Master the Art of the Boardroom

Are You Ready For Automation?

Co-authored with Ashlea Faulkner Automation is the use of technology to perform manual and repetitive tasks. Automation can range from simple tools like mail merges or online forms to more complex systems like robotic process automation (RPA) or artificial intelligence (AI). Automation can bring many benefits to not-for-profit organisations, such as saving time, reducing errors, improving quality, freeing up staff for more strategic or creative work and achieving financial sustainability. This article will explore what not-for-profit organisations need to consider before adopting automation and how they can foster an innovation mindset to embrace new opportunities and overcome challenges.

Advisory Boards for Not-for-Profits

Jump to Section What Is an Advisory Board? Advisory Board Benefits Common Challenges & Risks Slow Decision Making Bad Communication Shadow Directors Under-Commitment Advisory Board Roles and Responsibilities Tips for Running Advisory Boards Setting Up the Board Sourcing Advisors Running Board Meetings Further Resources As a not-for-profit organisation, forming an advisory board can be a strategic way of gaining access to advice and expertise. Advisory board members bring fresh ideas, new networking opportunities, and partnerships to the table.

Purpose-Led Governance for Mission-Driven Organisations

What does it mean to govern with and for purpose? How do we really listen to and account for stakeholder interests? How is impact centred in our work and protected in our governance? How do our governance structures reflect our ambition for systems change? These are questions we have long been considering at B Lab Australia & Aotearoa New Zealand (AANZ), and questions that are highly relevant to our work as part of a global movement seeking to transform the way businesses operate and contribute to economic systems change for the benefit of people and the planet.

Achieving Transformative Governance Change

Good governance is the soil in which healthy not-for-profits grow, but if organisations fail to renew their arrangements over time, they may fail to bloom and reach their full potential. Governance frameworks should be dynamic and responsive to organisational growth, developments in best practice governance and changes in the regulatory landscape. The possible range of governance reforms is broad. It can range from changes in board or member composition to constitutional reform to a change from a federated body to a single national body or changes in the form of incorporation.

Hire, Review and Fire: The CEO Lifecycle

Better Boards hosted a webinar on the topic “Hire, Review & Fire: The CEO Lifecycle” in September 2023. I was lucky enough to facilitate a panel discussion with Craig Badings, Anthony Mutton, Tom Brett and Peter Crow, and gained so much from the session that I thought I’d share my reflections. Hire I’ve been lucky enough, as a member of a board to be involved in several CEO appointment processes. It always feels like spring when a decision is made – a sense of renewal and vibrancy, a sense of next adventures and new opportunities.

Privacy Protection Reform – Upcoming Changes and What You Need to Know!

“Protecting your organisation from cyber risk and implementing preventative measures to keep your organisation’s data safe, has never been more important for Australia’s not-for- profit sector.”1 As technology and the digital world continue to advance, so does the need for privacy protections. One in eight not-for-profit organisations (NFPs) have experienced a cyber security breach or incident, and the risk of being exposed to such will only continue to grow.2 Cyber security incidents are rising, and NFPs must arm themselves with the correct tools to remain protected.

What are NGOs (Non-Governmental Organisations)?

NGOs, or Non-Governmental Organisations play an important part in making services accessible to communities around the world. In 2019-2020, NGOs in Australia delivered 2,758 projects in 93 countries. Their work represents more than $1.27 Billion invested in international projects in 2019-2020 alone (ACFID, 2023). While each mandate can differ, NGOs all have a similar interest in developing social capacity in areas where governments may have little to no access or few resources to take action.

Illiquidity Vs Insolvency

A non-profit organisation’s financial health is vital to achieving its mission. As stewards of the organisation, board members must understand two key financial concepts - illiquidity and insolvency. On the surface, they may seem similar. But illiquidity and insolvency stem from different causes and have different implications. This article will explain what illiquidity and insolvency mean, their key differences, and provide real-world examples to illustrate how non-profit boards should interpret and respond to signs of financial distress.

What is Strategic Planning?

Strategic planning is a critical process that helps organisations chart their future direction. With business environments continually evolving, organisations must regularly re-evaluate their strategies to ensure they maintain competitive advantage. While the fundamental principles remain the same, strategic planning today is notably different than past approaches. Table of Contents What is Strategy? What Is Strategic Planning? The Strategic Planning Process Key Trends Reshaping Strategic Planning The Board’s Role in Strategic Planning The Chairperson’s Role in Strategic Planning The CEO’s Role in Strategic Planning Evolving Approaches to Strategic Planning Overcoming Strategic Planning Challenges Elements of Effective Business Strategy How to Define Strategic Objectives Scenario Planning for Strategic Foresight Implementing Strategic Plans Pitfalls to Avoid in Strategy Execution Evaluating Strategic Plans Updating and Evolving Strategies Criticisms of Strategic Planning Alternatives to traditional strategic planning Strategic Planning Templates In Summary Additional Resources & F.

What Are Prescribed Bodies Corporates in Australia?

Prescribed Bodies Corporates (PBCs) represent Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) traditional owner groups. Also called Registered Native Title Bodies Corporate, their legal structure is different from other ATSI corporations. The PBC structure was introduced in 2015 in response to the government’s capacity-building program intended to strengthen Indigenous organisations. The goal was to create more economic benefits and sustainable land management among Indigenous communities in Australia. What are prescribed bodies corporate organisations (PBCs)?

What is board meeting software?

Board meeting software (also known as board portal software) is a specialised online application built for the specific purpose of improving an organisation’s governance and board meetings. This improvement is typically achieved through the software streamlining the administrative tasks a board of directors and their support staff must undertake. Board meeting software can also be used to improve many other types of meetings at the board and executive level, including committee meetings, advisory board meetings, executive team meetings, subcommittee meetings and board task force meetings.

What is an Indigenous Corporation?

When establishing a non-profit organisation specialising in providing programs or services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait groups, founding an Indigenous Corporation is a great option. An Indigenous Corporation is a specific type of organisational legal structure that can be used in Australia. Indigenous Corporations are overseen by the Office of the Registrar of Indigenous Corporations (ORIC), an independent statutory office appointed by the Minister for Indigenous Affairs under the Corporations (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act 2006.