Reimagining Governance for Today’s Realities:
Building Equitable and Adaptive Board Structure 2025
Effective governance requires constant reflection: “Are our structures upholding our stated values?” “Whose knowledge is centered in our decision-making?” Conventional board governance models often prove inadequate. Standard frameworks, frequently rooted in colonial and patriarchal structures, can perpetuate inequities and hinder an organization's ability to adapt, innovate, and serve its community ethically and effectively.
Through facilitated critical dialogue, analysis of challenging case studies, and exploration of practical tools, participants will reimagine governance frameworks. The session will support participants in moving beyond theory towards actionable strategies for building governance structures that are not only resilient and future-ready but also fundamentally more just, equitable, and effective.
Join fellow leaders in this crucial and advanced conversation to challenge assumptions, confront uncomfortable truths, and co-create pathways towards governance that genuinely serves organizations and communities in the 21st century.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this advanced workshop, participants will be able to:
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Critically Analyze Frameworks: Analyze the limitations and embedded colonial/patriarchal biases within conventional board governance structures and practices.
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Articulate Drivers for Transformation: Learn how to identify your “why” for shifting towards governance transformation. Whether stemming from demands for reconciliation, meaningful inclusion, community activism, or recognition that the current model isn’t working - learn strategies to help clarify your governance purpose.
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Evaluate Alternative Models: Assess emerging governance models (e.g., sociocratic, community-centric, dynamic) through the critical lenses of decolonization and feminist ethics to determine their potential for fostering both effectiveness and justice.
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Enhance Ethical Decision-Making: Integrate principles of reconciliation, equity, care, and intersectionality into the board's core ethical framework and strategic decision-making processes.
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Formulate Actionable Pathways: Develop initial action steps for initiating critical conversations and driving meaningful, context-specific change towards more equitable and decolonized governance within their own organizations, reflecting the realities of operating in Canada today.
Who Should Attend:
This advanced workshop is designed for experienced board members, executives, and governance professionals ready to move beyond incremental adjustments and engage in a fundamental re-imagining of governance. We will critically dissect traditional frameworks, exposing their limitations and embedded biases.
Ideal for those who have a foundational understanding of Board governance and are ready to deepen their strategic contribution and leadership in the boardroom.
Mariam Waliji
Vice-President - Equity, Impact & Governance, Pillar Nonprofit Network
Mariam has a passion for connection – whether it be with people, place, or community. Her years studying evolutionary genetics and ecology sparked questions about how local food systems and restricted access to well-grown food impact society in multifaceted ways; this encouraged her to work towards addressing inequities and barriers to access more broadly in our current systems.
Her work with Pillar Nonprofit Network allows her to reframe the definition of success for social impact organizations while creating space to explore what it means to have intentional, meaningful impact in community in long-term and viable ways. Mariam’s experience and leadership as a Board member to various local community organizations uniquely equips her with the knowledge and skills required to understand nonprofit governance, social enterprise models, and community development work; a lens she brings with her to her work at Pillar Nonprofit Network. By commiting to being deeply embedded in community, Mariam strives to understand the needs of those both working in, and being supported, by the nonprofit sector -- allowing that to guide her approach to equity, impact, and governance.
Through education, an emphasis on sharing narrative, an understanding of intersectional environmentalism, ongoing personal development, and a genuine connection with her community, she aims to encourage growth and power in a collaborative economy. Her hope is to participate in creating a more just, equitable, and joyful future for us all.
This event is part of a 3-part series:
Advanced All About Boards 2025: Strategic Governance for Complex Times and Purpose-Driven Boards
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