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Month: March 2014

What are the benefits?

What are the benefits of serving on a nonprofit board? 

Most individuals who already serve on a nonprofit board need no outside justification for being a board member; they know perfectly well what they are doing and why they want to continue doing it. However, there are others who are too shy to join a board or who need someone else to tell them why it makes sense. Here are some reasons why people join nonprofit boards: 

• They know their skills are needed. 

• A nonprofit is going to improve and will benefit from their contributions. 

• There is a possibility to effect change in an organization. 

• They will feel good by doing good. 

• They enjoy collaborating with interesting people who have the same interests and values. 

• They want to learn new skills. 

• They enjoy being recognized for their efforts. 

• They want to give back to the community. 

• They have found a new reason to live productively. 

• They want to have an impact. 

• It can be fun. 

(Source: BoardSource.org)

Consider joining our board today!

A livable work week

Pay check to pay check, week to week, mouth to mouth. We’re not really living.

I firmly believe that we work too much. I have a friend here in Barrie, who works 6 days a week. You’d think that would be illegal, but you’d be wrong. The Ontario Employment Standards Act only limits the number of hours per week, and how many hours you should have off between shifts. Other than that, 6 days a week is acceptable. To me it isn’t.

There is no time to relax, no time to enjoy the result of all our hard work.

[themify_quote]Income insecurity affects many Canadians – in 2005, 10.8% of Canadians were under the poverty line, and nearly half of Canadians polled by Environics in 2006 said they were only one or two missed paycheques away from poverty. – CPJ[/themify_quote]

“We know that families and individuals in British Columbia who are caught in the cycle of poverty have really no hope in exiting that cycle and certainly tweaking the system that we have now with small amounts of money is not going to solve the problem.” – Jane Sterk, former BC Green Party leader.

Some of the ways we propose to fix some of this are:

  • A 4 day work week. Let’s give people more time to enjoy some R&R.
  • Paying a higher wage.
  • Lessening the stress on employees.

While a Guaranteed Annual Income would be paid by the government, a minimum wage should be kept so employers don’t take advantage and pay low ages. At the same time it would ideally raise wages, and give some competition for employees.