Before You Say Yes .... Doreen Pendgracs

      

      BEFORE

      YOU

      SAY YES...

      BEFORE

      YOU

      SAY YES...

      A Guide to the

      Pleasures and Pitfalls

      of Volunteer Boards

      DOREEN PENDGRACS

      FOREWORD BY MARIAN HEBB

      DUNDURN PRESS

      TORONTO

      Copyright © Doreen Pendgracs, 2010

      All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise (except for brief passages for purposes of review) without the prior permission of Dundurn Press. Permission to photocopy should be requested from Access Copyright.

      Editor: Allison Hirst

      Designer: Jennifer Scott

      Printer: Transcontinental

       Library and Archives Canada Cataloguing in Publication

      Pendgracs, Doreen

       Before you say yes-- : a guide to the pleasures and pitfalls of volunteer boards / by

      Doreen Pendgracs.

      ISBN 978-1-55488-703-3

      1. Associations, institutions, etc.--Management. 2. Boards of directors. 3. Voluntarism.

      I. Title.

      HN49.V64P45 2010 658’.048 C2009-907454-0

      1 2 3 4 5 14 13 12 11 10

      We acknowledge the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the Ontario Arts Council for our publishing program. We also acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada through the Book Publishing Industry Development Program and The Association for the Export of Canadian Books, and the Government of Ontario through the Ontario Book Publishers Tax Credit program, and the Ontario Media Development Corporation.

      Care has been taken to trace the ownership of copyright material used in this book. The author and the publisher welcome any information enabling them to rectify any references or credits in subsequent editions.

       J. Kirk Howard, President

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      CONTENTS

Foreword by Marian Hebb

Acknowledgements

Author’s Note

Introduction

Chapter 1: Leave Your Hat at the Door

       Only You Can Decide

       All for One and One for All

       Does Size Matter?

       Tips for Board Members

Chapter 2: Just What Do They Want from Me?

       Ethical Decision-making

       Understanding Fiduciary Duty

       Board Confidentiality

       Using Tip Sheets

       What Are Your Rights?

       Chapter 3: What Kind of Board Is This?

       Styles of Board Governance

       How Formal Is the Board?

       Board Etiquette

       Understanding Robert’s Rules of Order

       Chapter 4: Help!

       Orientation and Training

       Performance Evaluations

       Chapter 5: Limit Your Exposure

       Directors and Officers Insurance

       Questions to Ask

       Who and What Is Covered?

       Sample D&O Claims

       Chapter 6: Are You Ready?

       “Disaster Plans”

       Establishing an Executive Committee

       Chapter 7: Are We Compatible?

       Why Me?

       How Long Are You In For?

       Finding a Good Fit

       Chapter 8: Let’s Get Together

       Board Meetings

       You’re Virtually There

       Butters’ Tips on Embracing Technology

       Dinosaurs Won’t Cut It

       Chapter 9: Show Me the Money

       What Is Fair?

       Payment of Expenses and Honoraria

       Financial Statements and Budgets