Board members and what they do
Governing bodies are known by a variety of names including boards, committees, councils, trusts,…
Board member roles and responsibilities
Clear understanding of roles and responsibilities is essential for a board to function effectively.
When each board member knows their own role and understands the roles of others, it fosters better collaboration, reduces misunderstandings, and strengthens governance.
Imagine a board where every member is confident in their duties, working together seamlessly to drive the organisation forward. This webpage hosts tools and resources to give you and your board that clarity.
Scroll down to access essential help sheets, tools, checklists, policies, books and advice guides designed to enhance your meeting experience.
Top tools and resources
View more
Overview of your board responsibilities
Because all not-for-profit organisations serve different community needs, their boards and the…
How to Chair a Meeting
Knowing how to chair a meeting effectively is a crucial skill for any board chair or committee…
How to be the best secretary
Nobody is perfect, but follow these top 10 tips to go from being just another good secretary to…
Help sheets
CEO remuneration
Issues of how much to pay a community group's CEO or executive director usually arises in one of…
Child safety: The cheat sheet
If you read nothing else about child-safe organisations, read this.
Common characteristics of a dysfunctional board
There are some common issues among boards that are falling apart at the seems. Fortunately, there…
Dealing with difficult board members
Most experienced not-for-profit board members will tell you that one of the most rewarding aspects…
Establishing a fundraising strategy
Although it's undoubtedly hard, fundraising can – and should – be a fun and exciting experience. It…
FAQs about your not-for-profit’s AGM
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way not-for-profits are run, and AGMs will never be the same.…
Fiduciary duty
The number one duty of any board member is to act in the interests of the organisation he/she is…
Financial management and your community group
In a not-for-profit organisation the board or committee of management is ultimately responsible for…
Tools
Appointment of Proxy Form Template
Download our template form to help you document proxies for your board meetings.
Board composition checklist
If your board can no longer provide leadership or fresh ideas, or if money is becoming an issue, it…
Board skills and experience matrix
Welcome to the ICDA Board diversity, experience and skills matrix.
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…
For and against setting up committees
ForCommittees can make better use of board members' time, allowing certain tasks, issues or…
Successful board succession
The process of finding, recruiting, selecting and installing new board members is perhaps the most…
Members Only
Ten ways to write a 'perfect' constitution
Alright, the "perfect" constitution might be a bad case of hyperbole, but if your constitution…
Policies
Staff Conflict of Interest Policy
All organisations should have a staff conflict of interest policy. This policy should provide a…
Board Code of Conduct Policy
Having a board code of conduct in place ensures that your organisation's directors have a set of…