Question tag: governance
15 QuestionsHow do we develop or revise our organisation’s mission statement?
Our mission statement is about fifteen years old and it really doesn't reflect what we do anymore. We started as a youth sports programme but now we do much broader community development work. The board has been trying to revise it but every time we try we end up in a long debate and can't […]
What core policies should every CSO in T&T have in place?
We're trying to do a policy audit and figure out what we have, what we're missing, and what we actually need. Right now we have our constitution and a basic financial policy and that's about it. I've seen lists of all the policies an organisation should have and it's completely overwhelming. For a small organisation […]
What is a strategic plan and how long should it cover?
We've never had a formal strategic plan. We have a general sense of direction and we respond to funding opportunities as they come up. A consultant we worked with recently told us we really need a strategic plan before we apply for some of the larger grants we're eyeing. I understand the concept but I'm […]
What are the specific accountability challenges for umbrella CSO organisations?
Our organisation is an umbrella body for about 30 smaller community groups. Our accountability situation feels different from a typical service-delivery NGO because we're essentially accountable to our member organisations, not just donors. But we're not sure we're handling this well — some members feel disconnected and don't really know what we do with their […]
How do we involve our members in governance decisions?
We're a membership organisation with about 50 member organisations. Our AGM attendance is really low — maybe 20-30% — and the members who do show up seem disengaged, like they're just there out of obligation. Decisions tend to get rubber-stamped without much real discussion. We want members to feel like they genuinely have a say […]
Who counts as a stakeholder for our CSO, and how do we prioritise them?
We're reviewing our stakeholder engagement and trying to figure out who we actually need to be engaging with and how. Right now we mostly focus on donors and beneficiaries. Does government count as a stakeholder even if we don't have a formal relationship with them? What about other NGOs doing similar work to us? And […]
What should be included in a CSO’s annual report?
We've never done a formal annual report. We send grant reports to our donors and we post on social media but we've never pulled everything together into one document. A board member recently suggested we should start doing one and I agree in principle but I don't know where to start. What should actually go […]
What are the core principles of CSO accountability in Trinidad and Tobago?
I've been asked to run a session for our board on accountability and I want to make sure I'm covering the right things. When I think about accountability I mostly think about financial accountability but I have a feeling it's much broader than that. What are the core principles that CSOs in T&T are expected […]
How do we conduct an accountability self-assessment for our organisation?
We've been talking about doing a governance review or self-assessment for a while but we're not sure where to start or what tool to use. Is there a specific self-assessment tool designed for T&T CSOs, or do we have to adapt something from overseas? And practically — who should complete it? Just the board, or […]
What financial policies should every CSO in T&T have in place?
We have a financial policy from about 2015 that nobody really looks at anymore. I dug it out recently and it's very basic and definitely out of date — doesn't even mention electronic payments. I want to do a proper update but I'm not sure what a good financial policy for an organisation like ours […]
What are the key responsibilities of a CSO Board of Directors?
I've just joined the board of a small NGO here in T&T and I want to make sure I understand what I've actually signed up for. The organisation has been around for years but I get the feeling the board hasn't been very active — meetings are irregular, most decisions seem to get made by […]
How do we manage conflicts of interest on our board?
We've got a situation where one of our board members runs a printing business and we regularly use that business for our publications and event materials. It's been going on for years and nobody ever raised it as an issue. Now we're trying to tighten up our governance and I'm wondering if we need to […]
Should board members of a CSO be paid?
We're having a bit of an internal debate about whether to start paying our board members a small honorarium for attending meetings. Some people think it's fine, others are saying it's not appropriate for a non-profit. We're not talking about much — maybe a few hundred dollars per meeting — just to show appreciation and […]
How do we recruit new board members effectively?
We have two board members stepping down at our next AGM and we really need to bring in some fresh faces. Our usual approach is to ask people we know but that's resulted in a pretty homogeneous board and we're missing key skills — especially around finance and legal matters. Has anyone done a more […]
What is the difference between the board’s role and the Executive Director’s role?
We're a small organisation and I think we have a pretty blurry line between what the board does and what our Executive Director does. Our ED is very hands-on and sometimes makes decisions I feel should have come to the board, but then the board sometimes gets too involved in day-to-day operations too. I want […]