Good Governance for Aotearoa Not-for-Profits

Opinion Piece: Rose Hiha-Agnew, Chief Executive, Community Governance Aotearoa

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:

  1. Download the Code: Start by downloading the Good Governance Code from our Community Governance Aotearoa website
  2. Share with your board: Distribute the Code to your board members for everyone to become familiar with its principles and guidelines
  3. 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
  4. Evaluate and identify gaps: Use our handy Board Evaluation tools based on the Code to assess your board’s current governance practice.
  5. 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.
  6. 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’.
  7. 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.
  8. 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

Good Governance Code

Good Governance Code Board Evaluation tools

We're here to support the growth of grassroots community organisations in Aotearoa.
Get in touch
Ask a question

Have a question or enquiry? Fill out the form below and a member of the team will be in touch to help.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Email opt-in
Register your interest

Please share some background below about your board, the organisation it serves, and why you believe your board could benefit from the service.

"*" indicates required fields

Your Details

Name*
Email opt-in
Stay in the know
Sign up for news & updates via email
the governance mentoring programme hero

Enter your details below to keep up to date with the latest news and updates from Community Governance.

"*" indicates required fields

Name*
Which topics are you interested in?
Select all that apply.
Gated Content
Good Governance Code
Ask us a question
Enter your details below and we'll be in touch to assist as soon as possible.