Before you do a Merger Process have a read at this article to make you are ready for it. It is of vital importance that before you formally engage in merger discussions, that the board and management go through the following evaluation checklist.
In developing this free handbook, Carmichael sought to reflect the principles and standards of the Charities Governance Code but it can be used by any non-profit organisation. This handbook is a template and it should be amended/tailored to reflect your own charity or other non-profit.
This unforeseen rapid pace of change requires a rapid and agile response. Charities will need to plan on how best to prepare and deal with this unprecedented crisis. The implications of difficult times, like COVID-19, will create a financial crunch and charities should now do what they can to prepare for this.
The activities and actions listed below, are a few things you may want to consider.
Good governance involves making sure that your board is as effective as possible in providing oversight for the organisation. It is worth taking time out periodically to review/assess how you are doing and identify improvements. This can be done in different ways. Here are two templates based on the Charities Governance Code.
The first is a board health check, which can be a basis for collective discussion. The second is for each board member to assess their own performance. This can help individual board members to stand back, assess their own effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
This simple infographic gives practical information on what to include in an Annual Report. For more detailed information, including annual reporting templates, see: https://goodgovernanceawards.ie/entry-criteria/.
For free workshops on how to develop an effective annual report, see https://www.carmichaelireland.ie/free-training-on-developing-an-effective-annual-report/
Research (Velthuis, 2011) has shown that social impact measurement in the Republic of Ireland is significantly underdeveloped. This is not to say that it is not happening at all, because there are some excellent examples.
Nor is it to suggest that there is no appetite for it, because there clearly is, as shown by numerous conferences, courses and publications on the topic. It is simply that times are very challenging, most people are extremely busy and many of them do not know how to start measuring and demonstrating their outcomes, even if they might want to.