We don’t just do governance. We strengthen leadership.

Where are the loose bolts slowing your organization down? We examine every connection point in your structure to help tighten processes, clarify roles, and strengthen your leadership team. Experience what it’s like to work in a healthy, smoothly running organization with confident, effective governance.

We believe in starting slow to move fast

We spend time getting to know your organization before leading you past the obstacles blocking your way to wide-scale impact. Progress takes time and the amount of effort we put into thinking, planning, and engaging your careholders pays off big in the end. We get it right the first time.

How you know if you need us

  • Your board meetings run long, but nothing seems to get decided (or done!).
  • Roles and responsibilities are unclear and everyone’s doing a little bit of everything.
  • Policies exist… somewhere, but no one really follows them.
  • Committees spin their wheels or duplicate work.
  • Risk, compliance, and reporting are often overlooked, or worse, not even on your radar. When they do get attention, it feels like an endless checklist rather than tools that protect your mission.
  • Your leadership team is stretched thin trying to hold it all together.
  • You know you could be more effective, but you don’t know where to start.

If this sounds familiar, the issue isn’t commitment, it’s your governance. We help boards and leadership teams clarify roles, tighten processes, and build a culture of accountability so your organization can run smoothly, make confident decisions, and focus on impact.

What we do

Our team of social sector experts can help you with everything from:

Board Structure & Roles

Governance Policies & Procedures

Board Recruitment & Development

Committee Design & Support

Strategic Decision-Making Frameworks

Risk Management & Compliance

Performance Monitoring & Evaluation

Leadership Coaching & Board Training

AGM Planning & Support

How we do it

Strong governance strengthens organizations. Our LOOK, THINK, PLAN, DO approach helps boards and leadership teams clarify roles, responsibilities, and processes to ensure accountability and sustainable impact.

Look

We start by reviewing your board structure, policies, and practices. Through interviews and document analysis, we understand how your governance currently operates.

Think

Next, we identify gaps, opportunities, and priorities. Together, we define what effective governance looks like for your organization and what adjustments are needed.

Plan

We develop a governance roadmap, including recommendations for policies, roles, committees, and board development initiatives to support your leadership and decision-making.

Do

Finally, we help implement changes. From board orientation and training to policy adoption and AGM support, we ensure governance improvements are practical, sustainable, and actionable.

Explore our work

What our clients are saying

“I particularly appreciated Phil's professional yet accessible approach. Their ability to simplify complex legal and organizational concepts facilitated a better understanding of governance issues. In addition, the content was well adapted to the specific needs and challenges of our Foundation. It was an enriching and enlightening experience. Thank you for your hard work and commitment. This work has been a tremendous asset to our Foundation.”
Nadia DuguayExecutive Director, Fondation Béati
“It was incredible knowing how responsive your team would be should an issue arise for us that we had to resolve. Over the six years, our governance has improved, we have a MUCH better communications and development structure due to the plans you helped us put in place, and our board feels supported. I am amazed at how fast your team understands our business and mission and uses the word "we" rather than "you" when discussing Geordie. It makes us feel seen and heard and worthy. Which is invaluable.”
Kathryn WestollExecutive Director, Geordie Theatre

FAQ

You’ve got a question, we’ve got the answer.

How do we know if our governance structure is working effectively?

You can tell your governance structure may need attention if your organization operates reactively rather than proactively, responsibilities are unclear or commitments aren’t followed up on, the board feels more like a formality than an active governing body, financial management and planning systems are weak, or there’s little to no succession planning and leadership development in place.

Successful governance involves your board, senior leadership, and sometimes key careholders. Engaging multiple perspectives ensures decisions reflect your organization’s values, mission, and community needs.

The timeline depends on your organization’s size and needs. Typically, a governance review or improvement project can take a few months, including assessments, careholder consultations, and actionable recommendations.

Yes! We provide practical guidance on governance policies, board structures, and committees, help the board understand and apply by-laws, and offer training and coaching to ensure your board and leadership team can operate effectively and confidently.

Absolutely. We tailor our approach to fit your capacity, providing flexible support, workshops, or targeted consulting so you can strengthen governance without overburdening your team.

Don’t know where to start? Rent Phil’s brain!

Get expert guidance on your board and governance practices — from giving feedback on decision-making processes, offering tips on by-laws or leadership development, to brainstorming ways to strengthen your board’s effectiveness. Sessions are flexible, from 3 to 40 hours, so you can get the support you need to build a stronger, more confident leadership team.

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