A new publication by the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) designed to help not-for-profit organizations (NPOs) prepare for pandemics is timely with the H1N1 influenza grabbing headlines across the country.

The Not-for-Profit Director Alert, titled "Pandemic Preparation and Response - Questions for Directors to Ask", provides some key questions that directors can ask to help anticipate and respond to risks and crises. The H1N1 influenza is used to illustrate how an organization can identify, assess and plan for a risk and what to do if things escalate into a real crisis.