“Good governance committee work is the oil that keeps the ‘machine’ of charitable organizations running smoothly.”

PREAMBLE
In our special series of articles on the numerous committees our volunteers sit on, it is our pleasure to now present you the Governance Committee.

THE GOVERNANCE COMMITTEE

The Governance Committee ensures strong, stable, and effective leadership of the CHS Board of Directors. This committee is responsible for the recruitment and development of board members, and for ongoing board governance issues, including the evaluation of board effectiveness. The committee is also charged with enhancing the quality of nominees to the board and ensuring the integrity of the nominating process.

The responsibilities of the committee are to:

• Review the nominations procedure following each Annual General Meeting and present any recommendations to the Board of Directors before the end of the calendar year.
• Annually, the committee, in consultation with the board and senior staff, identifies the skill sets required to support the board’s work over both the shorter and longer terms related to the following points:
• Anticipated retirements from the board
• Projects, changes or other initiatives that may require new/different or continuing skill sets on the board.
• Prepare an inventory of skill set requirements to support both board succession and nominating initiatives, along with geographically representative candidates that reflect the diversity of the communities served and other selection criteria. The skills identified do not need to be the sole determinants of a Board of Director member’s candidacy.
• Source potential board nominees by soliciting candidate names from current and past board members, staff, chapters, other partners, community leaders, websites, and other sources, including public advertising as appropriate based on the skills inventory, geographical and other criteria.
• Interview candidates to discern their interests, commitment to the Mission and Vision, and availability; as well as share pertinent information and answer questions the perspective candidates may have.
• Identify individuals who, at the next annual meeting of the members, can stand for election as a member of the board to replace those directors whose terms of office expire at the annual meeting.
• Recommend candidates for election to the Board of Directors.
• Recommend candidates for officer positions.
• Implement a system to measure performance of individual directors and the whole board.
• Facilitate evaluation of officers and committee chairs.
• Consider and evaluate board governance and make recommendations to the board as appropriate.
• Plan and implement a board orientation program.
• Identify development opportunities for the board and make recommendations to the board on implementation.
• Review the Board’s Code of Conduct, including Conflict of Interest Policy and make recommendations to the board.
• Provide reports to the Board of Directors after each Governance Committee meeting.
• Develop and facilitate annually with the board a chair succession framework.

The members of the committee are appointed by the Board of Directors and consist of six individuals:

• The chair of the committee
• One director
• Four individuals with knowledge and interest in the affairs of the CHS who are not current directors or candidates for election to the board. These individuals must have demonstrated knowledge in not-for-profit governance.

The term of appointment for members is two years. Members are eligible for reappointment for two additional two-year terms. Reappointment is subject to approval by the board. After six consecutive years on the committee, a member is eligible for reappointment after stepping down for a two-year period.

Current members of the Governance Committee are:

For me, the timing of the “ask” to join the Governance Committee was perfect. After I retired from leading a charitable organization, I was looking for a way to become reengaged with the CHS and the Governance Committee opportunity presented itself. I was particularly interested in the journey that the CHS had undertaken to reexamine its governance structure while retaining the Mission that is so critical to Canadians with inherited bleeding disorders and their families.

My training and employment background were steeped in governance-related policy and practice. The importance of the fit between governance and mission, the protection of members, directors and all of us who support the Mission, and the usefulness of practical, realistic policies to guide everyone in maintaining good governance intrigue me (definitely a personality quirk!). The elegance by which the CHS has continued to evolve to strive for its Vision is easy to support and I trust that I have been able to provide some insight and leadership into the process of CHS governance.

Governance sounds like a challenging concept. In reality, the work of the Governance Committee is finding the people who are committed to the Mission and Vision of the CHS through the nominations process, and then ensuring that these directors have the practical tools (e.g., policies and procedures; position descriptions) to support them in their leadership of the CHS. Plus, we’re a fun and interesting group of people to work with! – ERMA CHAPMAN

 

I decided to sit on the Governance Committee because this is an area in which I have experience, having been on four different hemophilia boards, (Hemophilia Saskatchewan – 10 years / CHS – 15 years / WFH – 10 years / WFHUSA – 6+ years) during which time I learned a lot about governance and its importance for effective work done by charities.

I think the impact I might have on the committee is simply bringing experience and perspective into our work.

Good governance committee work is the oil that keeps the ‘machine’ of charitable organizations running smoothly. If you want to have an impact on the overall fulfillment of the strategy and outcomes that impact the lives of people and contribute to the governance work, sitting on the Governance Committee might be of interest to you. It’s almost invisible, but so very important. The learning you receive through this work will aid in many other areas of life that need to have good organization to get things done. – ERIC STOLTE

 

I was asked ‘What impact do you think you have on the Governance Committee?’ I’m certainly not an expert on governance. I’m the board member liaison who reports, conveys and interprets information back and forth between the committee and the board. I’m learning a lot about the important role of governance in non-profit organizations and try to contribute whenever I can with whatever common sense I might have. I also try to ensure any issues are communicated as clearly as possible.

What would I say to someone who would be interested in joining the Governance Committee? – The current committee is made up of very nice, competent people who have a good grasp on the job at hand so thankfully you don’t have to be an expert. An interest in the importance of organizational governing rules and how they are worded would certainly help. Also the committee oversees board make-up, succession and recruitment of new members so some experience in that area would also be helpful. – ROBERT COOPER

 

I am passionate about this organization and wanted to give back, sitting on the Governance Committee has allowed me to fulfil this by leveraging my expertise in Human Resources.

The committee has had a huge impact on the person I have become. This committee holds a lot of knowledge about the CHS and I am excited to continue learning and growing.

Feel free to get in touch with us if you’re interested in  joining the Governance Committee! We’re excited to share more about the committee’s role and responsibilities. Joining us is not just rewarding; it’s also crucial for shaping the strategic future of the organization through good governance practices. – KAITLIN BROWN