A reflection on not-for-profit governance
I enjoy hearing from our community, and get many calls about all the tricky things that go on within our boards.
Board work can become difficult, and this is totally understandable when working with many different and wonderful individuals. Of course you’re going to come across challenging behaviours and be tested, but that’s what’s so great about serving on boards – it’s never boring!
I often think most bad decision making or actions stem from three core drivers – ego, power and money (if not all three)! When things go bad it often stems from one or two of these particular areas as to what’s behind it all.
A good way to tackle challenges is by having a set of practices and principles that de-personalise the issues we face, shifting our attention to what’s best for our kaupapa.
What good governance looks like for our sector
The Good Governance Code was developed by our community over 6 months who collaboratively developed our Code on what good governance looks like for not-for-profits in Aotearoa.
Good and effective governance is the backbone to any successful not-for-profit. As board members our role is to help progress the kaupapa of the not-for-profit we serve and ensure our not-for-profit is operating effectively, transparently, and in the best interest of its members and the community.
When thinking about good governance practice it’s helpful to move from the often abstract to the practical, which is what our Good Governance Code does in it’s six pou/principles.
Some helpful steps for putting the Code into practice:
- Download the Code: Start by downloading the Good Governance Code from our Community Governance Aotearoa website
- Share with your board: Distribute the Code to your board members for everyone to become familiar with its principles and guidelines
- Get feedback: Encourage board members to provide feedback on the Code (and each principle), and discuss how it can be applied to your specific context
- Evaluate and identify gaps: Use our handy Board Evaluation tools based on the Code to assess your board’s current governance practice.
- Focus on the kaupapa: Emphasise the importance of your kaupapa (purpose) and how the Code can help de-personalise discussions, focusing instead on good governance practices and outcomes.
- Proactively use the Code: When faced with governance challenges, refer to the Code for guidance on best practices and actions you can take around ‘what good looks like’.
- Implement principles in meetings: Incorporate each principle of the Code into your board meetings and evaluations, the principles are there to actively guide your governance practices.
- Utilise resources: Make use of the resources available on the Community Governance Aotearoa website and other documents to support your implementation of the Code.
We also have our free Board Evaluation tool based on the Code, a tool to help you monitor your current practice.
The importance of good governance
Tough times can lead to stress and challenging behaviours on our boards, making it essential to adopt good governance practices. By making ourselves accountable to good governance and using the Code’s principles, not-for-profits can build trust, make informed decisions, and achieve their goals.
Our resources