Free Tools & Templates

Everything Your Board Needs to Govern Well

Built from decades of experience working with boards across Canada. Take them, use them, make your board better — whether we work together or not.

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⭐ Featured Resource

The tool that changes how boards meet

Guru’s Rules is a deceptively simple one-pager that hundreds of boards across Canada have adopted to transform their meeting culture. Better meetings mean better decisions, more engaged members, and a board that actually functions as a team.

Watch the short video to see how it works — then download it and use it at your next meeting.

An Introduction to Guru’s Rules
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Meeting Tools
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Word
Board Meeting Agenda Template
A consistent, well-structured agenda keeps meetings focused and productive. Covers consent agenda, reports, decisions, and next steps.
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Word
Board Meeting Minutes Template
Good minutes protect your board legally and keep everyone accountable. Captures decisions, motions, votes, and action items.
Excel
Matters Arising Task List
Keeps every post-meeting task visible, assigned, and followed through. The gap between decisions and action is where boards lose momentum.
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Board Development
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Excel
Board Skills Matrix
Map current skills, identify critical gaps, and make smarter recruitment decisions. You can’t build a strong board if you don’t know what you have.
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PDF
Board Member Onboarding Guide
Everything a new board member needs to hit the ground running — governance basics, responsibilities, and a 90-day plan.
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Excel
Board Evaluation Template
A structured self-evaluation that helps your board have an honest conversation about what’s working and what needs to change.
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Strategy & Planning
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Excel
Board Workplan Template
A board without a workplan is a board that drifts. Map what your board needs to accomplish this year so every meeting has purpose.
🤝
ED & Leadership
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PDF
Task Delegation Tool
For Executive Directors who feel like they’re doing everything. Figure out what to keep, what to hand off, and what to stop doing.
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Word
ED Performance Review Template
A full annual review process — not just a form. Structured, fair, and focused on growth. Covers five performance domains and goals for the year ahead.
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Cheat Sheets
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PDF
Financial & Risk Cheat Sheet
Helps every board member ask the right questions and spot warning signs. You don’t need to be an accountant — you need to know what to look for.
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PDF
Governance Cheat Sheet
Core governance principles on one page — roles, accountability, decision-making, and the boundaries that make a board effective.
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PDF
Board Chair Cheat Sheet
Running meetings, managing dynamics, working with the ED, and setting the tone. Everything a chair needs on one page.
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PDF
New Board Member Cheat Sheet
Your first 90 days — what to read, what to ask, what not to do, and how to start contributing from day one.
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