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
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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
How to step away from managing everything and step up to governing
It may seem counterintuitive, but many community leaders wanting to get more done need to start…
Knowing when your group's finances may be ailing
It is your job as a board member to ensure that the organisation your board is overseeing remains…
Making your exit
People finish board service for any number of reasons but most of them fall into one of two…
Navigating the key documents
Some board-related documents may be rather foreign for first-time board members. This help sheet…
Networking and mentoring: How it can help you in your board role
Mentoring is the process whereby a more knowledgeable or experienced person acts as a role model,…
Office bearers: job description templates
Office bearers are a crucial part of effective governance for community organisations. Good office…
Overview of your board responsibilities
Because all not-for-profit organisations serve different community needs, their boards and the…
Overview of your financial obligations
When you join a board you accept the obligation to look after your organisation's finances. In some…
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…