As a commitment to strong governance and leadership, the Hospice of Waterloo Region encourages its board of directors to attend Capacity Canada’s Board Governance BootCamp annually.
“This practice of having all board directors attend BootCamp within the first year of their service has proven to provide a common understanding and language among board members who have shared this experience,” says Judy Nairn, Executive Director, Waterloo of Hospice Region. “It has been an extremely positive experience for orienting new members to the board’s work.”
Capacity Canada’s three-day Board Governance BootCamp offer’s an exceptional opportunity for building the capacity of boards across organizations. It is led by a renowned faculty and includes small-group facilitations, customized resources, and sample problems in an intensive three-day period. The BootCamp prepares participants with a plan to improve the governance of their organization by leading organizational change.
“One of the best features of the BootCamp is the opportunity to interact with other non-profits in our community,” states Judy. She further adds that meeting other board members and understanding the common challenges each organization experiences helps to ground everyone in the importance of the work of this sector in addressing community issues.
The small group sessions allow participants to share their experiences and learnings with the speakers and facilitators. It also allows participants to explore shared opportunities for collaborative work to be even more impactful.
Hospice of Waterloo Region has implemented several learnings from the BootCamp into their governance model. “Each session of every BootCamp has provided our board with valuable learnings, from updating how our agenda and minutes are formatted to the creation of a perpetual calendar of fiduciary board activities and a structured review of board policies. Each year, we select a new project that helps to continuously move our board forward,” Judy adds.
Last year, our BootCamp focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. Through our Board Governance BootCamp and webinars, the past year gave us the opportunity to help other organizations and workplaces understand the importance of DEI in the workplace.
This year, the BootCamp, in partnership with Manulife, is back in-person and will be held from December 5-7 at the Bingemans Conference Centre.
To learn more about our Board Governance BootCamp, visit our website.
