While not very exciting, the above job description is straightforward. This distinction is important because most secretaries will not bear the responsibility of managing membership programs designed to engage the community in programs or charitable giving. If your organization's office is not well organized, this is something that should be addressed right away. When board members and staff cross lines, things get messy. The Board Secretary should maintain and preserve all organization records in a secure location that is approved by the board. Recording detailed minutes is certainly an important skill and arguably one of the most critical responsibilities of the board secretary. After minutes are approved, the secretary and board chair should sign the minutes before entering them into the records. Report this post; Rofidah Azman Follow Director of First Impression . Concise and transparent records are more important than ever. They confirm the approval of key policies and create a historical timeline of the organization’s growth and impact. by Crystal Gilliam. A good secretary must be organized to a fault, particularly if she is responsible for working with several departments at once. Depending on the type of organisation, whether you are at a fairly junior level, or the role is voluntary and you’re an elected member of a committee, it’s probably best to discuss these responsibilities with the chair in advance to make sure that your intervention will be welcomed. – Towers Watson Directors & Officers Liability Survey. It is helpful if contact information also includes a “preferred communication method” for each member, so the secretary knows which board members respond best to a hardcopy document, email, social media message, or phone call. If you look around your board table and are forced to “settle” for someone who is simply willing to “take notes,” it is time to begin an intentional process for identifying, recruiting, and onboarding qualified board members. It is helpful if contact information also includes a “preferred communication method” for each member, so the secretary knows which board members respond best to a hardcopy document, email, social media message, or phone call.

When board members and staff cross lines, things get messy. Make sure that your secretary fulfills this requirement; this is also one of the must-have qualities of a good secretary. 10 qualities you should have to be a good secretary Published on June 18, 2015 June 18, 2015 • 20 Likes • 7 Comments. Thereby ensuring that board members can review minutes while the meeting conversations are still “fresh” in their minds. Most assume that the title ‘secretary’ is synonymous with “note-taker” and that the secretary’s one and only function is to successfully record the minutes of the board meetings. If your organization operates with a membership model, the secretary should be involved in maintaining membership lists. There is a clear division of labor between the job responsibilities of board members and of nonprofit staff. Use the office to store all relevant documentation and try to employ the same filing … The board secretary ensures that key policies and procedures are not sitting on a shelf collecting dust. The secretary minutes can also serve as evidence in a lawsuit against your organization’s directors and officers. By improving and perfecting your communication and organization skills, you can become an expert secretary and an indispensable part of a team, making your employment more engaging, secure, and enjoyable. This is accomplished by ensuring that board members govern and operate according to the organization’s stated bylaws and approved policies.

As board members complete their service term, the secretary should send them a reminder acknowledging the end of their term limit and thanking them for their service. How to Be an Effective Secretary. This officer should be your “board expert” on policies and procedures such as the articles of incorporation, bylaws, standard operating procedures, principle operating principles, child protection or client protection policies, non-discrimination, conflict of interest, zero-tolerance harassment policies or any other key governing and operating processes your board has approved. , to get your organization in the right roles. Choosing a career path as a secretary can be fulfilling, and successful secretaries often become essential parts of the organisation. Also, all board members should be instructed to inform the secretary in writing if they are going to miss a scheduled meeting (excused or unexcused absence), renew their board term limit (upon invitation of the board), or resign from the board. How to be productive throughout the day in the office or at home. The secretary should be prepared to call attention to policies and procedures during board meetings and decision-making processes to ensure that the board is transparent, ethical, and compliant.

Being a good secretary means being prepared, efficient, and well organized. Membership governance models indicate that the power of decision-making rests on the full body of “members” rather than a governing board of directors. The secretary must also be capable of extracting and communicating key information from lengthy conversations. New and emerging nonprofit leaders from around the world receive our weekly updates.

… Schedule a Call If you are grooming a new board secretary, consider directing the new officer to Robert’s Rule of Order. Previous article. Keep in mind that a membership governance model is NOT synonymous with a membership program. An informed and engaged secretary contributes to vital record-keeping and helps protect the organization. Although the title "secretary" is declining in use in favor of "administrative assistant," the two positions handle many of the same functions. The secretary should review the minutes and distribute them to the full board of directors ideally within 48-hours of the meetings, but no later than 7 days after the meeting. child protection or client protection policies, development director or resource development. Rather, they must do it because they love to do it. This practice allows blank pages to be used to note all proposed amendments. by Funding For Good | Oct 30, 2019 | Board Development | 0 comments. The board minutes, once approved by the board, become the official record of the organization. Organization. Your board might require that all hard copy official records be kept in a secure location at the office to ensure that board members have access or that the secretary utilize a file-sharing system to store and distribute digital records. So, a good secretary isn’t doing what they do because it is their job. The minutes do not become official organization “records” until the board approves the minutes. Use this free “Get in your Lane” infographic, from our friends at Mind the Gap Consulting, to get your organization in the right roles. As the organization’s “Communicator in Chief,” the board secretary should always have the most current contact information for board and staff members on file. Due to the increased numbers of legal claims filed annually against nonprofit directors and officers over the past decade, documentation is critical. Many organizations look to the Executive Director or Board Chair to send out reminders for meetings, but the leadership team should be turning to the Secretary to send out all official “calls to meeting.”. You, as secretary, can ensure that this does not happen. The ideal secretary is organized, detail-oriented, and knowledgeable about the inner workings of the nonprofit. Remember, the board secretary’s responsibility does not end when the meeting adjourns. Robert’s Rule of Order even provides specific instructions indicating that all key governing policies should be maintained in one notebook with a blank page separating content pages. While not required, the most engaged board secretary might also chair a “governance committee or task force” that is responsible for reviewing key policies, initiating board amendment processes, editing and approving policies/procedures, and contributing to the leadership development processes such as the onboarding or offboarding of board members. Robert’s Rule of Order clarifies that a secretary might also bear the title of “Clerk, Recording Secretary, Recorder, or Scribe.”. Of all the “Officer Positions” on the nonprofit board, the board secretary role is often the most misunderstood and under-appreciated. There is a clear division of labor between the job responsibilities of board members and of nonprofit staff.

A good Secretary will: A good Secretary will NOT: Be organised.


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