ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Managing your Board- Community Leadership & Governance Leadership that’s Right for You

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT What’s a Governing Body? group of people that guides A leadership or governing body is a group of people that guides your organization, plays a role in decision-making, and represent and promote your work in the public.

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Why Have A Governing Body? To include multiple perspectives and ideas when doing your work To balance and make sure that no one person’s ambitions or intentions, well-meaning or not, are directing the work To have a body of volunteers to support the work you do To have a team that promotes the work and looks for resources

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT To support decision making and thinking about the long-term To keep the work accountable to community, partners, funders and other stakeholders To offer skills and connections that are lacking on the staff team

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT The Importance Governing Bodies Community work benefits from having structures that: –Provide oversight and insight, –Ensure that the work is representative of and serving the community, –Steer to meet the expectations and requirements of other stakeholders.

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Who do you want on your governing body? People who are passionate, committed, and care about your work These people will support your work and be your champions in the community and the public!

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT People who have the skills and expertise to help get the work done i.What do you want from your governing body? ii. What do you want them to contribute to your work? iii.What qualities and experience can/do/should you seek out in potential members? iv.What are the particular challenges that are facing your community?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Does your governing body need a Chair: a leader that drives the team forward?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT A Chair can be the most important factor in how your governing body functions Professional Qualities Have skills and expertise in particular fields that support our work.... Have experience serving on NPO boards or community committees What other professional qualities would be beneficial for your work? Personal Qualities Strong commitment to work and community.... Empathy for directors.... Effective communicator What other personal qualities would be beneficial for your work?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT How will you communicate your people needs and goals to potential governing body members? “Job” descriptions Governing body guiding documents, like board by- laws, policy and procedure, code of conduct….. Organizational documents, like a statement of values and principles, human resources policy and procedures, existing strategic plans….

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Shared Understanding of Purpose and Roles

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Before Before you can create a shared understanding of purpose and roles, you have to determine what they are. Think about the following: 1.What are you trying to achieve with your work in community? 2.What resources and capacity do you currently have to do the work?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Also Think about the following: 1.What kinds of decisions will the governing body make? What decisions will they delegate (to staff, committees, volunteers....)? 2.What are the governing body’s responsibilities and limits in regards to doing the work in community? 3.How will the staff and the governing body communicate? What will the reporting relationship be?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Key Factors in Defining Purpose and Roles Your work culture: how do you do your work? What are the principles and values that guide it? Your community: how involved is your community in the work? In decision-making? What roles do you want them to play? Your Group Structure : are you unincorporated, incorporated, charitable, collective or cooperative, or a variation on these?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT The Culture of Your Work “Organizational culture is the behavior of humans within an organization and the meaning that people attach to those behaviors. Culture includes the organization's vision, values, norms, assumptions, beliefs, and habits etc It is the pattern of collective values, practices and policies Organizational culture affects the way people and groups interact with each other, with clients, and with stakeholders.”

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Let’s Break that Down: Purpose, beliefs and values of your work How the team behaves and feels about the work How the team interacts with the community

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Identifying the culture of your Organization: Think about the beliefs and values that drive individuals to do the work Think about the beliefs and values that drive your community to connect with the work Think about your ideal work environment Think about how decisions can be made

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Your Community Interactions  How you want your community and the group to interact ? -What role will the community play in making decisions? -Will your governing body be accessible to community members?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Community and Organizational Expectations -Do you expect community (in particular adults) to play a leadership role in the work? -Does the community expect you to seek their input for certain decisions? -Do you expect your community to commit resources (time, money, in-kind donations) to your work? -Does the community expect you to be a institutional leader and voice?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Potential Challenges The community may not support your work if it challenges accepted norms or the status quo -For example: if you’re talking about sexual health in a community that does not openly discuss sex; OR -supporting LGBTQ youth in a community that generally does not understand differences in sexual orientation

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Please Remember:  Conflict and tension are not always a bad thing; sometimes they push us to think more critically about the decisions we make and the work we do.  But conflict and tension have to come along with respect, openness and healthy dialogue.

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Most governing bodies start informal and become formal later Numerous models exist and many models do not have clear definitions Always growing and changing; aspire to a model but accept likelihood of hybrid and evolution Outline expectations, roles, requirements.... The Structuring the Community Group

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Legal Structures and Implications Unincorporated A project or group that hasn’t incorporated There are no legal requirement for this type of work Incorporated Has incorporated; has identification number and letters patent or constitution Must have a board of directors with at least 3 people on it Charity Has become a charity; has charitable number and charitable objects Must have a board of directors with at least 3 people on it

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT There are other options as well, depending on your business and the kind of work you do: You can create any of the following governing and accountability bodies:  - Incorporate as a for-profit  -Register as a business  - A cooperative model or  -Social enterprises/entrepreneurs

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT If you have a board of directors ? You will need: Specific legal guidelines around the responsibilities and accountability of a board A number of different models of boards that can help you determine how you want your board to work Key factors in defining the purpose and role of the board. Legal guidelines, The model of the board, The size and scope of the organization

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT The following elements are outlined in your Constitution, Letters Patent, By-Laws: Size and composition of body Size and composition of body Length of tenure Length of tenure Quorum and voting procedures Quorum and voting procedures Other unique characteristics Other unique characteristics Roles and Responsibilities Roles and Responsibilities

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Unincorporated Work 1.Almost all projects and groups will start off unincorporated 2.Many will stay this way for the duration of their work!  This means there are no legal restrictions guiding the way your governing body works. BUT....this can lead to challenges

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Unincorporated Bodies Unincorporated governing bodies go by many names:  - Steering Team/Committee  -Advisory Team/Committee  -Councils ....etc.....

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Even when unincorporated, it’s important for your governing body to: Understand your goals and purpose Understand the expectations around participation and behaviour Have a decision making process Understand and respect the work you do  Write everything down and share it with every new member

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Tasks Governing bodies make decisions, provide guidance and champion your work.  If your group is small or new, the governing body may also be doing the work itself.

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Delegating Tasks: Working Groups Delegating can be tough, particularly when you’re working with a volunteers who are managing multiple priorities.  Creating committees or working groups that each take on a specific set of tasks

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Delegating Tasks: Working Groups Some examples: Fundraising Committee, Social Media Action Group, Human Resources Committee … Boards/Steering Teams must have: Executive Committee: made up of chair, vice chair, secretary, treasurer, and executive director Finance Committee: Treasurer, any finance staff

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Working Groups: Composition Sub-groups don’t have to be all members of your governing body. Consider the following: Sub-groups should have at least 1 member of your governing body Sub-groups can include staff person or regular volunteer Sub-groups can include a community member or participant Sub-groups can include an expert

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Working Group Interactions relationships interactions Think about the relationships and interactions Between the Working Groups and the Governing Body … Governing Body WG 1WG 2WG 3WG 4 Like spokes in a wheel: report back Working Groups report back to the Governing Body

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Governing Body WG1WG2WG3 Lead Like a hierarchy: Working Groups report back to the Lead- who can be staff or the chairperson The Lead then shares updates at board meetings Step1: Select a reporting structure Step2:Agree on a decision making process Step3: Ensure that people making informed decisions about the work Working Group Interactions

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Quiz: What did you learn ? 1.Why is it beneficial to have a ‘governing body’? 2.What are key components of a governing body? 3.What are factors that can define the purpose and role of your governing body? 4.What different legal structures can your group apply for? 5.When do you need to have a board of directors?

ENDING YOUTH POVERTY THROUGH EMPOWERMENT Do you have questions, concerns, comments? Contact the CORE team at or follow us on twitter