Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Dates and location
Pricing
Hours
Description
Canada’s not-for-profit sector is navigating significant change. Shifting policy and funding models, evolving accounting requirements, AI adoption, cyber and fraud risks and workforce pressures are creating new challenges for organizations and the professionals who support them.
CPA Ontario’s Not-for-Profit Conference: Building Sector Strength, Sustaining Impact brings together sector leaders, policymakers, accounting standard setters and practitioners to help you understand what’s changing and respond with confidence.
Gain practical perspectives and strategies to strengthen financial stewardship, manage emerging risks, build organizational resilience and position your organization for sustainable impact.
Looking to enroll 3 or more team members? Email orglearning@cpaontario.ca to explore group pricing options and find the right solution for your organization.
By attending, you will:
- Navigate sector change: Understand the policy, funding, accounting and workforce developments reshaping not-for-profit organizations.
- Strengthen sustainability: Gain practical strategies to address financial pressures and organizational capacity.
- Manage emerging risks: Prepare for AI, cyber threats and fraud while strengthening organizational controls.
- Sustain impact: Build the knowledge and capacity to adapt to change and continue delivering on your mission.
Agenda
Agenda
Topic: Systemic Sector-Level Issues (Policy & Structure): Policy Reform for Canada's Nonprofit Sector
The work of charities and nonprofits is often treated as an afterthought by policy makers despite it being essential to social wellbeing and economic prosperity across Canada. Community-based services supported by United Way Centraide are an essential component of Canada’s care economy, ensuring care services such as delivering housing and homelessness supports, access to food, settlement services, mental-health programs, disability services, seniors’ care, early learning and childcare, responses to gender-based violence, and many other supports that help people live with dignity close to home. Access to high quality care through community services enables people to participate in training, enter the job market and to contribute to stronger communities.
This session will unpack impressive and overlooked data to demonstrate the outsized economic impact of the care economy on Gross Domestic Product and labour productivity. As Canada deals with internal challenges related to an aging population and shrinking tax base and external challenges related to the trade war, unlocking the potential of the charitable and nonprofit sector presents a unique opportunity to boost a domestically focused sector mandated to ensure our individual and collective success.
Key Takeaways:
- A greater understanding of the economic impact and importance of the charitable and nonprofit sector. The sector's contribution of approximately 8.3% of Canada's GDP, about $211 billion which helps make the case that nonprofits must be treated as a core part of Canada's economic and community infrastructure, not as an afterthought.
- That the workforce providing community based services is foundational to Canada's economic success. Canada's nonprofit sector is essential infrastructure, yet it is too often excluded from policy, workforce, and funding decisions that shape the country's economic and social resilience.
- How the potential of the sector can be further unlocked at a time of social and economic change. The keynote will also be a chance to highlight the structural gaps holding the sector back, including the lack of a national workforce strategy, the need for coordinated funding reform, and the importance of including nonprofits in major economic policy discussions.
Topic: Contributions Exposure Draft and Reporting of Related and Controlled Entities: Consultation Paper and Emerging Issues for Not-for-Profit Organizations
Stay informed on the latest developments in not-for-profit financial reporting. AcSB staff will provide an overview of the Contributions Exposure Draft, the Consultation Paper on Reporting Controlled and Related Entities, and other key initiatives on the Board’s domestic work plan. Learn what these proposals could mean for your organization or clients, and how you can help shape future standards by sharing your views.
Moderator: Ninette Bishay, CPA, CA, Partner at Adams & Miles LLP
Speakers:
Bruce MacDonald. President & CEO at Imagine Canada
Terrance S. Carter, Managing Partner at Carters Professional Corporation
Topic: Financial Instability & Unsustainable Funding Models
Is the current funding and operating model for charities and not-for-profits sustainable? Our panelists will explore the pressures challenging financial stability across the sector and the difficult questions organizations, leaders, funders and boards may need to confront to build a more resilient future.
(60 min) Lunch & Networking
Topic: The AI-Powered NPO: Practical Workflows for Grant Reporting & Compliance
Grant reporting and compliance consume a disproportionate share of NPO finance capacity: chasing spreadsheet versions, reconciling program spend against multiple funder templates, and manually assembling reports that could largely run themselves.
This session moves past AI hype to show CPAs and finance professionals serving the NPO sector exactly where AI can be applied safely and practically to grant reporting workflows today. Naveen Kumar brings a dual vantage point: three years auditing non-profits, and government experience administering grants and contributions from the funder's side - combined with current hands-on work applying AI and automation to finance processes. Using realistic workflow examples grounded in this experience, he'll walk through how a manual, multi-day reporting cycle can be restructured with tools finance teams likely already have access to, without weakening the controls and audit trail funders require. Attendees will leave with a practical way to assess where their own organization's biggest reporting bottlenecks sit, and concrete first steps they can take without new software budget or a technical team.
Key Takeaways:
- A practical framework for identifying which parts of grant reporting are safe to automate with AI, which parts still need a human, and why.
- A realistic before-and-after workflow example showing where a typical grant reporting cycle can be compressed with AI, and where the time actually goes today.
- Concrete first steps attendees can take in their own organization this quarter, with no new software spend and no dedicated technical resource required.
Topic: Financial Fraud and Cyber Risk in Not-for-Profit Organizations
Not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) face a growing and increasingly sophisticated landscape of financial fraud and cyber risk. Limited resources, reliance on volunteers, decentralized financial processes, and increasing use of digital systems can create vulnerabilities that fraudsters and cybercriminals exploit.
This session will examine key risks affecting NPOs, including payment and wire fraud, business email compromise, phishing and donor scams, ransomware, data breaches, and insider fraud. Through practical examples and real-world scenarios, participants will learn how cyber incidents can lead directly to financial loss and how weaknesses in internal controls can increase an organization’s exposure.
The session will also explore practical strategies for strengthening financial controls, cybersecurity practices, governance, and incident response. Participants will leave with actionable ideas to help protect organizational funds, sensitive information, donor trust, and reputation.
Key Takeaways:
- Recognize the risks: Identify common and emerging fraud and cyber threats facing NPOs, as well as the warning signs and organizational vulnerabilities that can make an NPO a target.
- Strengthen prevention and detection: Apply practical financial controls and cybersecurity measures - including payment authorization, segregation of duties, access controls, employee and volunteer awareness, and verification procedures - to reduce the risk of fraud and cyber incidents.
- Build organizational resilience: Understand the roles of management, finance professionals, boards, and IT in cyber and fraud risk management, and develop an effective framework for detecting, responding to, and recovering from an incident.
Topic: A Guide to an Audit-Ready Charity Organization
As the charity sector faces heightened scrutiny, is your organization prepared to face an audit from the Charities Directorate?
In this course, Narjis F. Karani, an award-winning CPA with a decade of experience in the NPO sector presents key findings from her analysis of charitable organizations that failed an audit within the last three years by the Charities Directorate and subsequently faced a revocation of their charity registration.
Key Takeaways:
- Awareness of common themes and topics of concern by the Charities Directorate.
- An understanding of the leading compliance issues faced by charities, specifically small and medium sized organizations.
- Practical steps organizations can take to address these gaps within their entities.
This session enables CPAs and leaders in the NPO and charity sector, especially within small, medium and local organizations to strengthen their internal processes and ensure they are prepared for an audit from the Charities Directorate.
Topic: Workforce Crisis in the Nonprofit Sector; Recruitment, Retention, Burnout & the Impact of AI on Nonprofit Workers
Drawing on data from the 2026 CharityVillage Canadian Nonprofit Sector Salary & Benefits Report and insights from her interviews with sector leaders and experts on the CharityVillage Connects podcast, and other recent sector research, Mary Barroll explores the interconnected challenges of recruitment, retention and burnout in Canada’s nonprofit workforce, alongside the growing impact of artificial intelligence. Tailored to Ontario CPAs and finance professionals working within the nonprofit sector, this session connects these workforce challenges to financial sustainability, operational capacity and mission delivery.
The presentation will examine the financial and human costs of workforce instability, from the expense of recruitment and turnover to the loss of institutional knowledge, mounting workloads and burnout among remaining staff. The session will explore how funding constraints and pressure to minimize overhead shape organizations’ ability to offer competitive compensation, support employee well-being and invest in professional development. It will also consider how AI could relieve administrative burdens and expand capacity, while raising questions about changing job roles, skills gaps, job security and the expectations placed on workers. These insights will help CPA members connect workforce decisions to financial sustainability and service delivery, informing budgeting, workforce planning and conversations with leadership, boards and nonprofit clients about the resources needed to sustain both their people and their mission.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand the financial implications of workforce instability. Recognize how recruitment difficulties, turnover and burnout affect budgets, organizational capacity and service delivery.
- Connect workforce investment to long-term sustainability. Understand how funding structures, compensation and employee supports influence retention, and incorporate these considerations into financial planning and advice.
- Assess AI’s implications for nonprofit workers. Explore opportunities to ease workloads and improve productivity, alongside concerns about changing roles, skills development and employee well-being.
Speaker(s)
| HOST | |
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Sheindl Belenky, CPA Sheindl Belenky is Chief Financial Officer at Kayla's Children Centre (KCC), a Vaughan, Ontario nonprofit supporting hundreds of children with disabilities and their families. Since joining KCC in 2019 in the wake of a complex merger and acquisition, she has been instrumental in the organization's growth, reach and financial sustainability, overseeing its business and financial operations and helping shape strategy and execution. Most recently, she played a key role in the acquisition and launch of Camp Lionheart, a partner organization offering children with disabilities and complex needs a fully accessible, all-season recreational facility in Muskoka, Ontario. A CPA with experience across industry and the not-for-profit sector, Sheindl was named a CPA Ontario Emerging Leader in 2023. |
| OPENING KEYNOTE SPEAKER | |
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Dan Clement, President & CEO and Secretary of the Board Dan is President & CEO and Secretary of the Board for United Way Centraide Canada. Dan engages with stakeholders through donor, government, and media relations, engaging in public policy development to drive the United Way Centraide mission forward. Dan has more than 20 years of leadership experience within the United Way Centraide Movement at the local, provincial, and national levels. He brings his expertise to United Way Centraide’s work on community impact and engagement, public policy, product development and network governance. Dan holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Toronto Metropolitan University and an Executive Certification from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management |
| SPEAKERS | |
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Jennifer Lynch is the President and Principal Forensic Accountant and Business Valuator of Lynch & Associates Inc. and a qualified expert witness in forensic accounting and business valuation. She has extensive experience in forensic accounting, fraud investigations, business valuations, financial analysis, and litigation support. Jennifer is an experienced educator and speaker who has taught forensic accounting, fraud prevention, and professional ethics through CPA Ontario and at York University’s Master of Financial Accountability program. She is also co-author of Financial Crimes in Canada: An Overview of Money Laundering and Fraud, published by LexisNexis Canada. |
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Naveen Kumar, CPA, CA is the founder of Xpand CFO, a fractional CFO practice focused on bringing practical AI and automation to finance teams. He brings over 15 years of finance experience spanning audit, internal controls, financial reporting, and grants and contributions, including three years auditing not-for-profit organizations and time spent on a federal government department's AI Innovation Team. Naveen combines his CPA training with hands-on AI implementation work to help finance teams move away from manual, spreadsheet-driven reporting toward faster, audit-ready workflows without sacrificing the controls their boards and funders expect. He's passionate about helping NPO and SME finance professionals build practical AI literacy grounded in real financial judgment, not hype. |
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Dominique Hamel, MSc, CPA, is an Associate Director with the Accounting Standards Board (AcSB), where she works to transform accounting standards to meet society’s evolving needs. In her role, Dominique oversees the AcSB’s Not-for-Profit Advisory Committee. Dominique has over 10 years of experience in the financial services industry, most recently as part of the corporate finance team at Intact Financial Corporation, and serves on the board of directors of not-for-profit organizations |
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Danielle M. MacLeod, CPA, CA, is an Associate Director with the Accounting Standards Board (AcSB), where she supports projects to improve financial reporting by not-for-profit organizations and private enterprises. She works closely with Board members and interested and affected parties to develop high-quality accounting standards and guidance. |
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Narjis F. Karani, with over a decade of experience as an auditor, tax professional & academic, Narjis specializes in a variety of sectors, including SMEs, non-profits, and government. A University of Toronto Top Scholar graduate, Narjis completed her designation at KPMG, where she received KPMG's Impact Award for contributions to her community. Currently, at the Office of the Auditor General of Canada, she served as a mentor to the Auditor General & Deputy Auditor General of Canada through the reverse mentoring program. Narjis is an influential public speaker and captivates through storytelling. She contributes her talents as a panelist, keynote and as an adjunct professor at the UofT. Narjis champions educational empowerment and financial literacy for racialized women and communities through her platform "The Creative Accountant" where she collaborates with non-profits, while serving on the boards of The Canadian-Muslim Vote and The Silk Road Institute. An avid storyteller, painter & multilingual with French language qualifications, Narjis F. Karani proves that you can be a jack of all trades and a master CPA. |
| PANEL MODERATOR | |
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Ninette Bishay, CPA, CA, is an Assurance Partner and Co-Leader of the Charities & Not-for-Profit Service Team at the accounting firm, Adams & Miles LLP, and has been providing assurance, tax and advisory services exclusively to this sector for more than 20 years. Ninette serves as the Treasurer and Chair of the Risk Management, Finance & Audit Committee of Imagine Canada and Treasurer of the CAGP Foundation, among other Board-volunteer positions. |
| PANEL SPEAKERS | |
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Terrance S. Carter, B.A., LL.B, TEP, Trademark Agent – Managing Partner of Carters Professional Corporation, Mr. Carter practices in the area of charity and not-for-profit law, and is counsel to Fasken on charitable and not-for-profit matters. Mr. Carter is a co-author of Corporate and Practice Manual for Charitable and Not-for-Profit Corporations (Thomson Reuters), a co-editor of Charities Legislation & Commentary (LexisNexis), a contributing author to The Management of Nonprofit and Charitable Organizations in Canada, 5th Edition (LexisNexis), co-author of Branding and Copyright for Charities and Non-Profit Organizations, 3rd Edition (LexisNexis). He is recognized as a leading expert by Lexpert, The Best Lawyers in Canada and Chambers and Partners. Mr. Carter is a former member of CRA Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector, and is a Past Chair of the Canadian Bar Association and Ontario Bar Association Charities and Not-for-Profit Law Sections. |
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Bruce MacDonald is the President & CEO of Imagine Canada. When carnivals and social good combined, it pointed to a path and for 30 years Bruce has been walking that route. From working for organizations that provide services to young people, older adults, persons with disabilities, community service clubs and sports and recreation groups, Bruce's experiences have led him to Imagine Canada. Prior to that, he was the CEO of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada where he participated in a collective effort to bring mentoring programs to kids. Bruce holds a Bachelor of Commerce in Sports Administration from Laurentian University, a Masters in Management in the Voluntary Sector from McGill University and a former record in the Guinness Book of World Records. From 2019-2023, Bruce served as Co-Chair of the Permanent Advisory Committee on the Charitable Sector working with the federal government. In 2025, Bruce received the King Charles III Coronation Medal in recognition of his distinguished achievements and leadership. |
| CLOSING KEYNOTE SPEAKER | |
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Mary Barroll, President & General Counsel, Charity Village. Mary Barroll brings a distinctive combination of business leadership, law, media and storytelling to her role as President & General Counsel of CharityVillage, Canada’s leading online career resource for the nonprofit sector. A lawyer, former CBC journalist and independent television producer, Mary has spent her career at the intersection of content, technology and business. Today, she leads CharityVillage’s work to strengthen Canada’s nonprofit workforce and is a sought-after speaker on the changing workplace, talent acquisition, employer branding and employee engagement. Mary also hosts and executive produces CharityVillage Connects, the internationally recognized national podcast bringing together leading experts and changemakers to explore Canada’s nonprofit sector. |
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Disclaimer
The views expressed in the course are non-authoritative and have not been formally endorsed by CPA Ontario and do not reflect the views of CPA Ontario. The information included in the course is for general information purposes only.
CPA Ontario, the presenters and the authors do not accept any responsibility or liability that might occur directly or indirectly as a consequence of the use or application of or reliance on this material.
Testimonials
The information provided was not only current, but organized to be applicable to multiple sectors.