10 tips to keep your board on the straight and narrow
If you're on the board or committee of a community group it's your responsibility to ensure that…
Board member responsibilities
Help sheets
Agony Uncle: Can my club create a board to govern the board?
Dear Agony Uncle, Can a club have a committee and separately have a board of directors to make sure…
Agony Uncle: Can one CEO wear two hats?
Dear Agony Uncle, My organisation is looking at sharing back-end resources with another…
Agony Uncle: Can we insure against director breaches of our constitution?
In this help sheet series, Our Community’s resident agony uncle, Chris Borthwick, offers answers to…
Agony Uncle: What should I do about a conflict of interest?
Dear Agony Uncle, The chair of our not-for-profit aged care organisation is a principal in an…
Members Only
Becoming a better chair
An effective chair will pave the way for effective board meetings, and better board meetings will…
Becoming a more accountable, transparent and consultative board
It is becoming increasingly clear that not-for-profit organisations are not immune from demands for…
Best interests test
The number one duty of any board member is to act in the interests of the organisation he/she is…
Articles
Most small NFPs won’t need director IDs amid reprieve on deadline
Posted on 01 Dec 2022
Most small not-for-profits don’t need to worry about the advent of director IDs, now required by…
Not-for-profits must be bold to navigate covid-19 world: ICDA graduate
Posted on 25 Feb 2022
If there’s one thing that not-for-profits should learn, according to Community Vision CEO Michelle…
Not-for-profit ‘roadmap’ tackles sector’s big issues
Posted on 11 Dec 2019
A landmark study of Australian not-for-profit governance has created the clearest picture yet of an…
Decision less taxing on directors' decisions
Posted on 15 Jan 2018
Community directors can breathe easier following a significant tax ruling brokered by Our…
Why being a perfect chair is for losers
Posted on 14 Sep 2017
A good not-for-profit board chair, if you consult the relevant literature, combines the leadership…
Books
Tools
Appointment of Proxy Form Template
A proxy is an agreed replacement for a voting person. The template form ensures a proxy votes…
CEO annual review template
The board needs to regularly review the performance of their CEO to ensure that they are meeting…
Checklists
Members Only
10 key areas to renew, review and refresh
It's easy to carry on doing the same thing 'because that's the way we do it'. To avoid the pitfalls…
Successful board successon
The process of finding, recruiting, selecting and installing new board members is perhaps the most…
Members Only
Ten myths of conflicts of interest
There are plenty of myths and misnomers which surround the concept of conflict of interest. Here…
Members Only
Ten tips for better board marketing
Some boards tend to be skeptical of marketing, and ignore the potential good marketing presents.…
Advice Guides
Policies
Board Attendance Policy
Regular attendance at Board and committee meetings in essential in order to maintain continuity and…
Delegations Policy
This policy sets out the circumstances under which the Board may delegate its responsibilities.…
Staff Conflict of Interest Policy
All organisations should have a staff conflict of interest policy. This policy should provide a…