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I’m privileged to serve as the Chair of 100 Women. 100 Women is a giving circle focused on empowering women, both as philanthropists and through the receipt of our grants. It’s a powerfully practical way that women can be involved in positively contributing to their community. 2016 is our third year after launching in 2014 and granting nearly $200,000 since then to six projects. Those grant projects have included: $40,000 to Zonta House Refuge Association in WA to fund the Positive Pathways to Safety from Women, a preventative program assisting women to lead more independent, safe and fulfilling lives. Telethon Kids Institute received $39,450 towards the Remote Aboriginal Women Community Researcher project.The project will train 10 Aboriginal women from remote communities across the Fitzroy Valley to become community researchers, exploring long-term intervention for Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Each woman will be supported to complete a Certificate II in Community Health Research and will have access to valuable work experience for future careers in research. $40,000 to Cambodian Children’s Fund to train Cambodian female police officers in the Child Protection Unit.24 female police officers will receive specialist training for interviewing child victims of serious crimes, assisting in the expedient arrest of offenders. Each will learn how to obtain important facts and evidence from interviews, and importantly reduce the number of times children must recount crimes to local authorities. $20,500 to Classroom of Hope will support young women from rural Cambodia to participate in science and maths studies.With local partner Kampuchean Action for Primary Education, this project empowers 10 young vulnerable women to undertake Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) studies in 2-year tertiary-vocational degrees. Personal development training and career counseling will also be provided to ensure high employment rates upon graduation. $40,000 to Opportunity International to fund Build Healthy Futures, a program in rural Indian communities to train female health leaders in basic health education and empower them to be change agents in their communities. $14,400 to Global Development Group to fund the Restore Rose program in two Cambodian provinces. The program’s main aim is to address the health and hygiene needs of women in villages of extreme poverty. The funds will provide 4800 women with a menstrual cup which will not only give them access to better health but also better access to education and work. These projects were very carefully chosen through a robust and transparent grants assessment and member voting process. It was a dynamic, inspiring and insightful process for all. If you haven’t been involved in 100 Women yet, here are 15 reasons to get involved in 100 Women. Want to join us as a 100 Women member? Find out more about 100 Women > Why join 100 Women - here are 15 reasons! Joining together 1. Meet, gather and network with like-minded people. Now more than ever, we need connections with people who energise our spirit and remind us of the good in the world. 100 Women does this! We are building a diverse community that’s doing their part to change the world for the better. 2. Choose projects to fund collaboratively using the 100 Women grants process. Learn skills to assess grant projects, come together as a team to share your insights. Or if you don’t have time for that, just vote for your favourite project at the end of the process! Impacting women 3. Are women’s issues important? One of our Ambassadors, Rabia Siddique asked two important questions at the Grants Ceremony in 2014 borrowed from Emma Watson’s #heforshe launch speech: Do women’s issues matter?, If not you, than who? and If not now, than when? 4. Learn about women’s issues and why gender based giving makes sense. When you invest in women, the whole community wins. Through our members and grantees, we can learn what the issues are and what projects make the most impact. 5. 100 Women gives to local, national and international projects and organisations. Your donation will benefit both women in your local community and women around the world! Power of Philanthropy 6. Amplify your donation by joining together with others. This is an exciting part of joining a giving circle. Your individual donation can only go so far, but your donation coupled with everyone else’s becomes a grant that funds a women’s project! 7. Learn about philanthropy and how to make your giving count. Our purpose is to ignite women philanthropists into the world! Learn how to increase the impact of your personal giving and giving through 100 Women. 8. Change the perception that philanthropy is just for the rich and famous! Everyone can be a philanthropist and contribute to the greater good. 9. Be involved in one of the fast trends in philanthropy - Giving Circles! Giving circles are an exciting new, collaborative form of philanthropy. Get Involved! 10. Get actively involved in 100 Women. There are many ways to be involved in 100 Women as currently we are completely run by volunteers. Join as a full member, join as a mini circle or join our email database. Contribute your skills and expertise to one of our five sub-committees - Membership and Events, Operations and Finance, Marketing and Communications, Events, and Grants. 11. Learn skills to get involved in the community more broadly. Our members have said they have learnt skills and gained confidence to be involved in other community organisations such as becoming a Board member, mentor or volunteer. Be inspired and be inspiring 12. Become a role model in your family and community by being part of the 100 Women movement. This is bigger than just you and me, it’s about a community of women coming together and helping other women who don’t have the same advantages that we do. 13. Feel proud to be involved. Members tell me all the time how proud they feel to be involved in such a wonderful inspiring cause. When was the last time you felt proud? 14. Step up! For the majority of our members, $1200 is a step up in their philanthropy. This is so 100 Women can provide large, high-impact grants to projects and organisations. Our intention is to build a strong, sustainable source of funding for women’s projects. Remember it’s a tax deduction and 100% of your donation goes to the grants too! 15. We created this! Together we’ve started our own funding source. The grants mentioned above have been funded by people power. This is incredibly inspiring and exciting. If you’re inspired by this come join the fun and spread the word! Join as a 100 Women member here and share the message with others. Save -
During January, all Board Book Pack (10 copies) orders for Difference Makers: A Leader's Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards receives 20% off and free shipping when you order a Board Book Pack - click here. What's the book about? Difference Makers: A Leader’s Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards reframes the debate about who can participate in board directorship. Dr Nicky Howe and I share our experience developing the award winning board governance program for young aspiring directors and the research on how diversity can enhance problem solving, spark innovation and ultimately build better boards and organisations. The book includes: Tools and templates to make your board’s diversity journey easier and more effective Personal strategies to develop your own personal commitment to diversity Board strategies including how to develop a board diversity policy and enhance recruitment, nomination and meeting processes Real life case studies ...and much more! Reward your board directors! Reward your board directors with a small gift that supports their development and improves business outcomes. Interested? Order a board book pack for your board members in January and receive 10 copies of the book plus free postage for just $24 per book. That’s a 20% discount plus FREE postage - a saving of $80! Orders must be made before the end of January. Difference Makers is a great addition to your board professional development program or a useful holiday reading gift! Order your book pack here. Just want to order a single copy of the book, click here. -
What is the #1000youngdirectors campaign? The #1000youngdirectors campaign aims to ignite 1000 young directors onto community boards to increase diversity, support succession planning and improve our local communities through better discussions, decisions and outcomes on boards. We believe when a variety of perspectives are included around the boardroom - everyone wins. More robust discussions happen, the community is represented better and generations work together for the betterment of society. The question is not why would you involve a young professional under 40 on your NFP board. The real question is why wouldn't you? Why do we need more diversity on boards? Research undoubtedly shows that diversity improves financial performance, innovation, reputation and decision making. This occurs when a wide range of perspectives are taken into consideration¹. This means including diverse perspectives is not only the right thing to do morally, it's also good business sense! What is the current diversity on boards? 57% of Board members on ASX200 Boards are over the age of 60² only 23.4% of ASX200 Boards have female representation³ 3.2% of Board members onASX200 Boards are from an Asian cultural background4 Is it any better on NFP Boards? The respondents of the AICD's 2016 NFP Governance and Performance study included: 61% male and 39% female 7% under 40, 18% between 40 - 49, 40% between 50 - 59 and 35% over 60 So yes, there is work to be done! Igniting 1000 more young directors (under the age of 40) on community boards is a MASSIVE goal. So here's how we want to support change! What can you expect? Young Board Director Profiles - #1000youngdirectors You can't be what you can't see! Each Wednesday (starting tomorrow!), Alyceum will profile impressive young board directors from around Australia. We have an incredible list of young board directors to share with you already. You will find them on our Facebook page and Linkedin page. If you would like to be included in this series or know someone who should be profiled, complete the form at the end of this post. Please use the hashtag #1000youngdirectors to share wins, add resources and promote the young board director profiles! Tools and Resources Learning the ropes! We will be blogging tools and resources and hosting online webinars here to help you get onto community boards. Discover what it means to be a board director, what the role involves, how to find a board position and more! You may want to sign up to our mailing list! Register for the Board Ignition Online Course Fast track your board journey here! Alyceum has created an exciting online resource for young professionals (or anyone!) who are keen to get their first community board appointment. We have a very special pre-order offer during our launch month - June 2017. So if you're keen, this is the course for you! Buy the Difference Makers Book Pack Discuss the benefits of diversity on your board Alicia Curtis along with Dr Nicky Howe have written a practical board guide for championing diversity called Difference Makers: A Leader's Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards. As part of this campaign, we are promoting a Board Book Pack of 10 books for your board directors for $240. This is a 20% discount on the retail price of $29.95 each plus we will ship to you for free! Order your Board Book Pack here. Share about this campaign Involve your workplace or community board by downloading and sharing the following posters: About the Campaign About the Business Case for Diversity About the Board Ignition Online Course About the Difference Makers Book Be Profiled If you're under 40 years old and on a community board, add your details here to be profiled in this campaign. Please like our social media pages too (our Facebook page and Linkedin page). #1000youngdirectors campaign Join and support the #1000youngdirectors campaign to promote and recognise age diversity on boards. Name First Last Email What state do you live?Current Board appointment/s (and any leadership positions held)Previous Board appointment/s (and any leadership positions held)Social Media Links Facebook Profile Linkedin Profile Twitter handle Share 1-2 sentences about your experience as a board director.Share a piece of advice for aspiring board directors to attain their first board position.Share a photo of yourselfCAPTCHA ¹Howe, N.J and Curtis, A (2016) Difference Makers: A Leaders Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards, pp 25-29 2 http://www.corrs.com.au/news/asx-200-Boards-are-getting-younger/ 3 http://www.companydirectors.com.au/director-resource-centre/governance-and-director-issues/Board-diversity/30-per-cent-by-2018 4 http://www.afr.com/leadership/management/hiring/smaller-asx-listed-companies-are-letting-the-side-down-on-diversity-20160405-gnyhyl -
Alyceum is proud to be announced as one of Westpac's 200 Businesses of Tomorrow from over 2000 applications across Australia. As part of the announcement, the 200 businesses were invited to a Business Summit in Sydney with speakers such as Marc Randolph, co-founder of Netflix and David Lindberg, Westpac Chief Executive, Business Bank among others. I traveled over with my 6-month old son and my mum who cared for him so I was able to attend the Summit. Big props to Westpac too for making them feel so welcome. Talk about the new way of business! During the Summit, we explored future business trends, what it takes to be innovative and how Australia can further foster entrepreneurship. Here are some of my key take-aways: Marc Randolph, Co-founder, Netflix The innovation process is about your ability to have lots of ideas, validate them as quickly and cheaply as possible until you find one that sticks. Innovation needs persistence and optimism. Take your ideas and collide with customers. Panel Session with Mia Freedman, Mamamia, Dare Jennins, Deus Ex Machina, Rachael Powell, Xero and Andre Eikmeier, Vinomofo Attract your tribe through content that shows who you are. Technology can help you scale the human experience. David Linberg, Westpac Chief Executive, Business Banking Key business trends include running service based businesses, selling to (rather than buying from) China, automation and robotics, purpose in business, gig economy and changing demographics. Bernard Salt, Demographer Australia has the largest proportion of city population comprising of international born residents (Perth, 41%, Sydney 42%) Australia is not creating big businesses. All our major businesses where founded in the late 1800's and early 1900s (think BHP, Telstra, Wesfarmers, Woolworths and the Banks) compared to 5/10 of America's biggest businesses (Think Apple, Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Amazon) which were founded in the last 30 years. It was a fantastic Summit to meet inspiring entrepreneurs from around Australia and think about society will look like in 2020, 2030 and 2050. Thank you Westpac for the honour of being named in the inaugural list and for the Summit experience. Want to follow Alyceum's journey? Sign up to our Newsletter Register here and receive a free chapter of my book, Difference Makers: A Leader's Guide to Diversity on Boards. -
Meet our first 8 young board directors! The #1000youngdirectors campaign has started with a bang and it's been wonderful to profile and share some AMAZING Board Directors. The campaign is growing too with young professionals contributing these details to be profiled every day. Do you know a young director who should be profiled? Enter your profile or read more about the campaign here. Look out for the #1000youngdirectors hashtag for board vacancies to help get your first board appointment too. Here are our first group of inspiring profiles. Rhys Williams Mayor in the Making Rhys has had extensive board experience in both government and the community sector. He currently serves as the Chair of the Mandurah Performing Arts Centre and John Tonkin College and is also a board member of Regional Development Australia Peel. Rhys previously served as the Chair on the Diversity South board and the treasurer for the Small Business Centre Peel board in 2015. Prior to that, he served on boards for the Peel Region Planning Committee, iPeel, Peel Development Commission, Regional Development Australia (Peel), South Halls Head Primary School, City of Mandurah and the Peel Community Development Group. Krista McMeeken Reconciliation Campaigner Krista serves on the board of Celebrate WA, the Museum for Freedom and Tolerance (WA) and the Western Australian Aboriginal Advisory Council. Celebrate WA is a not-for-profit organisation that focuses on the promotion and organisation of WA Day celebrations. Krista received the Human Rights Awards Young People's Medal in 2012 and was listed in the Westpac and Australian Financial Review 100 Women of Influence Young Leader category in 2013. Dr Sam Prince Entrepreneurial Innovator Sam is the founder and chair of One Disease. One Disease has a mission to eliminate preventable disease from remote Indigenous communities. Sam received the Young Australian of the Year, ACT award in 2012 for his efforts with One Disease. Sam has also established several other organisations including the Mexican franchise Zambrero , incorporating a humanitarian 'Plate 4 Plate' scheme- for each purchase, a plate of food is donated to someone in a developing country. More recently Sam has also founded Life Letters, bringing accessible genetic testing to Australian healthcare community. Marita Cheng Technology Pioneer Marita has extensive board experience. She currently serves as a technology advisory board member for Clinton Health Access Initiative Inc. She is the founder of Robogals Global and currently serves as a board member. Robogals aims to increase the number of girls studying science, engineering and technology disciplines at a tertiary level and to provide leadership opportunities for female engineering students. Marita also sits on the board for the Victorian State Innovation Expert Panel and has also served on the board for the Foundation for Young Australians since 2012. In 2012, she won Young Australian of the Year. Nicole Brown Women's Supporter Nicole has served on the board for DressForSuccess Sydney from 2015. Dress for Success is an organisation that supports women to achieve self-sufficiency and financial independence, providing clothing, styling advice and confidence building support. Nicole also undertook a Graduate Diploma in Corporate Governance to enhance her contribution to her corporate and not-for-profit roles. Max Wasley Project Design, Measurement and Reporting Enthusiast Max has served as a board member for Youth Without Borders since November 2014. Youth Without Borders is a youth-led organisation that empowers young people to collectively lead positive change in their communities through collaborative projects. Liz Rhodes Passionate Contributor Liz currently serves on the board for Oaktree. Oaktree is a youth-run organisation seeking to end poverty. "I had recently finished up working at Oaktree and was asked to join the board. It was a great way to stay involved with the organisation and contribute to something I'm passionate about, but also I wanted to gain skills and experience in governance and strategic thinking. Her advice for young professionals wanting to find their first board position: "Growing your network to include people who are actively on boards and being open about wanting to be on a board is my advice. Our board recruits through people we know and are connected to and I'm sure many others are the same." Marc Zen Health Promoter Marc has served as a board member for the Australian Association of Adolescent Health (AAAH) and was elected as the secretary in 2015. AAAH endeavours to improve and advocate for the health of young people across Australia. Marc completed the Emerging Leaders in Governance Program (ELGP) in 2015. Want to find your first NFP Board position? Register here to receive our free Checklist: 15 Ways to Find a NFP Board position -
“If our hopes of building a better and safer world are to become more than wishful thinking, we will need the engagement of volunteers more than ever.” — Kofi Annan Is it your time to step up and gift your time and talents to a good cause? Being a Board Director on a Not-For-Profit Board is a fulfilling experience. You may be giving your time, expertise and networks but you gain so much in return. Over the past five years, I’ve been so fortunate to be involved in a life changing program called Engaging Young Leaders on Aged Care and Community Boards. Since the pilot program was funded by a Social Innovation grant in 2013, this program has championed diversity on Not-For-Profit boards. There is no other program like it across Australia! I’ve worked with, trained and supported nearly 100 young professionals to find board positions. I’ve been fortunate to organise site visits, hear from the most amazing CEOs and explore what it means to be an outstanding board director. In 2016, I co-authored the book, Difference Makers: A Leader’s Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards. These experiences have complimented my own journey on a number of Not-For-Profit boards over the past 15 years and my love of volunteering to community causes with a purpose to making the world a better place. “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” — Mahatma Gandhi Then the Board Ignition Course was born. The Board Ignition Course challenged me to take my vision for board diversity to the next level. How can I support even more people - young professionals, entrepreneurs, young women, culturally diverse leaders - to step up onto Boards. I believe: Board directorships are a privilege, to play your part in making the community a better place We need diversity of thought, background, ideas and demographics, now more than ever on NFP boards If you are committed, open to learning and passionate, you can serve on an NFP board! I love the medium of online - it allows me to be creative in shaping inspiring resources that anyone can access at any time. My aim is to bring the topic of board leadership alive with engaging resources to share my knowledge and passion! This program brings together: board governance knowledge and resources inspiring board director interviews from across Australia insight personal development resources to build your leadership practical challenges to help you get your first board directorship But more than this, the Board Ignition Course is the opportunity to build a community of leaders who are keen to give their greatest talents in service to a better world. Launch Month Offer Join in June 2017 and receive the following benefits: 1. Your own signed copy of the Book, Difference Makers: A Leader's Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards We will post you a copy of this inspiring read written by Alicia Curtis and Dr Nicky Howe based on their experience supporting young professionals to join Not-For-Profit boards. 2. Seven Deadly Sins of Meeting Facilitators Ebook Improve your meeting facilitation skills by avoiding these common meeting mistakes. This practical ebook is jam packed with ready to use strategies. 3. The ESSENTIAL Governance/Leadership Reading list Don't know where to start? Get my essential list of books to learn more about board leadership and governance. 4. PLUS an invite to a LIVE WEBINAR on the 5 Biggest Myths of NFP Board Leadership Alicia Curtis will be facilitating a webinar on the 5 myths of NFP board leadership ONLY for those who have signed up in June 2017. Enrol now to get instant access to the course. Still got questions? Read the course information page here. -
I've worked with hundreds of young professionals who are keen to step up onto a Not-For-Profit Board. Many of these young professionals are motivated to contribute their skills, give back to the community and develop themselves as leaders. These people often have many questions: Is a board position really for me? What am I really getting myself into? Do I have anything of value to contribute in the boardroom? How do I get my first board directorship? I've heard from and spoken to young professionals all across Australia who are keen to develop their board directorship skills and find their first appointment. The Board Ignition course is now a resource collating all my experiences in the Not-For-Profit sector and supporting young professionals take their next step onto a board. Who is the Board Ignition course for? Are you keen to give your time, talent and networks to assist a good cause as a board director? This course is perfect is you are: A life long leaner and interested in serving the Not-For-Profit (NFP) sector Keen to explore the key responsibilities of NFP directors Interested in capturing your unique value proposition for a NFP board Ready to learn strategies to get your first board appointment Open to developing your personal leadership skills What this course is not? This course is not: An accredited board governance program (although we do recommend some in the course!) A face to face program (No! You can be based anywhere and access it!) A board matching process (Don't worry, we'll give you the best advice to find a board role!) What's included in the Board Ignition Course? There are eight modules included in the program: Why join a community board? Are you board ready? Your board leadership Finding a board position Before joining a board Inside the board room First time on a board - what to expect? The journey of an outstanding board director Each module includes: Module welcome and an online workbook Video interviews with an experienced board director including summary notes and reflection questions Practical challenges to spur you into action Further resources including videos, blogs and reports See inside the modules here - The course fee gives you 12 months access to all the course resources. Launch Month Offer Join in June 2017 and receive the following benefits: 1. Your own signed copy of the Book, Difference Makers: A Leader's Guide to Championing Diversity on Boards We will post you a copy of this inspiring read written by Alicia Curtis and Dr Nicky Howe based on their experience supporting young professionals to join Not-For-Profit boards. 2. Seven Deadly Sins of Meeting Facilitators Ebook Improve your meeting facilitation skills by avoiding these common meeting mistakes. This practical ebook is jam packed with ready to use strategies. 3. The ESSENTIAL Governance/Leadership Reading list Don't know where to start? Get my essential list of books to learn more about board leadership and governance. 4. PLUS an invite to a LIVE WEBINAR on the 5 Biggest Myths of NFP Board Leadership Alicia Curtis will be facilitating a webinar on the 5 myths of NFP board leadership ONLY for those who have signed up in June 2017. Enrol now to get instant access to the course. Still got questions? Read the course information page here. -
I know, I know, you're eager to join a NFP board. But before you say ‘yes’ straight away to the board that’s just offered you a position, have you done your due diligence? What is due diligence? The dictionary definitions go something like... • Action that is considered reasonable for people to be expected to take in order to keep themselves, others or property safe. • The details examination of a company and it’s financial records, done before becoming involved in a business arrangement with it. You must ascertain whether the board role is going to be a great decision for you, the board and the organisation. Accepting a board role is a long term commitment so ensure you understand the expectations, role and people so it’s a good fit for you. Here are 10 questions to ask a prospective board to help you understand whether the board position is a right fit for you. Ready for it? Here we go. 1. What are you looking for in a director? Does your knowledge, skills, networks and time available fit with what the board is looking for? You want to make sure this is a long term commitment and confirm you are not only a good match, but the perfect one! 2. What’s the commitment expected? A board will have Terms of Reference or Board Charter which defines the roles, responsibilities and processes of the board. This might be a good place to start researching and ask any questions you may have. You may also want to see a copy of the constitution too. Think about the time involved, meetings and preparation, any networking or fundraising you need to commit to and get a sense of the annual cycle of activities. 3. Tell me about the current directors - what are their roles? How long have they been on the board? You want to get a good sense of the culture of the board. Are the current board directors active, interested and involved? Do they turn up on time and prepared for the meeting? Are they open to new ideas? Are they people you respect and maybe even admire? You will be working pretty closely with your fellow board directors so check them out and make sure it’s a good fit. 4. Does the organisation have a strong vision for the future and a strategy to achieve it? Does the organisation know where it’s headed? Does it have a clear picture of where it wants to be in 1, 5 or 10 years time? What’s the current strategy to get there? You may also want to see the minutes of previous meetings to see if the discussions at meetings are aligned with the organisation’s vision and strategy. 5. What’s the current financial position of the organisation? You will want to see the financial statements to see the financial health of the organisation. You want to make sure the organisation is solvent, has stable income streams and a clear budget, and have processes in place to review the financials regularly. You may also want to confirm what checks and balances are in place to ensure the validity of the information that is being reported to you as a board director. 6. Does the organisation have the appropriate insurances? This can include insurance for the organisation as well as insurance to cover you as a director including Directors liability insurance, professional indemnity or fraud insurance. Confirm what levels of insurance is offered to board directors and if you must contribute to helping pay for it. 7. What’s the relationship between board directors and their stakeholders? Organisation employees, politicians, funding bodies and end users – there are many types of relationships that board directors might have with the stakeholders of the organisation. Who are the stakeholders and what are the expectations of each of these relationships? 8. What’s the induction process for new board directors? Ok, so you’re getting closer to making a decision, what’s the next steps look like? You will want access to all the board documentation, meet the staff and perhaps tour the facilities. If you’re a younger or less experienced director, you may want to be teamed up with a board mentor if possible to debrief board meetings to help expedite your learning journey. 9. Is there an evaluation process in place? How do board directors evaluate their own performance and as a team? Is there a culture of learning and improvement? To be honest, some organisations might not have this in place, but it might be a great point to highlight in your discussions with them. 10. What resources are there to support me as a board director? Training – formal or informal, ongoing mentoring, staff support or an honorarium may be offered to support board directors in their role. It’s a good idea to know what support is offered from the start and how it can be best used to support you in the role. What other questions could you ask? This list is a good starting point and definitely not an exhaustive list. You may have other questions depending on the organisation or the role. The point is not to take on a board role lightly, take your time and consider if it’s right for you. This will benefit you and the board in the long run. Now over to you: Does it seem like the organisation is a fit? What are your thoughts? I'd love to hear them! -
Before you read further take a moment to estimate how many hours a week/month a role on a NFP Board involves? What would be your guess? Serving on a community board is a wonderful opportunity. When you find the right board role for you, it should energise you despite the time you devote to it. It may energise you through the tasks you are completing, the people you are working with (your fellow board directors) or the impact you are creating. Let’s face it though, it’s really important to understand exactly the hours involved in a NFP Board position before you accept. The true answer to the time questions above is that it depends on the board, role and organisation as to many hours you need to commit. However let me break down what the commitment could look like so you can get a sense of the components of a board role. Board Meetings Most Boards would meet either monthly, every second month or quarterly from 2 hours to 5 hours each. This would be your core responsibility to prepare, meet and participate. Most board meetings might require this same time again in preparing for board meetings by reading the board papers, thinking through decisions and questions. You may pose these questions to the CEO or staff before a meeting or let them know that you will ask these questions at the meeting. You may also need to prepare reports for the meeting yourself such as Sub Committee reports, Board papers with an idea or suggestion, or you may have prepared a piece of work for the Board’s consideration such an update to a policy document. Board meetings are the foundations of your board responsibility so attendance at each and every one is critical. Sub Committee Meetings Most Boards have Sub Committees that you would either lead or play a role in to support the Board in the work that’s required. These Sub Committees have their own Terms of Reference and meetings can occur sometime occur less often than a Board meeting for 1- 2 hours. These Sub Committees could include Governance, Audit and Risk, Financial/Budget, Fundraising, Board Nominations, Clinical Governance and Marketing and Communications as examples. Sub Committees are used to delegate work by the Board so they can focus their time at Board meetings. Sub Committees can provide information and make recommendations to the Board for action that’s needed. Annual Strategy Session/s Most boards may have a separate session focused on reviewing the strategy. This could involve a day or two to review the current strategy, monitor progress of the strategy or develop a new strategy. It may be an off site event where the board travels to a different location. There may also be a number of meetings to prepare for the annual strategy session too. Leadership Responsibilities If you hold any leadership responsibilities (Board Chair, Secretary, Treasurer, Sub Committee Chair), this will involve further hours to prepare, connect with staff or your fellow board members. Preparation could include developing reports, agendas, work with the CEO or gather information for the Board papers. And let’s not forget emails too – this is a responsibility of all board directors! Representation You may be called to represent the board at further meetings and events. This could include meeting various stakeholders, speaking at events on behalf of the organisation, attending networking events or meeting with donors. Social Activities Many organisations have a range of social activities that board directors can or must be involved with. This may give board members an opportunity to meet and speak with staff, members or recipients of their services. This could include Christmas parties, National Volunteer Week or an annual awards celebrations. Some boards may share dinner together before or after a board meeting too. So how much does this equal to? So a Board commitment could be anywhere between one to four days a month. This would mostly be done outside of normal working hours. In fact, in a previous Australian Institute of Company Directors NFP Governance Report, it suggested that most NFP Board members contributes 35 days a year to their board position. 35 days per year is just under 3 days a month. So how does that sit with your expectations? Surprised at the commitment? Ready for the commitment? It’s definitely good to know what you’re in for! -
Having coached many young professionals seeking board positions, I can tell you the biggest barrier holding many people back….and no it’s not their skills, their networks, their experience or their education. What is it? It’s their own personal belief that they have no value to give. I can't tell you how many people tell me they are worried they might not bring enough value to the boardroom. I admire their humility and it is often the most amazing leaders who show this humility too! How common is this? In the Board Ignition online course, I have interviewed some super experienced directors from around Australia. I wasn't surprised to hear that Dr Sue van Leeuwen had also experienced this hesitation by prospective board directors. By the way, Dr Sue van Leeuwen is an inspiring business and community leader with 25 years experience on a range for boards. Listen to her articulate the problem and what she suggests to aspiring board directors. https://vimeo.com/228192785 So as Sue says, say yes! Be aware, connected and interested. Ask questions, do your homework AND get ready to learn and work hard! Board directorships can be the BEST leadership learning experiences" So how do you overcome feelings of self doubt? 1. Clarify what you bring to the table In the Board Ignition online course, we have a process to understand your board value proposition. This includes your professional skills, networks, education, passions and strengths. We do a lot of thinking about the value you bring, so it's clarified in your own mind, it's easy to communicate this to a prospective board and once you get onto a board, you can begin being a proactive board director from day one! 2. Surround yourself with the right people Ask experienced board directors or mentors for feedback on your skills and what you can do to become highly valued in the board room. Most of the time, it's easier for other people to see the value that we can offer so having a mentor highlight this for you is priceless! 3. Do the work Yes you may have value to offer but you might need a little work to connect all the dots!! Learn more about the Not for Profit sector, board governance and board leadership. Develop your network and build your own self awareness about how you are perceived in teams. Don’t let a lack of confidence get in the way of your board journey. Are you ready for your first Board appointment? Check out our Board Ignition online course - a 8-module self paced online course designed to fast track your journey to your first board appointment. Enrol now to get instant access to the course. Still got questions? Read the course information page here. -
Any great leader worth their salt has a life long desire to be stretched. We do this with our technical expertise all the time - books, training or conferences and if we are committed, we do this with our leadership capacity too. What informs your understanding of leadership? When I look at most leadership books and conferences these days, my eyes glaze over. Why? It seems like the same ‘voices’ get promoted time and time again. The same leadership messages arise and build the basis of our leadership understanding. What if you are not challenging ourselves enough? Is it time to break free from those ‘voices’ and listen to a new tune? Do you challenge your leadership thinking or stay where it’s comfortable? When was the last time you read a leadership book by a female, an author that’s not American or from non-Caucasian background? Time to break out I am constantly mindful of what sources I read and recommend to ensure I’m getting a variety of leadership perspectives. I’m interested in broadening my sources so I’m not always reading leadership from the perspective of a white American male which can easily be the case. I have plenty of those books on my bookshelf already and learned a lot, but... No one gender, generation or geography has the monopoly on great leadership So I would love to hear your favourite books on leadership from a variety of authors - I want to stretch and challenge my knowledge and understanding of leadership. Here are some of my recommendations: Who Do We Choose to Be? Facing Reality, Claiming Leadership, Restoring Sanity by Margaret Wheatley Leading from the Emerging Future: From Ego-System to Eco-System Economies by Otto Scharmer and Dr. Katrin Kaufer Reinventing Organisations: A Guide to Creating Organisations Inspired by the Next State of Human Consciousness by Frederic Laloux Collective Genius: The Art and Practice of Leading Innovation by Linda Hill, Greg Brandeau, Emily Truelove and Kent Lineback Act Like a Leader, Think like a Leader by Herminia Ibarra Presence: Bring your Boldest Self to your Biggest Challenges by Amy Cuddy Radical Candor: How to be a Great Boss without Losing your Humanity by Kim Scott Open Leadership: How Social Technology can Transform the Way you Lead by Charlene Li Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain Business as Unusual by Anita Roddick Creating a World Without Poverty: Social Business and the Future of Capitalism by Muhammad Yunus Let’s bring a variety of voices to the table. In fact, let’s give them a loud speaker too. Join Alicia's leadership community here First NameLast NameYour Email* CAPTCHA
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