1. Board Roles & Responsibilities
Volunteer Benevoles Yukon
Board Governance Workshop
Volunteer Trainer: Sue Meikle
November 21, 2018

2. Goals for this Workshop
To gain an understanding of your roles &
responsibilities as a Board Member, and your
relationship with staff.
To leave this workshop with various tools
to help your Board fulfill your roles & responsibilities in your organization.

3. WHICH HOUSE (Organization) ARE YOU NOW?
The house in which you are constantly putting out fires?
The house that looks “sweet” on the outside but is salty on the inside?
The house too scary to want to deal with the inside?

4. The house in which you feel you are constantly treading water or sinking?
The house on such shaky ground that any disturbance renders it unstable?
The house in which you didn’t plan for potential rainy days ahead?

5. Or….. The house resting on a solid foundation,
leaving you ready to pass the keys on, at
any time with confidence and pride?

6. What is Governance?
Latin: “to steer, guide or direct” “The way in which power is assumed, conveyed and exercised within an organization.”

7. What Gives Your Board the Authority to Govern?
Your “authority to govern” rests in:
Acts/Regulations:
Yukon Societies Act/Regulations
Yukon Recreation Act/Regulations
Yukon Registered Nurses Act/Regulation
Others
Constitution & Bylaws:
Constitution: Where and What (mandate)
Bylaws: How

8. The Role of the Board membership and is accountable for the
A Board of Directors acts on behalf of its
membership and is accountable for the
effective functioning of the organization
as it relates to its Mandate (Acts).
The Board is where ALL authority
resides until some is delegated
to staff through policies/guidelines
of the Board.

9. The Board’s Obligations
Fiduciary Responsibility
Stewardship
Honesty and Good Faith
Care, Diligence & Skill
Fairness
Conflict of Interest

10. What is Fiduciary Duty? A fiduciary duty is an obligation to act in the best interest of another party. For instance, a board member has a fiduciary duty to the membership.

11. To Whom are you Accountable?
YG Corporate Affairs (Societies Act)
Membership
Public (under Societies Act/RN Act)
Canada Revenue Agency
WCB
Funders
Sponsors
Clients
Each other!

12. 10 Basic Responsibilities
Determine Mission & Purpose
Determine Governance Structure
Select the Executive Director
Support the Staff and review performance
Ensure effective organizational planning
Ensure adequate resources
Manage resources effectively
Enhance public image
Provide clear policies
Regularly assess its own performance

13. What Doesn’t Work = Stressors on Boards
Outward and direct criticism vs. constructive help
Withholding information from each other
Interrupting others who are speaking in meetings
Having personal agendas beyond the vision & goals of the organization
Conflict of Interest not understood by a member
Being resistant to change (“We always did it this way….”)
Making assumptions before getting the facts
There is no trust = suspicion

14. What the Board needs from Staff:
Meet the strategic goals of the Board using the resources allocated by the Board
Professionally manage the day-to-day operations and resources of the operation
Follow the policies established by the Board
Provide professional and objective information, evaluations
and recommendations to the Board
Provide regular progress reports to the Board
Inform the Board of any emerging issues asap
Support the Board in its strategic initiatives
Present a professional and positive image of the Organization

15. What Staff needs from the Board:
Establish clear and effective policies that govern the
Organization’s activities and provide realistic
expectations to the staff
Refrain from “micro-managing”
Work as a Team, together with Staff
Not bypass the E.D. to provide direction to his/her staff
Keep the Staff informed of the Board’s thinking
Hold the Staff accountable under a clearly written
set of expectations (ie. Job Des./Strat Plan/Work Plan)
Provide support to staff as may be required to meet the
Board’s goals and objectives
Provide a regular evaluation of Staff performance

16. Tools: Annual Board Orientation
(Board Manual, Organization-at-a-Glance)
Expectations of Directors document
Conflict of Interest document
Board Member Self Assessment
Not for Profit – Governance Matrix Tool
Not for Profit Organization Assessment Tool
Code of Conduct/Confidentiality document
THANK YOU!