The Board/Staff Partnership - a Close Look Organization Board Directors Governance Leadership Responsibilities

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The Board/Staff Partnership - a Close Look Organization Board Directors Governance Leadership Responsibilities YWCA USA Resource Library The Board/Staff Partnership - a Close Look Organization Board Directors Governance Leadership Responsibilities Roles Strategy Organization Executive Staff Management Leadership Responsibilities Roles Strategy Who Does What?.............................................................................................................................. 2 Chart Outlining the Division of Roles between Board and CEO/Executive Director.. 3 Board, Committee, and Staff Roles in Financial Management and Oversight….…... 5 The YWCA Board Staff Partnership-A Close Look 1 This document is part of the YWCA USA Online Resource Library. Find more resources on the intranet at www.ywca.org. Who Does What? The Board Authorized by the state and the organization’s supporters, the Board governs (guides, steers) the organization. Establishes mission and direction, ensures that the necessary resources are available, and develops guiding principles. Retains ultimate responsibility and power. Is accountable to the public trust and to the organization’s constituencies. The Chief Executive Authorized by the Board, the chief executive manages the daily affairs of the organization. Supports the Board with strategic information, ideas, and connections. Manages the affairs of the organization by ensuring appropriate planning, coordination, and implementation of the program established by the Board to support the mission. Retains immediate, or operational, responsibility and power. The Partnership Organizational health depends on an effective partnership between the Board and chief executive. Requires regular and open communication between the Requirements for an Board chair and chief executive. Effective Partnership Requires willingness on everyone’s part to examine assumptions. Benefits from regular and systematic feedback and assessment. Clarity of roles May need redefinition as the organization grows in size and complexity. Division of responsibilities The Board Chair's Role in Supporting the CEO Attention to working relationships 1. Communicates openly and fairly with the Chief Executive Officer (CEO)/Executive Director (ED). 2. Serves as a liaison between the Board and CEO/ED. 3. Takes the lead in and encourages the Board to support and evaluate the CEO/ED. 4. Discusses issues confronting the organization with the CEO/ED. 5. Reviews with the CEO/ED any issues of concern to the Board. The YWCA Board Staff Partnership-A Close Look 2 Role Designations of the Board and Chief Executive for Major Functions (Adapted from “Building and Managing An Effective Board of Directors, Center for Nonprofit Mgmt) This chart describes the fiduciary, strategic and generative roles and responsibilities of the Board and the CEO/Executive Director. Responsibility Board Of Directors CEO/Executive Director Legal Exercises fiduciary role to ensure that Must provide information to the board to the organization is properly managed. demonstrate that the organization is well The board should have a mechanism to managed. validate information from the Compiles information for annual filing CEO/Executive Director. requirements. Maintains legal status; ensures the Signals to the board if any situations are likely proper paperwork is submitted to to occur/have occurred that jeopardize the legal governmental agencies. status of the organization. Reviews financial and business dealings and exercises proper judgment in self-dealing transactions -- avoidance of conflicts of interest. Finance and Approves annual budget and long range Prepares annual budget and long range Accounting financial forecast financial forecast with input from CFO and Reviews periodic financial reports finance committee (balance sheet, income statement, Oversees preparation of periodic financial changes in financial position). reports. Ensures that proper internal controls Implements proper financial controls. are in place. Planning Establishes mission, vision and overall Participates in establishing mission and program direction for the organization. program direction for the organization. Reviews strategic plan progress. Contributes to vision of the organization; and Assesses compliance/progress in assists the board in maintaining focus and achieving program/service outcomes. momentum for the organization Assesses program evaluation plan. Develops specific program goals and objectives based on mission. Develops reports or oversees staff development of reports to demonstrate program progress. Policy Develop and adopt written board level Identifies need for new policies policies. Responsible for assuring the implementation of Responsible for reviewing board level policies and for assisting the board in policies periodically analyzing policy options Contracts Approves and monitors those contracts Administers contracts approved by the board. under the purview of the board. Approves and monitors all other contracts The YWCA Board Staff Partnership-A Close Look 3 Responsibility Board Of Directors CEO/Executive Director Personnel Sets and reviews over-arching Implements board level personnel policies. personnel policies. Develops and implements all other personnel Hires CEO/CEO/Executive Director policies. and evaluates his/her performance. Recommends changes in personnel policies to (Executive Committee conducts the board. performance review. Hires all personnel and evaluates performance of staff members (or delegates to appropriate supervisor). Board Establishes and communicates clear Facilitates training and information exchange Accountability expectations of Board directorship. for members in preparation for selection of Assures effective participation of Board directors. Board directors. Facilitates effective communication among Conducts annual board self review Board directors. process. Decision-making Defines and communicates the role of Makes all decisions except those explicitly Board and CEO/Executive Director in reserved to the board. agency decision-making. Assures appropriate involvement of board directors in organizational decision-making. Community Promotes the organization to various Interprets the mission of the organization to the Relations publics. community through direct involvement, public Promotes cooperative action with other relations programs, including personal contact, organizations in alignment with the descriptive program literature, and work with mission, vision and overall program the media; works closely with the board for an direction of the agency. effective division of labor. Add Others Here The YWCA Board Staff Partnership-A Close Look 4 Role Designations for Financial Management and Oversight Board’s Role Finance Committee’s Role Staff’s Role Approves a budget that reflects the Revised budget and makes Prepares the budget and presents it organization’s goals and Board recommendations. to the finance committee or full policies. Board with back-up information. Reviews monthly or quarterly Reviews monthly financial Monitors income and expenses on a financial statements. statements with appropriate staff daily basis. Prepares financial and Director and/or accountant. program reports that can be compared to the budget and projected activities. Ensures adequate financial controls Reviews accounting and internal Raises policy issues and provides and that financial reports are in control policies and makes information for standard accounting accordance with accounting recommendations for changes and policy decisions. Implement practices. improvements. policies established by the Board. Reviews the audited financial Reviews the audited financial Provides information and offers statements, management letter, and statements, management letter, and recommendations to finance senior staff’s response. senior staff’s response with staff and committee. If necessary, responds auditor. to a management letter. Approves the organization’s Regularly reviews and makes Provides information and analysis if investment policies and reviews recommendations about investment needed. them annually. policies. Is well-informed about the Coordinates Board training on Provides training and information as organization’s finances. financial matters. Acts as liaison requested. between full Board and staff on fiscal matters. The YWCA Board Staff Partnership-A Close Look 5 Role Designations for Tasks in the Ongoing Work Plan To help convey who does what regarding board and staff, this chart suggests what usually is done by the board, by staff or jointly. Ultimately, the responsibility for the various activities depends on the life-cycle of the organization -- young organizations often have working boards that are involved in day-to-day activities, while older organizations have boards that attend exclusively to top-level policies and plans. WORK RESPONSIBILITY PLANNING Ensure process and resources for planning Board Provide input to long range goals Joint Approve long range goals Board Formulate annual objectives Staff Approve annual objectives Joint Prepare performance reports on achievement of goals and objectives Staff Monitor achievement of goals and objectives Joint PROGRAMMING Assess stakeholder (customers, community) needs Staff Train volunteer leaders Staff (Joint for Board Training) Ensure process and resources for evaluating services and programs Board Maintain program records; prepare program reports Staff Prepare budget Staff Approve budget Board See that expenditures stay within budget/Present corrective strategies as Staff
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