Tools You Can Use
Samples Of Foundation Documents
Essential Resources for Board Orientation and Training
- Board
Member Orientation. Published by Aspen Publishers, Inc. 1-800-638-8437.
This publication includes a number of sample forms and documents useful in
every step of the board orientation process. As an added feature, all of the
forms and worksheets in the manual are available on a Macintosh and IBM
compatible diskette.
-
National Center for Nonprofit Boards. Frequently Asked Questions. Go to:
www.ncnb.org.
Sample
Board of Directors Handbook
(Source:
Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS))
ISACS
recommends that any or all of the following items be included in a trustee
handbook for the benefit, training, and enlightenment of board directors:
-
School Mission Statement
-
Brief
History of the School
-
Directories:
Trustee; Faculty; Parent/Student
-
Board
Committees: Structure, Charges, Assignments
-
Calendars:
School Year; Board and Committee Meetings
-
Budget/Audit
-
Endowment
Report
-
Strategic
Plan
-
NAIS
"Principles of Good Practice" (Especially those on Board, Trustees,
Head, Admissions, Hiring, Fund-raising)
-
By-laws
-
Admissions
Catalog & Application Package
-
School
Placement Profile
-
School
Statistics (e.g., Items reported in annual ISACS report)
-
Copy of
NAIS' Trustees Handbook and the ISACS Primer for Trustees
-
Minutes
(from the last year)
-
Board
Policies: Endowment (Investment & Spending Policies); Conflict of Interest;
Contagious Diseases (AIDS); Sexual Harassment; Admissions; Financial Aid;
Staffing & Personnel; Board Resolutions; etc.
-
Handbooks:
Employee & Parent/Student
-
Board
Orientation Procedures and Schedule
---------------------------------
Author:
Patrick F. Bassett, Executive Director, Independent Schools Association of the
Central States.
Sample
Board Member Orientation Outline
Meeting Format
New directors need
to feel like they’re an integral part of the board as soon as possible. If
they don’t feel comfortable voicing their opinions, you’re all losing
valuable input! Information is what will help everybody feel at ease. No matter
how well-qualified your new board members are, it will take some time to get
them up-to-speed and feeling comfortable as members of your team. But there are
steps you can take to hurry this process along. Conduct an orientation session for all new board members.
Have them meet with staff and executive officers. Spend time going over
background material about the organization and bring them up-to-date on the
issues facing the board. Allow plenty of time for questions and answers. Try to
cover these topics in a new board member briefing:
Introduce Everyone
- Elected
Chair
- Executive
Officers
- Committee
Chairs and Members
- Other
Board Members
- Staff
- Guests
and Others
Describe the Organization (Mission!)
- Who
we serve
- What
we do
- Overview
of programs
- Other
Explain and Discuss
- Meeting
attendance requirements--both full board and committee
- Committee
assignments and charges
- Board
role and relation to administrator/staff
- Other
- Conduct
Facilities Tour
- Administrative
offices and board room
Provide Documents Organized in a Manual
- Mission
statement
- Bylaws
- Policy
Manual
- Minutes
of board meetings for the past year
- Annual
Report
- Audit
Report
- Current
Budget
- Current
Financial Report
- Strategic
Plan
- Goals
for the year
- Rosters
board members including addresses and telephone numbers
- List
of Board Officers
- List
of Committee Memberships including Chairs
- Annual
Calendar of Activities and Meetings
- Copies
of the Newsletter for the Year
- Other
Collect Data at the Meeting
- Addresses
- Telephone--home
and office
- Fax
number
- E-mail
address
- Best
time to contact
- Best
time for meetings
- Other
These are ways to
get board members comfortable with board responsibilities and meeting
participation. Not only do the new directors start contributing right way during
the meetings, they also develop a good working relationship with the veteran
board members. Plan this meeting within the first month of the term of office.
Waiting until the first or second quarter will only delay your board’s
effectiveness.
Source:
United Way of Minneapolis Area
The Management Assistance Program for Nonprofits
2233 University Avenue West, Suite 360
St. Paul, Minnesota 55114
(612) 647-1216
and Carter McNamara, PhD
Parliamentary
Procedure Overview
(Source:
Board Member Orientation, Aspen Publishers, Inc.)
Use this as a quick reference tool when you need to refresh your
parliamentary procedure knowledge.
|
To do this:
|
Say this:
|
Interrupt speaker?
|
Second required?
|
Is motion debatable?
|
Is motion amendable?
|
What vote is required?
|
|
Adjourn meeting
before business
is completed
|
“I move
that we adjourn.”
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Majority
|
|
Recess the meeting
|
“I move that
we recess until”
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
Yes
|
majority
|
|
Suspend further
consideration of an issue
|
“I move we
table it.”
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
majority
|
|
End debate
|
“I move the
previous
question.”
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Two-thirds
|
|
Study an issue
further
|
“I move we
refer this matter
to a committee.”
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Majority
|
|
Introduce business
(primary motion)
|
“I move that”
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Majority
|
|
Amend a motion
|
“I move that
this motion be amended by”
|
No
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Yes
|
Majority
|
|
Object to procedure
or a personal affront
|
“Point of order.”
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
No
|
No vote,
chair decides
|
|
Take
up a previously tabled matter
|
“I move we take from the table”
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Majority
|
|
Consider an
issue out of its
scheduled order
|
“I move we
suspend the rules
and consider”
|
No
|
Yes
|
No
|
No
|
Two-thirds
|
|
