Thoughts from the Charter President.....
Any board, whether big corporation or a non-profit, has a basic responsibility for the overall smooth and efficient operation of the organization. They have a basic responsibility for “Good Governance”. They are fiduciaries who steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the organization has adequate resources to advance its mission.
The standard Rotary Club Constitution and standard Rotary Club By-Laws provide a basic template which all Rotary Clubs must follow in setting up their Board of Directors. The size of the board can be influenced by the size of the club. Small clubs typically have smaller boards than larger clubs. Larger clubs may tend to have more committees and activities which require more coordination at the board level. In many cases the committee chairs are members of the board.
The basic decision making in a Rotary Club is driven by the committees and their input to the club board is used by the board in setting priorities.
A club committee chair: Oversees committee functions; convenes regular committee meetings and activities; supervises and coordinates the committee's work and reports committee activities to club board.
Identification of a need in a community. Typically, a committee will identify a need in some community. This may involve a community assessment process. The size of the need (financial and member commitment) is quantified and a proposal is made to the board on: what the project is, how it aligns with club focus and Rotary International focus, who will champion the project, membership participation, project risks, potential partners identified, timing of the project, financial resources needed for the project, duration of the project and measures of success and sustainability.
There may be multiple projects proposed by various committees which can compete for club financial and member resources. No matter how large a club, this balancing of needs versus financial and member resources is a continuing challenge. If the fundraising committee can not raise all the funds required for the proposed projects then how to resolve this discrepancy? That is what the board must resolve.
If there is not sufficient membership numbers or interest in supporting the project, can new members be brought in to support the project? For long-term project sustainability, this may require the Membership Committee focusing on certain skills in potential new members. To do this, the Membership Committee may require additional funding for a special membership campaign. Do these financial resources exists in the club? The board must access this versus other club commitments in making this decision.
As said at the beginning, the club board has the responsibility to provide “Good Governance” for the club. Sometimes this is not an easy process and sometimes underappreciated by the general membership.