1. Organizational Development – Standard 1.1-8 General

Purpose:The criterion outlined within the Organizational Standards defines the foundational basis of capacity within theBBBS Affiliate and a sound organizational base to begin operations.

Responsibility:Board, CEO/Executive Director

Reports to BBBSI:Annual submission of Self Assessment Report, Annual Report

As required, notification of change of leadership with CEO/Executive Director, Board and staff.

Copies of Amendments to Organizational documents

Sample Templates:

Vision and Mission Statement

Constitution

Bylaws

Code of Ethics

Organogram/Organizational Chart

Board Handbook

Proxy Form

Strategic Plan

Implementation Plan

Budget – Annual and Monthly (Revenue & Expenses)

Annual Report

Implementation:

Organizationally:

The Board needs to create a Vision Statement which defines what you want “to see” happen. The community needs to know "why" the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program is important to their society. Those seeking to establish a BBBS program also need to clearly understand and be able to articulate the purpose and goals of their work. The Vision Statement should answer the question—What positive differences will the BBBS Program make to the quality of life? By answering this question, the Vision Statement speaks to improving conditions and increasing opportunities for children, families, volunteerism and society as a whole. The Vision Statement is a declaration of emotion and commitment that paints a picture of an improved future.

The Mission Statement identifies what is “to be done” within the organization. The community needs to know "what" the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program is in business to do on a day-to-day basis. Thus, the Mission Statement presents a picture of current action, of things being done, of ongoing activities, and is written in the present tense. The Mission Statement is factual and descriptive, and tells the public what the program does, in language that they can easily understand.

A Code of Ethics outlines a call for high standards of honesty, objectivity, diligence, and loyalty from an Organizational, Board, Staff and Volunteer perspective. Transparency and accountability need to be integrated throughout the Standards of Practice and protocols.

The Affiliates’ need to assess: compliance with local laws (provincially and federally), non profit regulations, tax exemption status, licensing requirements, insurance coverage and adherence to the nationally accepted accounting practices.

All BBBS programs should become familiar with and adhere to local laws and mandates that govern the work of organizations. By taking into account local laws and regulations, the program can guard against becoming entangled with legal difficulties that will only hinder program success and drain program resources.

These laws may pertain to any of the following:

  • By-laws governing independent organizations
  • Establishing and operating non-profit (non-governmental) organizations
  • Health and safety issues
  • Professional staff
  • Salaries, benefits, and taxation
  • Required reports to authorities
  • Insurance and liability

If the Affiliate is not a separately-registered NGO/NPO operating as a BBBSI Affiliate an assessment and Plan to do so needs to be put in place, unless otherwise, specifically authorized in writing by BBBSI.

The Affiliate’s Territory, as outlined in the Standards is relevant to BBBSI in the context of further expansion and as specified in the Affiliation Agreement. Policy and guidelines relating to operations, including program services, recruitment, fund raising and marketing are to be policies developed and implemented by the Affiliate.

An annual review of organizational documents should be conducted which includes regular updates, any amended policies/bylaws, board details, board minutes and support materials. The original documents need to be kept in a secure place, preferably, off site with copies being kept at the Affiliates office(s).

Strategic Planning

Your Organization's strategy is the direction you choose to follow to reach your vision and is central to all business decisions.Strategic thinkingprovides the basis for subsequent planning and guides you in dealing with strategic issues as they arise later. It embraces the planning bedrock of vision, values, and mission.

Let's review the three elements:

  • Vision - the concrete statement of your ultimate dreams for the organization or for the world that you can impact through your services.
  • Values - your convictions on how business is to be conducted and people are to be treated, inside and outside the organization.
  • Mission - the products or services you provide, for whom, where, and how.

It is strategy that connects the present to the future. Strategy is a direction, a pathway, chosen from amongst many possibilities.

Strategy is the particular means by which you seek to fulfill your mission and to move toward your vision, within the context of your values.

An organization will not run efficiently or be as successful toward the mission without a “Plan.”

This plan needs to be developed with all aspects of the Affiliates operations in mind including growth, marketing, technology and facility needs. The Annual Budget for the Organization is usually completed at this time and reflects the funds required to implement the Strategic Plan.

The Strategic Plan and Budget are developed by the Executive Director/CEO and Treasurer of the Affiliate and presented to the Board in the last quarter of the fiscal year. The Strategic Plan and Budget are voted in at the Annual General Meeting for implementation in the new fiscal year. Strategic Plans and Budget are to be done on an Annual basis with assessments of outcomes every three months or six month periods to ensure objectives are being met.

Strategic planning is not the same as long-range planning. With long-range planning, an organization envisions and sets goals for the future, and develops the necessary procedures, tasks, and actions for achieving that future. Because of the unpredictable nature of running a nonprofit these days, long-range planning is no longer enough.

Strategic planning takes into account the everchanging external and internal issues that impact and shape an organization. It is also a continuous process. Where long-range planners assume current trends will continue and map out a most likely future, strategic planners expect change and consider a range of possible futures. Strategic planners keep options open so they can respond promptly and effectively to changes in the environment. These changes are factored into an organization’s plan to achieve its goals.

The ideal Strategic Plan:

  • Ensures that the goals and objectives of the plan fit the mission and purpose of the organization.
  • Identifies strategies for taking advantage of opportunities and reducing external threats that can impact the organization and its future.
  • Identifies an organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses so the plan is built on the strengths and reduces the impact of the weaknesses.
  • Focuses on critical issues the agency must address.
  • Includes a plan of action for achieving the goals and objectives as well as a strategy for implementing the plan.
  • Identifies contingency options for coping with a variety of potentials and scenarios.

Benefits of Strategic Planning

An organization may engage in Strategic planning for a variety of reasons: to clarify direction, identify a common vision, solve problems, and/or achieve goals. Planning allows agencies to:

  • Keep pace with changing organizational needs, funding, and program priorities.
  • Better understand their markets, thus improving the financial stability of their programs,
  • Enhance funding levels and increase legitimacy with corporate and government donors,
  • Improve communication, facilitate program coordination, and increase corporate involvement,
  • Reduce internal and external uncertainty and to augment the capacity of executive directors to hold others in the organization accountable and,
  • Enhance the ability of managers to control resources critical to organizational survival.

The Implementation Plan

The Implementation Plan is the working document of the Strategic Plan and each program and/or department needs to develop their own plan in alignment to the Strategic plan. The Implementation Plan should be done every three months with the staff presenting their plan for their program/department in a group setting to ensure a realistic, cost effective plan that adheres to the goals and objectives of the Strategic Plan. At the end of the three month period an evaluation of the Implementation Plan should be conducted and a new plan for the next three months presented with any outstanding matters from the first quarter being reintroduced.

Board of Directors

The Big Brothers Big Sisters model is a long-term program that needs to have in place the organizational capacity and Board structure to sustain the organization. Therefore, the "structure" enables all the parts to work together and outlines "procedures" for how board members, staff and volunteers will carry out their responsibilities to accomplish the mission of pairing volunteers with children. The quality of program "structures" and “procedures” will determine how well the organization will last over time and the nature of support it will receive from the community.

A board consists of a group of volunteers who "advise" the Director and/or "help make decisions" related to program plans, policies, and evaluations. BBBSI Affiliates are required to have a Board of Directors and may also have an Advisory Board.

Whether advisory or decision-making, the board should be made up of men and women who represent different segments of the community, who can serve as active links to supports and resources in the larger community, and who can assist with the long-term development of the program.

In setting up a Board, it will be important to first:

  • Determine what segments of the community should be represented
  • Determine the functions of the Board and its method of operation
  • Determine the frequency of meetings; length of Board Term
  • Design an orientation and training plan for Board members
  • Develop a Board Handbook which outlines, Board job descriptions, an Annual Review plan to address Board Transition

The primary responsibility of the Board of Directors is to determine and approve policies affecting all aspects of the operationsof the Organization.

Exhibit 1

Here are some of the most common titles for non-profit executive officers:

President/Chairperson: Coordinates the work and the overall planning and direction of the board. This position chairs the meetings of the board and manages its decision-making processes. The president also manages the people on the board: it is the president's job to ensure the board fulfills its responsibilities, and to hold board members accountable. It is also the president's role to facilitate communication between the board and the Executive Director.

Vice President: Assumes the responsibilities of the president in the president's absence. The vice president is learning the president's duties in preparation for a possible future term as president. This position should work closely with the president to support the president in his or her role. Chairing at least one standing committee is often part of the vice president's job. Sometimes an organization has more than one vice president, each being responsible for a particular area of the organization, such as finance or programs.

Secretary:Prepares, maintains and distributes the board's records, such as the minutes, agendas, correspondence and contracts. If your organization has staff performing this function, then the secretary's role often becomes one of ensuring the required duties are carried out.

Treasurer: Oversees the organization's finances. If your organization does not have staff performing the day-to-day financial record keeping, this becomes the treasurer's job. If your organization employs a bookkeeper or financial manager, then the treasurer's role is one of ensuring the overall financial accountability of the organization. The treasurer usually chairs the finance committee and oversees the annual audit. Often the secretary and treasurer roles are combined into one position.

The Power of Attorney and signing authority is usually held by the titled officers of the Organization.

Board members' specific job descriptions will vary from one organization to the next and from one board position to another. But every board member should have a written job description that in some way outlines information on:

Position / Job title
Function / The overall role, purpose or authority of the position
Requirements / The expectations of the position (e.g. time requirements, meeting attendance, committee involvement, financial contribution, etc.), and any qualifications, skills, or knowledge or attributes required
Outcomes / The specific results the position is accountable for, and whom the position is accountable to regarding these outcomes
Duties / The specific activities and responsibilities of the position
Term / The length of time to serve in the position
Evaluation / The way in which performance will be determined
Benefits / The rewards the person may receive in performing this job
Approval and Review Dates / The dates that this job description was approved by the board, and that it is scheduled to be reviewed.

BBSC Mentoring Canada – Board Processes

It is useful to have job descriptions for board members generally, as well as for each of the executive officer positions, committee chairpeople and committee members. When everyone on your board knows what is expected of them, they will all be better equipped to pull together as a team and work effectively towards accomplishing your common goals.

The general functions of a Board of Directors are summarized as follows:

  1. The Board should keep the overall objectives of the program clearly in focus, and satisfy itself that the goals of the particular parts of the organization are in harmony with the broad objectives.
  1. The Board should assure itself that changing conditions are adequately reflected in the program. It should see that continuous planning is carried on, providing vision and a balanced perspective. It should scrutinize all proposals for change in the light of its judgment as to the best long-range course of action. The senior staff person has the obligation to see that the planning procedures are carried out. More than that, the senior executive should feel free to propose courses of action to the Board or make any comments about proposals made by others. The senior executive must realize however, that the Board is fully responsible for the decision.
  1. The Board must select the senior executive.
  1. The Board should accept the obligation of working effectively with the senior executive and, through him/her, the staff.
  1. The Board should assure itself that the work of the agency or association is effectively organized by the proper assignment of responsibilities to staff members and the coordination of these special responsibilities into a harmonious whole. An organizational pattern, at least of a large enterprise, is never a wholly logical and consistent framework. It is, in part, the result of tradition, personality, and varying conceptions of the importance of particular tasks. The senior executive has the immediate responsibility to see that the organization is soundly conceived and operated, or to revise it so that it will be more effective. The Board has the right to expect that it will be kept informed about the form of the organization and that it will approve any major changes in it.
  1. The Board should assure itself that the senior executive discharges effectively those directing powers which lie particularly within his/her area of responsibility. Among these powers are the development of sound personnel policies, both in recruitment and in establishment of optimum conditions of work; the creation of a broad base of participation in decision making among the staff; the resolution of conflicts; the establishment of effective control mechanisms (such as budgeting, accounting, and purchasing) in the work of the agency; and effective use of physical resources. These aspects of administration are, like the development of sound organization, the immediate responsibility of the senior executive. It is, however, the ultimate responsibility of the Board to see that they are performed effectively.
  1. The Board should serve as arbiter in conflicts at the request of the senior executive. The members of the Board usually dislike the duty of being judges, but, on occasion, they cannot escape it, particularly in large and complex enterprises. The senior executive should do all that he/she honorably can to keep the Board from becoming a court of appeal by trying to resolve conflicts himself/herself, or seeing that they are delegated for resolution to the appropriate staff member.
  1. The Board should establish such broad policies governing program as may be necessary to cover continuing or recurrent situations in which uniformity of action is desirable. The Board may not need to frame the policies it adopts; usually, indeed, the policies will be drafted by the senior executive for consideration, revision, and adoption by the Board. Furthermore, once the policies are adopted, either the senior executive, the executive of the Board, or the Board itself may suggest changes at any time. It is the duty of the senior executive to administer the program in terms of these policies, to understand the degree of latitude which is allowed in making exceptions in particular cases, to know when a policy applies and when it does not, and to deal with the situations not covered by policy.
  1. The Board should use the special knowledge and contacts of the individual Board members in the improvement of the program. Board members perform countless minor services for the agency or association, and it is expected that they will do so. They should be certain that these services are appropriate and desired by both Board and staff, since a well-meaning but unwelcome service can create more difficulties than it prevents or eases. When a Board member undertakes a major, direct service, he or she must be particularly sure that he or she does not create problems for the senior executive. Also, both the Board and the senior executive must be careful not to exploit the professional specializations of Board members and ask them to undertake services which it is not appropriate for them to perform without compensation.
  1. The Board should assure itself that the agency or association is effectively integrated with its environment and with the other organizations and public to which it is related.
  1. The Board should accept responsibility for securing adequate financial resources. In the performance of this function, the Board and the senior executive must collaborate closely, with the Board taking an active part. The senior executive may, on occasion, do whatever is necessary to secure financial support himself/herself but ordinarily he/she acts with the Board and often serves merely as its agency.
  1. The Board should assure itself that its basic legal and moral responsibilities are fulfilled. The senior executive should keep the Board informed as to what he/she regards these responsibilities to be.
  1. The Board should develop and abide by rules and procedures governing its own affairs. The Board, and the Board alone, can determine how its structure and operations are to be organized. The senior executive may make suggestions to the Board in this regard, but he/she may go no further than that.
  2. The Board should give to the membership the full support, prestige and leadership of the Board itself and of its individual members.
  1. The Board should do everything in its power to keep its own membership able, broadly representative, and active.
  1. And finally, the Board should appraise the program periodically to assure itself that the objectives are being achieved; if they are not, then either the objectives themselves or the means of achieving them must be revised. The senior executive ordinarily must collect the evidence on which the appraisal is based. Furthermore, he/she has the obligation to present all the findings to the Board, the bad as well as the good. The Board must know the truth about the program in order to know how to improve it.

Roles and Functions – Board Members and Staff