YOUTH FOR CHRIST INTERNATIONAL BOARD OF TRUSTEES MANUAL - YFCI

[Pages:72]Youth for Christ International Board of Trustees Manual

Revised March 2014

Table of Contents

Introduction..................................................................................................................... 1 The Board of Trustees ........................................................................................................ 2

The Purpose of a Board .................................................................................................. 2 The Difference Between Governance and Management ................................................3 Six Critical Roles for the Board......................................................................................4 Boards and Board Members Are Different.....................................................................6 The YFC Board and Fundraising....................................................................................7 Board Membership ........................................................................................................... 10 Board Composition ....................................................................................................... 10 Qualifications of a Board Member ............................................................................... 10 Board Member Job Description....................................................................................11 Time Commitments that Board Members Can Expect to Make...................................11 Length of Term of A Member on the Board.................................................................12 What Most Board Members Want from Their Service on the Board ........................... 12 A Board Member Must Feel Productive.......................................................................12 Procedures to Bring New Members to the Board ......................................................... 12 New Member Installation ............................................................................................. 13 New Member Orientation ............................................................................................. 13 Twenty Tips to Being an Effective Board Member......................................................13 Board Structure ................................................................................................................. 15 The Importance of the By-Laws ...................................................................................15 The Size of the Board ................................................................................................... 15 Board Officers .............................................................................................................. 15 The Role of Committees ............................................................................................... 15 Potential Committees....................................................................................................16 Staff Members May Serve on Committees...................................................................17 Task Forces ................................................................................................................... 17 Board Leadership..............................................................................................................18 Primary Leaders of a YFC Program ............................................................................. 18 The Role of the Board Chairperson .............................................................................. 18 Qualifications of a Chairperson .................................................................................... 18 The Role of the National Director ................................................................................ 19 The Relationship Between the Board and the National Director ................................. 19 Accountability of Board Members ...............................................................................19 Continuing Good Board Leadership ............................................................................. 19 Board Meetings.................................................................................................................20 How Often Should the Board Meet .............................................................................. 20 Annual Meetings...........................................................................................................20 The Length of the Meeting ...........................................................................................20 A Specific Quorum ....................................................................................................... 20 Developing an Agenda ................................................................................................. 20 Agenda Options ............................................................................................................ 21 Agenda Common Sense................................................................................................21 Identify the Desired Result of Each Agenda Item ........................................................21 The Role of the Chairperson.........................................................................................22 The Rules of Order ....................................................................................................... 22 General Rules of Order ................................................................................................. 22

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Taking Minutes .............................................................................................................23 Praying Together...........................................................................................................23 Preparing for a Board Meeting .....................................................................................23 Send Written Materials in Advance ..............................................................................23 Notifying Board Members of Meetings ........................................................................24 Committees Will Make a Difference ............................................................................24 Board Meeting Frustration Points: Avoid Them! .........................................................24 Board Building..................................................................................................................25 Defining Board Building...............................................................................................25 Board Building Is Never Finished ................................................................................25 Board Building Responsibilities ...................................................................................25 Board Members Must Be Knowledgeable About YFC ................................................25 The Role of the National Board Notebook ...................................................................26 Suggested National Board Notebook Contents.............................................................26 Board Member Orientation and Training .....................................................................26 Board Members Should Receive Regular Reports .......................................................27 Close-Up Involvement ..................................................................................................27 Board Membership........................................................................................................27 The Board Is A Fellowship ...........................................................................................27 A Board Retreat ............................................................................................................27 Spouse Involvement......................................................................................................27 Board Building Test......................................................................................................28 Special Concerns...............................................................................................................29 If the Director Resigns ..................................................................................................29 Avoiding A Crisis .........................................................................................................29 Dealing With Personnel Problems ................................................................................29 Dealing with Personal Problems of Board Members....................................................29 Dealing with a Financial Crisis.....................................................................................30 An Advisory Board .......................................................................................................30 A Board of Reference ...................................................................................................30 When a Board Member Leaves the Board ....................................................................31 Common Problems a Board May Face and Where to Get Help ...................................31 Appendix ........................................................................................................................... 32 Appendix 1....................................................................................................................32

BOARD OF TRUSTEES STANDING POLICIES MANUAL ...............................32 Appendix 2....................................................................................................................47

BOARD MEMBER SELF-EVALUATION.............................................................47 Appendix 3....................................................................................................................48

NEW BOARD MEMBER ORIENTATION CHECKLIST .....................................48 Appendix 4....................................................................................................................49

SAMPLE CONSTITUTION ....................................................................................49 Appendix 5....................................................................................................................52

SAMPLE BY-LAWS................................................................................................52 Appendix 6....................................................................................................................58

THE PROFILE OF THE NATIONAL DIRECTOR Error! Bookmark not defined. Appendix 7....................................................................................................................62

NATIONAL BOARD SELF-EVALUATION .........................................................62

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INTRODUCTION Strong Boards are the foundation for a strong Youth for Christ (YFC) ministry in any nation. Yet in many cases, we feel that our Boards are not very effective, even though they may be comprised of competent individuals. In some settings there is confusion over the purpose and role of the Board. The purpose of this manual is to explain Youth for Christ's philosophy of how an effective Board should function. YFC subscribes to the "Governance" model of Board leadership. In this Governance model, the Board governs the YFC Program through policies, and the National Director and his or her staff manage the ministry, based upon the direction set by the Board in its policies. This manual begins with some of the theory behind the Governance model of Board leadership, and has many practical points of application. At the end of this manual is an Appendix with helpful resources. The first appendix is a template for a Board of Trustees Standing Policy Manual for a national YFC program. For a National Board to effectively use the Governance model of Board leadership, it must complete a Standing Policy Manual. This document gives direction to the National Director and staff and sets the parameters within which the staff must operate in executing the direction set by the Board. You may feel overwhelmed after reading this manual, but don't worry. Building an effective Governance Board takes time. It is an ongoing process. It will take energy, commitment and discipline to develop a well-functioning Governance Board; however, the results will be worth the investment. The results you should see include increased understanding between the Board and staff, creative freedom for the staff to carry out the direction of the Board, and increased ministry effectiveness. So, please put this manual into the hands of your Board members and key staff. Set aside time to study and work through these concepts and practices together. This manual owes much to the writing of John Carver, particularly, "Boards That Make A Difference" and "Carver's Policy Governance Model in Non-profit Organizations". Thanks are also due to Dave Coleman and Samuel C. Wolgemuth for their writing and direct contributions to Board development within the Youth for Christ family.

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The Board of Trustees

THE PURPOSE OF A BOARD The Board of Trustees exists to ensure that the YFC National Program is effective. This is the most basic way to express the purpose of a YFC Board. The Board is where all authority resides until some of it is given away to others. In addition, as a Board of a Christian ministry, it is your responsibility to provide governance and spiritual oversight of the vision and mission of the movement of Youth for Christ, which are inseparable and intertwined. There are three aspects to what it means to be an effective YFC Board of Trustees.

Boards represent the stakeholders, or "owners" of YFC as servant leaders.

In the corporate world, the Board of Directors is the voice of the owners or shareholders of the corporation. In YFC, "ownership" rests with all of the people and groups who have an interest in what YFC is all about. A Board provides representation for the "owners" and serves as the governing body, offering accountability and credibility. The Board is not the "owner" of YFC, but represents the interests of the "owners". This is why we chose the term "Board of Trustees" rather then "Board of Directors". Our Boards are "entrusted" to represent the interests of the "owners" of Youth for Christ.

Who are YFC's stakeholders? As a faith-based organisation, we see ourselves as first and foremost accountable to God. The next stakeholder is the YFC movement, of which every national and local YFC ministry is a part. The Covenant of Partnership (found in Appendix X) defines the standards to which the National Board must adhere. Other stakeholders include those people or groups the organisation serves, those who work for the organisation, donors, the community-at-large, and the government.

On behalf of its stakeholders, YFC Boards should ensure that the organisation conducts itself in a legal, prudent, ethical, biblical, and spiritual manner. How we operate must be consistent with our beliefs.

The Board provides a leadership body for the National Program and its mission.

YFC Boards establish the purposes and objectives of the organisation, its governing rules (By-laws), and governance policies (consistent with YFC requirements).

YFC Boards select the National Director, and in some cases, may be called upon to dismiss that person (both done in consultation with the YFCI Area Director).

YFC Boards have fiduciary responsibilities and must see that the organisation is adequately funded and that those funds are well managed.

YFC Boards ensure that the organisation and staff are well managed.

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This begins with a proper sense of "worry" or concern that the organisation will do its work well. This "worry" is translated into concise governing policies which management will follow in carrying out their leadership and program responsibilities.

Board members make individual contributions.

Board members are volunteers whose contributions are critical both in terms of service on the Board, as well as what each individual brings the organisation in terms of reputation, knowhow and connections. Effective Board members offer "time, talent and treasure."

THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN GOVERNANCE AND MANAGEMENT Separation of governance and management is essential.

Boards govern, staffs manage. When Boards as a body enter into managing the organisation, their ability to properly govern and carry out their role is compromised. They cannot do both and still carry out their governance role with integrity.

Staffs are often confused and stifled when Boards seek to do the work of the staff. When Boards begin to manage, they begin to speak with many voices, which is confusing and inconsistent with the role of the Board.

Governance is directive. (consistent with YFC's Covenant of Partnership)

It is the Board's job to provide the overall direction of the organisation. This has to do with establishing the "ends" or goals of the organisation. This describes the impact we want the ministry to have on our country and on our world.

The Board establishes the boundaries within which management will function.

Management is specific. (consistent with YFC's Covenant of Partnership)

The Board gives direction while the management executes those directives. The National Director and staff work out the "means" to accomplish the directives (goals or "ends") given by the Board. The staff determines the day-to-day operations that will accomplish the directives and goals set by the Board so that it can meet the organisation's mission and vision and conduct its programs. Boards determine the "what"; the staff determines the "how". This arrangement allows the Board to carry out its responsibility of setting the direction and determining the "ends" of the organisation while at the same time gives staff the freedom to use their expertise and creativity in determining how to accomplish those "ends".

Board members may volunteer for roles with specific management functions. In small YFC programs this may happen, often at the direction of the Board. When it does, the reality that governance and management are different needs to be constantly recognized. When a Board member is volunteering in a staff function, they must take off their "Board hat" and put on their "volunteer hat".

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SIX CRITICAL ROLES FOR THE BOARD

In order for a YFC Board to fulfil its purpose of representing the "owners", providing leadership and making individual contributions to the national ministry, it must fulfil the following six roles.

1. Guard Your Identity (Who are we?)

The Board is responsible for defining who we are and why we exist (in compliance with the YFC Covenant of Partnership). It is the Board which must ensure that the national YFC ministry does not get distracted from our God-given mission of evangelism and discipleship of young people. Here are some of the things that define us:

o The Word of God

o YFC's

Unifying

Essentials

o Constitution and By-laws

o Statement of Faith

o Vision and Mission

o Core Values

o Operating Principles o Covenant of Partnership

o Logo and Graphic Standards

o Chartering Procedures and Principles

o Requirements

for

Chartering

o History and Stories

2. Commit to Accomplishment (How are we doing?)

Before we can effectively evaluate ourselves, we must have stated expectations against which to compare our performance. The Board must work with the staff to develop mutuallyagreed-upon measurable goals or "ends" on an annual basis. Here are some ways we can know how we are doing:

YFC's National Self-Review Tool. This form can help a Board and National Director evaluate, at least on an annual basis, how the program is doing in a wide variety of areas. Measurable reports that compare accomplishments to our goals. Staff reports. On-site visits to programs. Interviews with participants and interested "owners" in the community. Board member involvement as volunteers. Discernment.

3. Focus on Your Future (Where are we going?)

As the body responsible to set overall direction for the ministry, the Board must spend significant time and energy thinking and seeking God about what the ministry should look like in three, five and ten years. The Board is concerned about the "ends" or goals, the impact we want to see the ministry have in the future. The staff is responsible to develop the "means" or plans to get there.

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