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Template - in pdf format

Template in MS Word format

These templates contain the following information in a matrix grid format to customise to suit your specific situation.

You need to consider which elements are:

• Essential v. optional

• Best delivered internally v. by an external trainer or facilitator.

Section 1: General Orientation & Training

• About the Association

  • Mission, Vision, Culture & Values

  • Strategy – The strategic plan

  • Planning - The strategic planning process

  • Objectives & Goals - short, medium and long term; the priorities.

  • Budget and Finance

  • Organizational structure – departments, committees and sub-committees, branches

  • Positioning in the sector v. other associations

  • Community & Members – Categories, penetration of & characteristics e.g. demographics, relationships with external influencers

  • Future trends affecting the sector & industry

  • Equality, diversity and generational synergy

  • Other:

• Roles, responsibilities & accountability of non-profit boards

  • Elected board members do not get involved in the associations day-to-day affairs

  • Governance

  • Legal responsibilities, board member liability and other legislation, regulations and by-laws

  • Policy development

  • Other:

• Committee Information^*1

  • Term of office & title

  • Meeting frequency and attendance expectations

  • Minutes and agendas

  • Time commitments

  • Rules of conduct

  • Relationship with paid staff and other board members – roles and who does what when

  • Task descriptions – specific duties and responsibilities of roles e.g. secretary

  • Board duties

  • Payments and expenses

  • Benefits of being a committee member

  • Key staff contacts

  • Contacting the association

  • Information flow to board members

  • Preparing for board meetings

  • Resources available

  • Skill sets, experience and qualities required and training opportunities

  • Performance review

  • Internal controls

  • Dress code

  • Boundary exercises

  • Removal of board members

  • Other

• Other roles and assignments e.g. Honorary Officers, Special Roles and other volunteers

• Organizational polices and procedures – general & specific

• Resources available e.g. web site orientation, key documents, library researchers, etc  

Section 2: Specific Skill Set Training 

• How boards add value including case studies of effective boards and warning signs of problems ahead

• Preparing for meetings and being a good meeting participant.

• Chairing meetings

• Presentation skills

• Report writing

• Time management – including dealing with interruptions

• Giving and receiving feedback

• Negotiation skills

• Strategic planning

• Priority management

• Managing change

• Listening skills

• Project management

• Team building

• Change management

• Rivalry in the boardroom including handling disagreements & infighting, competing agendas – conflicts of interest and dealing with difficult trustees

• Problem solving

• Decision making

• Financial management - reading accounts, budgeting, fund raising, financial reporting & accountability

• Delegation skills

• Risk management

• Leadership skills

• Resource management

• Evaluating board performance and self assessment – overall and individual members

• Establishing process and systems

• Influencing without authority

• Accepting responsibility

• Articulating goals

• Working with partners and alliances

• Other

Section 3: For the Leaders

• Building relationships between President, CEO & Chair

• Succession planning

• Governance

• Recruitment and selection of board members

• Core competences of board members

• Designing an effective board member induction program

• Board size and composition

• Performance evaluation

Section 4: Other

NB: This  is likely to depend on your mission & constitution priorities e.g. influence v. lobby.

• Media relations and promoting the association

• Advocacy, lobbying skills & parliamentary procedure

• Industry resources

• Working with specific technology

Notes

• ^*1 Section 1.3 on ‘committee information’ is likely to be a separate course for different groups e.g. regional committees, branches committees and standing committees, etc. It would also be useful to support the training with a handbook.

• You may also want to run separate sessions depending on their level of experience. For example, consider the needs of emerging leaders (new/incoming president) v. developing leaders v. advanced leaders.

• In your planning you may want to consider undertaking a Training Needs Analysis (TNA) beforehand to uncover specific skill gaps for each board member.

• Can this template be improved? Please forward your suggestions to sue at sue@suefroggatt.com.

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