. determining the current state of non-profit board governance in Canada;  
3. identifying best practices in board governance utilized by Canadian voluntary organizations;
4. determining the best way to measure the accountability of non-profit organizations and the boards that govern them.

For more information about the study, please contact either Strategic Leverage Partners (Grace Bugg or Sue Dallhoff) or the Centre for Voluntary Sector Research and Development (Paula Speevak-Sladowski) 

This national study was generously financed by contributions from Bridgeway Foundation, the Canadian Educational Standards Institute, The Muttart Foundation, Volunteer Canada, Industry Canada, the Institute of Corporate Directors, and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants.  

This project was reviewed and received ethics clearance through the Carleton University Ethics Committee, which adheres to the Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans. If you have any concerns or questions about your involvement in this study or about how the research has been conducted, you may contact the Carleton University Ethics Committee through the Chairperson, Prof. Antonio Gualtieri, by telephone, at 613-520-2517 or ethics@carleton.ca