Historically, membership was an important source of funds for the nonprofit sector. This has declined in the 21st century, in part due to declining participation and in part due to modern corporate statutes such as the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act and Ontario's Not-for-Profit Corporations Act, which conferred increased rights on members; many nonprofits have switched to closed membership structures. This session would examine intersections of fundraising and governance concerns around membership structures, including:
- Unintended consequences of using the term "member" colloquially
- Why fundraisers should have an interest in discussions about membership structures
- Legal benefits of communicating to members over other groups
