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Debunking Corporate Nonsense

Lead Your Non-Profit with Purpose, Not Just Policy
A four-part live online workshop series for non-profit leaders who want to align governance, meetings, HR, and risk management with the true heart of their mission.

Dates: September–November 2025
Format:
 Live online workshops • Q&A + skill practice • Practical templates & shareables
Pricing: $100 per session • $300 for the full series (includes bonus session)
Group rate: 15% off when 3+ from the same org register

Are your systems helping your mission or holding it back?

Running a non-profit is rewarding, but too often, we’re told to solve our challenges with corporate, top-down systems that don’t fit the realities of community-based work. The result? Wasted time, disengaged boards, and processes that pull us away from the work we’re here to do. This series offers practical, tested alternatives that centre purpose, people, and equity. You’ll leave with tools that strengthen your organization from the inside out without copying models that were never designed for us.

By the end of the series, you’ll have:

  • Practical, values-aligned tools to run your board and meetings with clarity, inclusion, and purpose.

  • Strategies to balance risk with action so your mission moves forward without unnecessary delays.

  • People-centered HR approaches that reflect your values, strengthen culture, and support retention.

  • Methods to integrate equity, inclusion, and decolonization into everyday governance and operations.

  • Shareable resources: articles, infographics, and a presentation recording to align your board and team.

  • Confidence that your systems, processes, and policies truly support your mission.

The Workshop Series

Purpose-Driven Governance: Board Practices that Add Value

Date: Sept 25, 2025

Learn how to align governance with your organization’s mission so board members contribute in ways that truly matter.

You’ll explore:

  • What purpose-driven governance means and how it reshapes board roles.

  • Ways to translate your mission into everyday governance decisions.

  • Steps you can take now to better align purpose and process.

Leave with: An article, infographics, and a session recording.

Robert’s Rules Deconstructed: How to Run Great, Inclusive, Engaging Meetings

Date: Oct 2, 2025

Cut through outdated meeting structures and build gatherings that inspire participation.

You’ll explore:

  • Which parts of Robert’s Rules are worth keeping.

  • How to replace rigid systems with consensus, circles, and other inclusive models.

  • How to make meetings purposeful, productive, and even enjoyable.

Leave with: An article, infographics, and a session recording.

Values-Based Risk Management: Purpose over Property in Sketchy Times

Date: Oct 16, 2025

See risk management not as red tape, but as a tool for purpose-driven decision-making.

You’ll explore:

  • The parts of risk management that matter most in the real world.

  • Balancing caution and service, bureaucracy and action.

  • Harnessing the “hand-wringers” without slowing the doers.

Leave with: An article, infographics, and a session recording.

Purpose-Driven HR: Leading as if People Are People, Not Resources

Date: Nov 6, 2025

Reimagine HR in a way that reflects your values and your people’s humanity.

You’ll explore:

  • How to adapt corporate HR concepts to non-profit realities.

  • Building people-centred structures and cultures.

  • Embracing unionization and engaging HR experts with confidence.

Leave with: An article, infographics, and a session recording.

What I Learned Being Married to a Funder: Insights on Purpose-Driven Revenue Development

Date: Nov 20, 2025 | 1 hour

Candid, practical insights into grant writing and funder relationships from Alison’s unique perspective.

Bonus Session (Full Series Only)

Who Should Attend

  • Executive Directors & senior staff.
  • Board chairs & board members.
  • Program managers and coordinators.
  • Anyone in a non-profit leadership role who wants to align operations with purpose.

How the sessions run

  • Live presentation, Q&A, and skill-building exercises

  • Small reflections and discussions with peers

  • Practical tools you can use the same week

  • Equity, inclusion, and decolonization principles are integrated throughout

Pricing & registration

  • $100 per 3-hour workshop
  • $300 for all four (save 25% and get the bonus 1-hour session)
  • Group discount: 15% off when 3+ register from the same organization

For group discount email me at alison@alisonbrewin.ca.
Refunds up to 7 days before the event (see registration page for details).

About Alison Brewin

Alison has spent decades working with and for non-profits, guiding leaders through governance, HR, and organizational change. Known for her clear thinking, humour, and ability to translate complex issues into practical steps, she brings real-world insight to help organizations thrive without losing sight of why they exist.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will there be a recording?

Yes, participants receive the presentation recording (not the whole discussion) plus materials.

Can I take just one session?
Absolutely. Each workshop stands alone; the full series builds a complete toolkit.
Is this relevant outside BC?
Yes! The approaches are adaptable to different contexts and jurisdictions.
Do you offer group pricing?
Yes! 15% off when 3 or more register from the same organization.
What platform do you use?
Online via Zoom with registration through Eventbrite. You’ll receive a link upon registration.

Bring purpose back to the heart of your non-profit.

Join Alison this fall for practical, inspiring sessions that will help your organization work better, for the people you serve and the people who make it possible.

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