The role of NGO Board demystified
I Nour last article, I harped on the point of boards being a very key hallmark of good governance for not-for-profit organisations. Without getting very deep into the specific role they play, which I will attempt to do in today’s piece, I mentioned how they play a very important function of governance oversight and give the organisation strategic guidance.
The make-up of a Board for a not-for-profit depends on the needs of the organisation. The generic structure though normally consists of a chairperson, vice-chairperson, secretary, treasurer and members. An odd number is normally preferred to avoid ties where decisions are taken through a vote.
Decision-making is at the crux of the function of a Board. It is always easier where decisions are taken through consensus but that is not always possible. That is where voting becomes necessary.
The majority view then holds sway and the decision is owned by the collective.
WORK
Depending on the volume of work and specific needs of the organisation, there may be a need to have in place specific committees to handle some aspects of the Board’s functions.
These may include finance, disciplinary, etc, as the case might be. It is important that sub-committees are only put in place where there is a real need for them and just not just for the sake of having them in place.
If the roles or functions are not always necessary, then it is advisable that they be put in place on an ad hoc basis.
MYTH: My dog will get fat and lazy. FACT:
Your dog will get fat and lazy only if he does not get enough exercise or is fed the wrong food.
MYTH: It’s better for my pet to have one litter before being sterilized. FACT:
There is no medical evidence whatsoever to show that sterilising after one litter is beneficial to a cat or dog. Reproduction exposes your female pet to the inherent dangers of pregnancy and birth, sexually transmitted diseases, ovarian cancer and uterine infections.
Neutered males don’t get testicular cancer and have far fewer prostate problems (including cysts, abscesses, and prostate cancer) than do unaltered males. They are less likely to roam, fight, or display hyperactive behavior.
Neutered pets on average live longer, healthier lives.
The Board of a not-for-profit organisation is put in place in terms of the outfit’s constitution, which details in clear terms who makes up the Board and also spells out the specific roles of the office-bearers.
The Constitution must be couched in simple language so that it can be understood by everyone to whom it applies. This allows for certainty, clarity of roles and such important issues as terms of office and decision-making.
It is a very critical tool for achieving transparency and good governance in the absence of which the organisation can be likened to a ship in the sea without a compass.
CONSTITUTION
Examples abound of organisations which have found themselves with Boards which hold office for life because of either, absence of a Constitution or Constitutions which are not clear on terms of office.
Constitutions play the role of being a roadmap of the organisation.
MYTH: Children should experience the miracle of birth. FACT:
Most births occur at night and in a secluded area so your child will probably not see it. Having anyone, particularly a child, observing her will stress the mother (some dogs will eat their puppies as a result). The only lesson the child learns is that dogs can be created and discarded as humans see fit. The real miracle your child should experience is learning that by preventing your pet from having babies, you are saving the lives of hundreds of other pets.
MYTH: My dog is a purebred/special mixed breed. FACT:
At least one out of every four dogs turned in to animal shelters around the world are purebred. There are just too many dogs, whatever breed.
MYTH: My dog will not be protective if I neuter it. FACT:
Absolutely not true! A dog’s natural instinct to protect his home and pack/family is not affected by sterilising. In fact a female with puppies will pay more attention to her own family than to yours and a reproductive male’s attention will be distracted by every female on heat, scent of a female on heat arriving on They define the path on which the organisation traverses in its quest to achieve the objectives it sets for itself, themselves clearly expressed in the same Constitution.
The Board members of the organisation are individually and collectively responsible.
They should hold each other accountable and to the Constitution of the organisation.
If the Board of the organisation functions according to the dictates of the Constitution, it is able to offer an effective oversight function over the secretariat of the organisation.
IMPORTANT
One of the most important duties of Board members is to attend Board meetings. It is there that they are able to exercise their governance role. It is common for some people to take up Board positions and not attend Board meetings. These are people who are not invested in the mandates of the organisation but merely agree to take up the the breeze from miles and competitive male. around,
MYTH: I don’t want my male dog to feel like less of a male. FACT:
Dogs have no concept of sexual identity or ego and neutering does not change a dog’s basic personality. He doesn’t suffer in any way when neutered.
MYTH: My dog is so special; I want a puppy just like her. FACT:
There is absolutely no guarantee that any of the puppies will inherit a particular position in order to embellish their résumés. The Board should be quick with members who absent themselves continuously from meeting without justifiable cause.
This must be done in terms of the Constitution, which must make clear provision for such instances. If this does not happen, it leads to the Board failing to be quorate and failing to take critical decisions.
DESCRIPTION
One of the key duties of the Board is to define the job description of the executive director, who, in most cases, also becomes the secretary of the Board. After outlining the job description, the Board must then recruit this officer.
A Board can either do that itself if it has the capacity to do so, or enlist the services of a recruitment agency or team.
The latter option is the most advisable as it is more transparent and avoids the conflict of interest that may manifest among some members due to the characteristic. In fact the whole litter might get only the worst characteristics of your dog and its mate.
MYTH: Spaying and neutering is too expensive.
FACT: Neutering is a one-time cost and cheap compared to the cost of raising puppies properly with vaccinations, correct food and possible veterinary costs for a natal emergency. It also brings cost savings from improved health throughout your dog’s lifetime. Most importantly, the politics of patronage that come with proximity to the executive director.
For the benefit of the organisation, and in the interest of accountability and good governance, it is important that Board members keep their relationship with the executive director professional.
While at inception, many Boards are handpicked by the executive director, and may feel indebted to him/her and, therefore, loyal to them, that should never be allowed to cloud their professional judgment to the detriment of the organisation.
Board members should never allow themselves to be at the disposal of the executive director when he/she is tempted to flout procedure.
While it is important that the executive director has a good relationship with the Board, it must not be founded on corruption.
The Board and the executive director must be clear on their relation and stay on their own lanes.
RELATIONSHIP
If the roles are not clear, the relationship can be abused and lead to compromising of values and principles of good governance.
The Board and the executive director need to work collaboratively to create a culture of integrity throughout the entire organisation.
Integrity presupposes truthfulness and trustworthiness. But why are those attributes important in the civil space.
Many not-for-profit organisations work in the advocacy space and a lot of their work involves holding governments accountable and demanding transparency of them.
Well, what is good for the goose must be good for the gander. Not-for-profits must not find that they are pretentious in their work.
They should not expect of others what cannot be expected of them. In the running of their affairs, the must mirror what they would like to see in the political arena,
price is small when compared to the satisfaction of knowing that you are not contributing to the very real problem of strays and the illnesses, spilt litter, dog attacks and traffic accidents they cause.
MYTH: I have good homes available for all of the puppies. FACT:
Each of those puppies will make one less home available for a shelter dog which faces euthanasia.
MYTH: One litter make any difference. FACT:
The dog and cat overpopulation problem is created and perpetuated one litter at a time. In six years one female dog and her offspring can produce 67 thousand dogs. In nine years one female cat and her offspring can produce 11.5 million cats. Every puppy or kitten makes a big difference.
Sterilise all pets by six months of age.
If you honestly cannot afford to sterilise your pets please phone Phile at Swaziland Animal Welfare, as they have a Spay Project which helps you pay what you can afford.
Swaziland
(SAWS)
For a dewormed, sterilised and vaccinated pet, phone
Mbabane:
Manzini:
Animal
Welfare
won’t
Society