Governance and board development
18-20 September 2004
Washington DC, USA
Hosted by the Forum of Regional Associations of Grantmakers
Raising the standards of governance and institution-building processes is a continuing challenge for both emerging and more established grantmaker associations in different parts of the world. At WINGSForum in Sydney in early 2002, discussion on some of the issues was started among network participants who attended the workshop session on governance and board development. The session navigated through the experience of governance in associations at various stages of development operating in different cultural contexts.
When a survey of the network was done in 2003, there was a clear inclination to build on that sharing of experience through a peer learning event and assist grantmaker associations not only to develop an understanding and appreciation of the process of board development but also:
- To clarify the roles and responsibilities of the association’s members, its board and its staff team in terms of their respective leadership responsibilities, authority and accountability;
- To define, attract and nurture good leadership in volunteers;
- To look into different strategies for getting the most from a board (thus helping the board perform); and
- To enhance strategic planning and programme evaluation processes as tools for effective governance.
