Board Development & Governance Consulting for Canadian Nonprofits
Your organization's successful mission is directly linked to a diverse board that is engaged and dedicated.
Global consultants identify the two biggest challenges in Board development for Canadian non-profits as:
- Creating a truly impactful board that is representative of your community and mission.
- Cultivating the required financial resources to deliver upon your mission.
For organizations looking to raise the quality of their Board members, it’s crucial to find individuals who understand they are part of something bigger. Board members must feel appreciated, needed, respected and championed as part of a meaningful organization making a lasting impact. Look for Board members who:
- Are donors (or will become donors) and embrace their role as philanthropists with commitment to your organization’s cause.
- Are community leaders able to give of their time, energy and expertise.
- Represent diverse backgrounds and perspectives. This strengthens the resonance of your Board which creates a more inclusive and equitable organization.
Below are the branches of Board Development and Governance our Senior Consultants provide counsel on:
Board Training: donor engagement, the culture of philanthropy, and the fundraising roles of your Board
Build organizational fundraising capacity with customized group training and skill-building programs. We equip Board members, leaders, and staff with the knowledge, confidence, and tools needed to champion philanthropy and drive fundraising success.
Board Creation Consulting: Build the right Board from the start with a clear, intentional plan.
Whether you’re a new organization forming its first Board or an established nonprofit restructuring your governance model, we help you create a Board that reflects your mission, community, and long-term strategic goals. Our senior consultants support you with:
- Governance model selection.
- Role clarity and responsibility mapping.
- Recruitment strategy & prospect profiles.
- Onboarding frameworks that set new members up for success.
Board Development Support: Strengthen your Board’s effectiveness, cohesion, and philanthropic leadership.
Boards that thrive do so because they grow together. We provide structured support to help your Board evolve into a high-functioning leadership body that drives fundraising and organizational impact. From Board evaluations and governance assessments to succession and renewal planning, our Senior Consultants have lived experience through all stages of Board development.
Sector-Rooted. Regionally Informed. Executive-Led.
In fundraising has been collectively raised by our team of 44 Senior Consultants
of our Senior Consultants have served as a volunteer on a Board of Directors, and over 76% currently volunteer their time with a nonprofit organization.
organizations large and small from coast to coast to coast, with over 61% returning as clients in 2025.
Our team includes former nonprofit executives, fundraisers, and capital campaign leaders from organizations of every size. As accessibility is part of our service model, you can engage us for a single service, ongoing advisory, or a multi-phased project. Whatever your capacity and budget, we are here to support. We bring:
- Senior leaders who have been in your shoes. Nearly all of our Senior Consultants have served on Boards (and currently do!). We understand the realities, nuances, and pressures of volunteer-driven governance.
- Regionally informed insight. With Senior Consultants across Canada, we bring local donor cultures, community expectations, and governance norms into every engagement.
- A culture-of-philanthropy lens. Whether guiding recruitment, onboarding, or training, we help Boards embrace their role as ambassadors and champions of fundraising.
Board Governance & Development Success: Hear from our clients
“I think Global Philanthropic did an awesome job stepping us back from the campaign launch, refocusing the team and resetting the campaign launch.
They looked at gaps in the program and in operations, developed solutions that I think were sensible, highly effective, and respectful to the Advancement Team and TRU, especially given the circumstances. Global got us back to a spot where we could launch it, they added potential donors to our prospect list, they assisted in the search for a new VP External Relations, and they helped to make transition to new leadership absolutely flawless.TRU is better for having worked with Global Philanthropic Canada.”
“Global was with us the whole way. They helped us initiate a chart of standards. Right from the get-go, they are part of that foundation and provided that leadership and those friendly reminders that it was about the numbers from the metrics perspective but, of course, it was the mission of our work that was driving that success. Global really did help us think bigger.”
“After our experience with Global, we wish we had engaged them sooner. While we were initially hesitant about using an external consultant – who may not have deep knowledge of our work – our fears were proven wrong. Had we engaged Global sooner, we would have been further ahead in our plan and had happier donors. We learned the importance of not only sourcing funds but stewardship of donors. Global Philanthropic Canada has resources in many areas including technology and training. We had a member of their team act as our Director until we recruited a permanent position. We included Global in our all-staff conference and they provided training to instill a practice of philanthropy. The surprise was how vast their network and skillset is! They were able to tackle all our needs in such a way that we were able to quickly implement recommendations and see results.”
