Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director How important are boards to the average non-profit? I have been involved in many non-profit organizations and invariably someone asks this question, usually out of frustration. “I mean, why do we need a board?” the person wonders aloud. “They don’t do anything and usually obstruct all of our good ideas…”… Read more →
Membership Has Its Privileges
Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director The old, oft-repeated phrase “membership has its privileges” rears up from time to time in different places and in different ways but what does it really mean? Incorporated non-profits like Jubilee Fund are membership-driven organizations. Structurally our members are the ultimate authority, as is the case with any member-driven body…. Read more →
A Moral Compass in the Non-profit Sector
Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director A lot of wise, probably somewhat life-worn folks over the years have said a variation of the following sentiment: “Knowledge is a burden.” In the non-profit sector this can be felt when attempting to navigate the often rough seas on ethics and morality, particularly in governance and decision making. Now… Read more →
Non-Profits and the Generation Gap
Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director Fragile. Self-centered. Unrealistic. Just some of the criticism leveled at Generation Z. For those of you not keeping track Generation Z are the people born between the mid-90s to early 2010s. They are generally the children of Generation X (my generation). Between Gen X and Gen Z are the Millennials… Read more →
The Ever Present Housing Need
Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director In the past two years more than 90 percent of the projects Jubilee Fund has seen, have in one way or another been related to affordable housing. There is no doubt that housing is a top priority issue not only in Winnipeg and throughout Manitoba, but across Canada. In an… Read more →
Faith, the Holidays and the Non-Profit
Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director There are two topics it is suggested you never broach in polite conversation (or writing) – politics and religion. You will be happy to hear we will not be talking about politics here. Of course what this means is we need to sensitively and appropriately broach the subject of religion…. Read more →
‘Tis the Season
Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director Well – we’ve done it – we’ve made to the end of another amazing year of growth in opportunity and awareness? As a non-profit there are times when the end of the year feels like it starts sometime in August because there is so much to prepare for an consider… Read more →
Morality and Ethics in a Diverse World
Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director In a diverse and ever shrinking world such things as ethics and values can be a tad difficult to grasp in any clear-cut way. This is not necessarily a bad thing. When you have to engage with a thought or an idea you come to better understand it and it… Read more →
Why More Canadians are Leaving a Gift to Charity in Their Wills
We are blessed. Supporters of Jubilee Fund are thoughtful individuals, who share a concern for sustainable and innovative poverty reduction and are committed to building a better future. Often people think about contributing to the causes they care about with monthly donations or volunteering time, but there is a growing number of people who are… Read more →
The Hardest Word a Non-Profit Can Say
Author: Peter Cantelon, Executive Director No. This might be the hardest word a non-profit can say. As non-profit employees, volunteers and managers we are used to hearing no regularly in terms of funding requests, grants etc. but no amount of hearing it prepares you for having to say it. This may be partly due to… Read more →
