Planning your governance
As well as a legal organisational structure, your organisation may need a formal governing body or managerial structure. The legal structure you choose may affect your options. Appointing a committee may involve elections.
A board or a committee?
Your organisation may need to appoint a board of directors or elect a committee. Outcomes from this stage could include a proposed board or committee structure, a list of skills required and a set of job descriptions.
Finding and retaining trustees
Who will fill the positions on your new board or committee? How will you hold on to skilled trustees? Ideally, they will be a group of skilled, motivated trustees who have time to devote to your organisation. Outcomes from this stage could include newspaper advertisements, verbal offers of trustee positions, and networking to find interested parties.
An annual plan
How will your board or committee’s time be spent efficiently? What decisions will need to be made at the top level? An annual plan should lay out a clear path towards achieving your organisation’s strategic goals. Outcomes from this stage should ideally include a written annual plan in the context of a longer-term strategic plan.
Useful links and documents
- Community Net Aotearoa’s directory of community governance resources
- Example agenda for board meetings
- Example Executive Director Limitations Policy
- Example trustee job description
- Boardworks International