Articles written By Better Boards

Stress Management for Directors

Board directors at NFPs have a lot to contend with. And at times it can feel overwhelming. Many directors serve because of their personal commitment to the NFPs mission. At the same time, they have busy work lives and are juggling work-life balance. Then there are the board challenges: Post Covid many NFPs are under financial pressure. The changing nature of board obligations from what you knew to what you should know The sheer volume of board papers to digest – or lack thereof A lack of clarity about the role of board vs management.

Policies & Procedures that Work

“If you can’t explain it simply enough, you don’t understand it well enough” – Albert Einstein. Organisations struggle to succeed for lots of reasons, a couple of the common themes however are lack of clarity and over complexity. These issues invariably find their way to the documentation of processes and procedures that an organisation produces where the quality of the product is measured on how heavy or clever the document is rather than its usefulness and ease of use.

Strategic Thinking for a New Era

Keen to develop your strategic thinking? Solve the big problems facing your organisation and the work you do in a way that brings everyone along with you? This webinar begins with an idea that strategic thinking is more than a skill…it’s a practice. A practice that needs to be adaptive to the ever expanding ripples of change affecting our ways of working. Reflecting on the personal experiences of the group along with some of the latest, compelling evidence and theory, this session will step through four key steps to building a strategic thinking capability for you, and your organisation in a new era of change.

Audit Readiness

As an entity being audited, if you understand what areas require your detailed consideration and how best to document this consideration, then you are setting up your entity for a smooth and efficient audit. In this session, Elizabeth will discuss: The audit process Areas you need to consider in advance of an audit Common audit mistakes and misconceptions How to ensure an audit will go smoothly and efficiently Pre-audit documentation and much more…

Understanding your NFPs Constitution & Rules

A not-for-profit constitution is fundamental to your organisation’s governance. Its purposes and objectives form the legal base for your organisation to deliver on its ethos, culture, vision, mission and values. In this webinar, we will explore: “why” you need a constitution and “what” it must contain (eg to get tax concessions); how the constitution links to your organisation’s strategy, plans, delegations and policies; how the constitution separates the roles of members, boards and management;

Understanding the Role of the Chair

In this comprehensive and practical session, George will share his personal experience and insights from his time as the chair of several not-for-profit organisations. He will discuss the challenges and successes he has encountered in the chair role, and the valuable lessons he has learned along the way. George will delve into the specific responsibilities and perspective of the chair and also discuss: Motivating volunteer directors to actively participate and get ‘hands on’

Minutes

Minutes are a reference document for board members and others who weren’t present during the meeting that captures key information from the meeting. For certain organisations they are a form of legal document and can also be used as evidence in cases of litigation since they contain facts about the decisions made by board members. Minutes must be brief but still capture key information that will help board members meet their legal requirements.

Board Portal

A board portal, also known as board meeting software or board management software, is a tool built to improve the way your board runs. Board members use a board portal login, provided by the portal, to access a secure area that houses the information that directors or board members need to fulfill thier roles and responsibilities. The aim of implementing a board portal in your organisation is to allow board administrators and directors to perform their governance roles and responsibilities efficiently.

Circular Resolution

Jump to Section What should a circular resolution contain? Can a directors report be approved by circular resolution? Who can circulate circular resolution? Can a director resign via circular resolution? What cannot be approved through circular resolution? Does a resolution have to be signed by all directors? How do you write a Board of Directors Resolution? How many directors are needed to pass a resolution? Can directors pass written resolutions?

Flying Minutes

Flying minutes are a means of capturing a board decision outside of the normal meeting cycle. Flying minutes are another common name for a circular resolution. Just like a circular resolution the flying minute should document a resolution (decision) with wording to signify that those voting on the decision are in favour of the proposed outcome. Before the advent of board portals flying minute resolutions were often circulated via email or by fax.