Articles written By Better Boards

Background Checking - Know Your People

Accurate background screening is an essential component of the employee and volunteer recruitment process. Unfortunately, the traditional process for obtaining criminal history checks has proven to be time-consuming. Too often, the delay leads to the loss of a potential new staff member or volunteer and, in some cases, a decision to overlook the checking process in favour of a speed appointment, which can lead to problems at a later time.

Digital Security Awareness for Directors

As digital technology has become more enmeshed in the day to day of our existence our own personal security and privacy in the digital space has become an increasingly important aspect of our lives that requires education, consideration and planning. As a board member, director or executive of a Not-For-Profit (NFP) organisation, our own understanding of and attitude toward online security and privacy, as well as the way we conduct our online lives will impact the security of our organisation’s information and data.

Board Evaluation Webinar

Annual board self-evaluations have long been considered a best practice, with the idea that measuring board performance leads to continuous improvement in governance. A disconnect today according to our research exists between what we want board evaluations to achieve, and what they actually do. Join Henri for this session to explore the reasons why board evaluations often fail to actually improve board performance, and discuss issues such as: Common flaws in board evaluation requirements issued by regulators Why fixing the process isn’t as simple as finding a better questionnaire How most board evaluation processes impede change Henri will provide simple strategies and tools that can help evolve your board’s evaluation process from a “check the box” exercise, to an engine for creating continuous improvement.

Strategically Assessing Your Organisation's Position, Direction & Destiny

This webinar is focused on presenting and describing a range of powerful and practical processes and tools that can used by your board, chief executive officer or senior managers/executives to strategically assess your organisation’s current and future industry position, strategic direction and proposed destiny. The processes and tools are able to be applied in a variety of strategic undertakings such as: strategic organisational transformation projects strategic review and planing projects strategic business development projects business/financial turnaround projects merger and amalgamation projects

Your Guide to More Effective Board Meetings

Most people know that meetings of any kind can be unproductive, and unfortunately board meetings are no exception. In many cases, board meetings are even more unproductive than everyday office meetings. Why? We can point to any number of reasons: personality clashes between board members, high-stress topics, and organisational or community politics can cause no end of problems. But most unproductive board meetings (and board problems in general) are actually caused by structural choices or assumptions.

Funding and Donations are Constrained. Investment is not. Be Ready.

Social impact investment delivers blended social and financial returns. It is international, based on robust impact measurement and provides for increased impact. The development of investment-ready opportunities for sophisticated investors is critical to growth in the social purpose sector. Understand and develop the fundamentals and opportunities for your organisation. In this webinar you will learn about: Impact investment Fundamentals of a successful model How to develop investment-ready opportunities Approaching suitable investors

Aged Care Legal Risk Unlocked

Victor Harcourt will discuss the key standard directly affecting Governance, Compliance and legal risk in residential aged care; the potential impact of the new standards on your framework; and what you need to do to meet the challenges of the new standards. Victor will also discuss some of the key compliance challenges facing aged care and retirement living services more generally. In this webinar you will learn about: How the new standard may impact your organisation.

Meeting Minutes, An Essential Guide for Directors

Important decisions are made all the time in the boardroom and accurate meeting minutes are crucial as a record of those decisions and discussions. Taking minutes, though, can seem like a time-consuming chore. But, as high profile legal cases have shown, minutes are increasingly being used as a way to determine whether directors are properly performing their duties and responsibilities. How to take good minutes Lawyer Brian Herd summarises minutes as “a true and accurate record of the meeting”, which must contain “clear and concise notes of main discussion points, be accurate and a clear register of decisions”.

Running Effective Board Meetings

The fundamental reason boards exist is to undertake strategic discussion and decision making. However if the basics of your meetings are not quite right or have not been fine-tuned then the board cannot perform this critical role. Which in turn means you cannot expect the outcomes from board discussions and decisions to contribute to a positive future for your organisation. Effective, well run board meetings are a critical part of ensuring your board and organisation are positioned for success both today and in the future.

What Boards and CEOs Need to Know About the Future of Philanthropy and Fundraising

Boards and CEOs fill unique roles in sustaining their organisations. Where do activities like fundraising and philanthropy sit within that and what are the future trends and big issues? This webinar draws upon data about all types of giving and about how boards and CEOs can foster fundraising success. It sets out some of the topics that are worth consideration around the board table as key strategic discussions. In this webinar you will learn about: