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The Side of Your Desk

Every organization has one. The side of the desk list. Update the communications plan. Implement the strategic plan. Develop that new project. Improve board reporting. Find the funding. Create the measurements. Engage the community. All important. None quite urgent enough to get done today. And if your side of the desk list has its own side of the desk list… well, you might have a capacity problem. Small municipalities and nonprofits are particularly good at wearing multiple

Crystal Froese

2 min read

Where are all the Volunteers?

If you're involved with a nonprofit, community association, arts organization, museum, festival, sports club, or charity, you've probably asked the same question: Where have all the volunteers gone? Across Canada, organizations are struggling to recruit board members, committee chairs, event organizers, and long-term volunteers. People still attend events, support causes, and care deeply about their communities, but fewer are willing or able to take on the responsibilities re

Crystal Froese

2 min read

Complacency Could be a Crime

When Trust Turns to Complacency In Dixon, Illinois, what happened didn’t start with $53.7 million. It started with trust. Over 22 years, Rita Crundwell—serving as both comptroller and treasurer—embezzled tens of millions from a city of about 15,500 people. While that money disappeared, the community closed pools, delayed infrastructure, and told itself there simply wasn’t enough to go around. But this isn’t just a story about fraud. It’s a story about complacency. Complacency

Crystal Froese

2 min read

All Talk, No Service

Strong communities don’t just happen — they are built intentionally through engagement. After serving eight years on City Council, four years as a School Board Trustee, and working alongside countless citizen advisory and nonprofit groups, I’ve learned this firsthand: committees, boards, and community conversations are not boxes to check. They are where the real work happens. They are where you hear what isn’t in the report. They are where lived experience sharpens policy and

Crystal Froese

2 min read

A Reality Check on Capacity

Every January, I hear the same thing from community organizations, boards, and executive directors: “We want to do more this year… but we’re already stretched thin.” I get it — because I see it up close. I’ve served on boards, worked alongside small teams, and supported organizations that are doing meaningful work with very limited staff capacity. Often, the expectations placed on these organizations don’t match the people or hours actually available to do the work. And that

Crystal Froese

2 min read