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May 2018 e-Newsletter
Governance Papers
Director Induction - Starting Right with the Right Start
Director Induction is an integral part of ensuring your Directors are valuable contributors to your Board. This Governance Paper outlines a range of issues and topics that should be covered in your induction program, including:
Organisational inheritance; Associations incorporation legislation; Corporations Act 2001; Legal responsibilities; Duties of care and good faith; Conflict of interest; Role of the Board and Directors; Code of conduct; Relations between Board and staff; Planning framework; Strategic risk management; and Performance measurement framework.
Privacy, Spam and your Obligations
Privacy is an extremely important aspect of an organisation's business. All new staff and Board members should be briefed on Australian privacy laws, your organisation's privacy policy and the handling of your member's information during their induction process.
This Governance Paper outlines information regarding the Spam Act and changes made to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth). This Governance Paper should be compulsory reading for refreshing your existing employees on privacy laws, and for inducting new employees into how your organisation handles member's information.
Fraud Detection & Prevention
Fraud is one of the greatest risks to the continued operation and reputation of a business. Fraud can threaten investors' confidence, and can result in personal liability of the Directors of that organisation. In the case of Not for Profits, loss of reputation due to fraud can have significant effect on their funding from both corporate and individual donors, as well as government grants.
This Governance Paper details a number of issues for Not for Profits to consider when implementing a fraud prevention program, including:
What constitutes fraud?; Fraud - not just a dollar loss; Why does fraud occur?; Why is fraud not often detected?; Fraud in Australian Not for Profits; Some examples of fraud in Not for Profits; Board and Director's responsibility; Managing your fraud risk; Case studies of fraud in Australia; Some facts about fraud; Steps to follow when fraud is discovered; and A fraud prevention checklist.
In March 2010 Enterprise Care conducted a survey to determine areas of Board governance in the Not for Profit sector that were of concern to organisations. The survey was designed to discover:
The survey was conducted over one (1) week and there were fifty respondents.
- how organisations compared their current Board with their ideal Board;
- what are the five (5) key characteristics of high performing Boards;
- the three (3) governance changes respondents would make to their current Board;
- what is the one (1) governance weakness that many Boards appear to share; and
- what area of the Board's governance performance respondents would continually measure if they could.
Fact Sheets / Checklists / Templates
Nominations for Directors
Paperwork relating to the process of Nominations for Directors can often be overlooked. Its importance is as much a compliance issue as it is a marketing tool to potential Directors.
A comprehensive and clear presentation of the nomination requirements demonstrates that your organisation is well governed, and expects professionalism at every level from all involved.
Committee Meeting Minutes Template
Keeping your Board or Committee focused and effective during meetings can be a difficult task for a Chairperson.
This Template demands a positive and productive approach to meetings through its innovative Action Program.
Get more from your meetings with this simple but effective template.
Fraud Prevention Checklist
Fraud prevention is a challenge for any organisation, large or small. The most effective way to prevent fraud is to ensure adequate controls are in place to protect the organisation's tangible and intangible assets.
This checklist is designed to provide a blueprint for the Board, or an appropriate Board committee, to monitor potential areas of concern and to implement effective controls to minimise the potential of fraud occurring.
Website Disclaimer
This template can be customised for your organisation and used immediately to ensure:
- protection of your intellectual property;
- integrity of your brand; and
- indemnity of your organisation and individuals.
A comprehensive and clear presentation of the nomination requirements demonstrates that your organisation is well governed, and expects professionalism at every level from all involved.
Board Checklist for Signing Financials
Compliance is a critical component of a Board's responsibilities. Signing-off on financial statements is an important regulatory requirement prior to presenting financial reports to stakeholders and regulatory bodies.
This checklist is designed to provide a summary of key questions the Board should ask in relation to the financial statements, in order to ensure that they are accurate and fully comply with the various Accounting standards and regulatory body requirements.
The importance of having such a checklist is to ensure Boards better understand financial reporting, and are better able to discharge this key responsibility. This checklist should be seen as a Work in Progress and can be expanded over time. It offers an important starting point.
Click Here to download Board Checklist for Signing Financials
Workplace Bullying and OHS Sample Policy Document
Employers have an obligation to provide a safe working environment for all employees.
This includes being proactive in preventing occurrences of workplace bullying and dealing effectively with any instances that may arise.
As part of your prevention strategy in your Not for Profit organisation, make sure you provide a copy of your Workplace Bullying Policy to all employees and inform, instruct and train them about the policy and what it entails.
Cash Flow Forecast Template
You have developed your organisation's financial budget for the next three (3) years. Now is the time to review the potential impact of key risks. In terms of doing this for financial risks, one way is to draw up a table summarising revenue, expenditure, current and future cash positions and desired liquidity and investment ratios. Using the table you can then look at the impact of certain scenarios; for example:
What if revenue increased/decreased by x % in each of the next three (3) years?
What if costs increased/decreased by x % in each of the next three (3) years?
What if capital expenditure projects increased/decreased by x % in each of the next three (3) years?
What if revenue was delayed by y months in each of the next three (3) years?
