What Makes a Community Health Centre Successful?
Lessons for Canadian Community Health Centres (CHCs) on Value, Structure, and Measurement.
What 12 Years in Uganda Taught Me About Local Knowledge, Donor Accountability, and True Impact
Twelve years ago, I first went to Uganda, full of energy—and full of assumptions. I thought I knew the “right” way to solve problems. I came from a place where systems were more advanced, resources more abundant, and I believed that my experience gave me the answers.
Over time, I realized how wrong I was—and how much I needed to relearn everything about development, leadership, and impact.
Mission Matters. But So Does Management: Why Non-Profits Must Run Like Businesses Without Losing Their Values
In this article, I discuss the importance of running values-based non-profits like businesses. I share the challenges that many organizations meet, and some strategies for overcoming the challenges.
The Avoidable Conflict at the Intersection of Project Management & Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
In this article, I’ll share some field-tested strategies to navigate this intersection and get everyone aligned from day one, so your project has a real chance of succeeding without confusion, finger-pointing, or overburdened reporting.
“The Pitt” and the patient: Reflections on Empathy and Health Systems
I may be late to the proverbial “party” on this one (as usual), but I recently watched The Pitt, (a show set over one 15-hour hospital shift in a hospital’s ER in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania), and given my work history in healthcare, some of the themes really hit home. I’ve never worked in a hospital, but I was struck by how the show pulls the viewer into every small moment, every decision, every bit of exhaustion and empathy that defines a day in healthcare.
Using Systems Thinking to Bridge the Gap between Family Medicine & Allied Healthcare
One of the challenges with our Canadian healthcare system is how disjointed it can be at certain points in a patient’s care journey. Within the hospital system, roles exist to examine and resolve these handoff points, but one area I’ve grappled with throughout my career as a leader of health centres is the disconnection between Family Practice and allied health practitioners.
Volunteer Engagement isn’t “free” - but it’s Essential.
A few years ago, someone I know started a small weekly non-profit event. She was passionate about it, but she was also struggling with the realities of not only keeping it going but growing it.
I helped her a few times with day-of logistics, organization, and promotion. We were the only “staff.” She did most of the pre-work, and I could tell she was overwhelmed — and hesitant, because she wasn’t sure how to use me without creating more work for herself or wasting my time.
AI Is Here (and it’s not going away!): How Canadian Non-Profit Leaders Can Use It—Safely and Strategically
That happened fast, didn’t it? Artificial Intelligence isn’t coming—it’s already here.
For Canadian non-profits, it’s easy to assume AI is for big tech companies or heavily funded start-ups. But in today’s economy, where demand for services is growing, and resources are becoming harder to secure, looking for ways to integrate AI in an intentional and ethical way makes sense for Executive Directors and Boards of Directors.
Is a “good” organizational culture the answer to everything in the workplace?
This question has been on my mind lately as I’ve been writing articles and pondering a variety of work-related topics. And it seems that at the end of the day, having a “good” workplace culture seems to be either the foundation - or at the very least - a substantial factor contributing to success in a key areas for an organization. For example: achieving fund development goals for a non-profit, feeling safe to admit mistakes and learn from a poor program evaluation, hiring decisions, retention of staff, and ultimately achieving overall strategic goals.
But what exactly is a “good” culture?
Diversifying Revenue for Non-Profits in Today’s Economy: Why It Matters More Than Ever
In today’s uncertain economy—where government funding is tightening and competition for grants is intensifying—non-profits are under growing pressure to think beyond traditional sources of funding. For many, grants have become the default (and often only) source of revenue.
Grants, while necessary, rarely provide the kind of long-term financial resilience that non-profits need to thrive.
Is Your Clinic Ready for AI?
Practical Tips/Reminders for Canadian health Clinic Owners to support data protection and privacy for their clients.
Navigating the Rise of Corporate Care: Support for Independent Veterinarians and Health Practitioners
The Canadian healthcare landscape—both human and animal—is changing.
Veterinary medicine and many human allied health services in Canada traditionally had something in common: they were independently owned and operated by the professionals who provided the care. These practices weren’t just businesses—they were cornerstones of their communities. Personalized, relationship-based, and practitioner-led.
But in recent years, we’ve seen a growing trend toward corporatization. From urban veterinary hospitals to physiotherapy clinics to multi-disciplinary health centres, large investor-backed groups are consolidating the market.
Is Bigger Really Better?
It seems these days that everywhere we look, things seem to be getting bigger—bigger brands, bigger businesses, bigger mergers. From grocery stores to healthcare, the trend toward consolidation is accelerating. We’re being lulled into a familiar narrative: bigger is better. More efficient. More secure. More successful.
But is it really?