Can Nonprofit Board Members Be Sued for Defamation?

Yes. A nonprofit director can be personally sued for defamatory statements even when speaking about the organization's business. Acting as a director does not create a general immunity from liability for the director's own tortious conduct. A 2026 Alberta Court of King's Bench decision, Maiani v C-Jazz, illustrates the point. Two directors were held liable for statements to the media about a former executive director. The court awarded $50,000 in general damages and an additional $50,000 in costs because of litigation conduct. Describing the result as a $100,000 defamation damages award would therefore be inaccurate: half of that amount was costs. Patrick Maiani had served as executive director of the Calgary Jazz Association.