While many nonprofit operations have shifted in some way or another during COVID-19, organizations do need to prep for a post-pandemic world. An ad hoc approach or reliance on what worked in the past may no longer be a strategic path forward.
I love the opportunity to speak with nonprofit boards of all sizes to help them govern the charitable organization in mission fulfillment in the utmost ethical and legal manner possible. While we can’t get together in the present due to public health concerns, leaders who are thinking ahead will want to schedule such trainings well in advance.
I highly recommend organizations of all sizes host training for their board members regarding their ten basic responsibilities, individually and collectively, within the broader context of modern best practices. I provide a two-hour training/orientation on these ten basic responsibilities, and the information below is intended as a simplified summary of this training.
Tailored Presentations
My live training session can be tailored to the nonprofit’s specific size, needs, and experience. The training includes an engaging visual presentation, handouts, and plenty of time for questions and discussion. Slides will also be sent out to attendees following the training. The following is a brief outline of the information I would present to the board.
10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Board Members
The ten basic responsibilities of nonprofit board members are as follows:
Determine the organization’s mission, vision, objectives, and goals, and then advocate for them.
The board is responsible for ensuring’s mission, vision, objectives, and goals are plainly stated, embraced by all, and enthusiastically supported.
The board’s ability to recruit, support, reasonably compensate, and retain effective staff, especially the executive director, will be a crucial factor in the nonprofit’s success.
No matter how talented and experienced, employees need to clearly know their rights and responsibilities, through written policies and procedures, such as an employee handbook, employee agreement(s), and regular, formal performance review(s).
Adopt “best practice” policies and procedures.
The IRS requires certain information from your organization to be submitted annually via Form 990 “Return of Organization Exempt From Income Tax.” To that point, the 990 asks nonprofits about policies and procedures that help ensure the nonprofit is conducting business in a transparent way that’s consistent with their exempt purposes. Specific governance policies encouraged by the IRS limit potential abuse, protect against vulnerabilities and prevent activities that would go beyond permitted nonprofit activities.
Through planning, the board and staff translate the nonprofit’s mission into objectives and goals, used to focus resources and energy.
The board is responsible for actively participating in and approving decisions that set the nonprofit’s strategic direction.
Monitor and strengthen programs and services.
Given limited funds, but unlimited demands on those funds, the board ultimately must decide among competing priorities.
What the nonprofit actually does, and how well it does it, should guide all board inquiries.
Ensure adequate financial resources.
A nonprofit can only be as effective as its financial resources.
Although much can and should be expected of the staff, the board is chiefly responsible for ensuring it has the funds it needs and that the organization does not spend beyond its means.
Provide financial oversight.
Safeguarding organizational assets is one of the most important board functions.
Build and sustain a competent board.
A major issue the board and executive director need to answer is: How should we define the ideal mix and number of professional skills, backgrounds, experience, demographics, and other characteristics we should seek in our board members?
Board members must set and persistently articulate the level of expectation that they will hold themselves and the organization to.
The organization’s reputation and public standing require everyone to take three watchwords seriously: compliance, transparency, and accountability.
Compliance
The term “compliance” is simply shorthand for the regulatory and legal requirements imposed by the government and regulatory bodies at local, state, and federal levels that are considered part of a board’s fiduciary responsibility.
Transparency
Nonprofit organizations are expected to routinely and openly share more, and more complete, information to the media and the public about their financial condition, major activities, and staff compensation. A charitable nonprofit should make certain information about its operations, including its governance, finances, programs, and activities, widely available to the public.
Accountability
Although the board sets and periodically assesses the adequacy of major organizational policy, accountability measures ordinarily and appropriately fall to management. But the board needs to consistently ensure the organization is accountable to those who it serves, those who support it, and to the greater community.
Board members serve as a link – the vital link – between the nonprofit and its board members, donors, potential donors, employees, volunteers, other stakeholders, and the community at large.
Board members should think of themselves as the nonprofit’s foremost advocates and ambassadors, hopefully, even after they leave the board!
Training Beneficial for New and Continuing Members
The “ten basics: as set forth above, tends to be an important training I recommend for all nonprofit boards and both new and returning board members. However, if your board is in need of a different training related to a specific aspect of organizational governance, such as governing midst the consequences of COVID-19, I can tailor the training accordingly. Most importantly, the training needs to be applicable and appropriate for your individual board.
Let’s Discuss What Your Organization Needs
Interested in hosting a two-hour training containing content individualized to your organization? That’s great and we can look to a date when we expect to no longer be social distancing and quarantining.
Generally, I charge a flat fee and this fee means no surprises for you or your budget. I’m also very conscious of pervasive budget constraints and will work with you and your budget.
The fee includes as many conferences as needed in preparation, materials during and following the training, and an active Q&A session throughout the training.
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-14-at-10.33.14-PM.png6731019Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2020-04-11 21:48:322020-05-18 11:28:32Be a Better Board: Training on 10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
Back before COVID-19 made its way to Iowa I had an appointment at the University of Iowa Hospital. Don’t worry, it was nothing serious. Beyond the facility, technology, and the clearly talented health care providers, what impressed me most was the nurse asked if I had a health care power of attorney and/or living will and if I had them on file there. Of course, I got quite excited that the hospital is putting this important part of estate planning front and center as a part of the checkup where they take your vitals and such.
Now, with a pandemic front and center, this often overlooked step in estate planning is more salient than ever. In case you don’t have a helpful nurse to prompt you to take this important step, allow me to issue the reminder.
Once your estate plan is executed you should store it properly, as well as give a copy of certain documents to your doctor(s). Your doctor doesn’t need your entire estate plan on record, but they should have a copy of your health care power of attorney and health/medical-related documents, such as a living will. You should request these documents to be placed in your medical records.
A major benefit of this simple action is that if anything unexpected happens, your doctors and their teams will have your detailed wishes readily available. Giving a copy to your health care provider(s) is especially important in the case where you have been incapacitated (such as in a coma or under anesthesia) and want a specific person (like a spouse, adult child, or sibling) to be able to important decisions on your behalf. You want there to be no question as to whom you trust to make those decisions. You also want there to be no questions when it comes to personal choices regarding things like blood transfusions and being kept alive on machines.
When the health care power of attorney goes into effect, your designated representative will also have access to your medical records (which would otherwise be undisclosed due to HIPAA rules). If your doctor has your power of attorney on file, there will be significantly less red tape to your representative accessing essential information.
Remember Revisions
If you make revisions to your estate plan documents, such as who your designated health care representative is or specifics included in your living will make sure you give the updated version to your doctor’s office. You don’t want them operating off of an old version if an emergency occurs.
Questions about estate planning? Think it may be time to update your health care power of attorney document? Don’t hesitate to contact me. Want to get started? A great place to start is with this free, no-obligation estate plan questionnaire.
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Screen-Shot-2019-01-19-at-3.43.46-PM.png6661130Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2020-04-10 16:45:582020-05-18 11:28:32Doctor Directive: Place Important Estate Planning Documents on File
Take a break from whatever you’re doing for entertainment during these socially distant days to test your knowledge on how much you know about health care power of attorney—a particularly important estate planning document. Because I’ve never particularly enjoyed tests (who does?), I’ll give you a hint; all the answers can be found in this recent blog post:
3. A health care PoA is a legal document that allows you to select the person (your “agent”) that you want to make health care decisions on your behalf, if and when you become unable to make them for yourself.
4. Once your health care PoA goes into effect (typically most people elect to have this be the case only if an attending physician certifies you are unable to make medical decisions independently), your agent will then be able to make decisions for you based on the information you provided in your health care PoA.
5. If there are no specifics in your health care PoA relating to a unique situation, your agent can and should make health care decisions for you based on your best interests.
6. The person you select as your health care agent should be someone in whom you have the utmost trust.
7. The agent you select will be able to access your medical records, communicate with your health care providers, and so on.
8. Your health care PoA isn’t just about end-of-life decisions; it can cover many types of medical situations and decisions. For instance, you may choose to address organ donation, hospitalization, treatment in a nursing home, home health care, psychiatric treatment, and other situations in your health care PoA.
9. For people who feel strongly about not wanting to be kept alive with machines, this can be specifically covered in a document that can be part of your health care PoA, known as a living will.
10. If you don’t have a health care PoA and you should become incapacitated to the degree where you are unable to make health care decisions for yourself, your doctor(s) will ask your family and loved ones what to do. Ultimately, if your immediate family members cannot agree on a course of action, they would have to go to an Iowa Court to resolve the matter.
11. Going to court about a person’s medical care is very complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. This is especially true when compared with the convenience of simply putting a health care PoA in place should the need arise.
12. A health care PoA gives you control over how decisions are made for you, and the agent you choose will carry out your wishes.
13. Everyone can have unique issues and concerns when estate planning. It’s completely up to YOU as to what’s contained in your health care PoA. You name the agent(s). You decide what medical decisions will be covered and how. It’s all up to you.
14. Executing a health care PoA is a smart and responsible thing to do.
All of these statements are true. That wasn’t too bad! How did you do?
Questions about how and why to execute a health care power of attorney document? Don’t hesitate to contact me. Want to get started? A great place to start is with this free, no-obligation estate plan questionnaire.
https://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Screen-Shot-2020-04-09-at-10.56.20-PM.png6931244Gordon Fischerhttps://www.gordonfischerlawfirm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/GFLF-logo-300x141.pngGordon Fischer2020-04-09 22:51:242020-05-18 11:28:32Pop Quiz: How Much do you know about this Important Estate Planning Document?
Be a Better Board: Training on 10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
NonprofitsWhile many nonprofit operations have shifted in some way or another during COVID-19, organizations do need to prep for a post-pandemic world. An ad hoc approach or reliance on what worked in the past may no longer be a strategic path forward.
I love the opportunity to speak with nonprofit boards of all sizes to help them govern the charitable organization in mission fulfillment in the utmost ethical and legal manner possible. While we can’t get together in the present due to public health concerns, leaders who are thinking ahead will want to schedule such trainings well in advance.
I highly recommend organizations of all sizes host training for their board members regarding their ten basic responsibilities, individually and collectively, within the broader context of modern best practices. I provide a two-hour training/orientation on these ten basic responsibilities, and the information below is intended as a simplified summary of this training.
Tailored Presentations
My live training session can be tailored to the nonprofit’s specific size, needs, and experience. The training includes an engaging visual presentation, handouts, and plenty of time for questions and discussion. Slides will also be sent out to attendees following the training. The following is a brief outline of the information I would present to the board.
10 Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Board Members
The ten basic responsibilities of nonprofit board members are as follows:
Compliance
The term “compliance” is simply shorthand for the regulatory and legal requirements imposed by the government and regulatory bodies at local, state, and federal levels that are considered part of a board’s fiduciary responsibility.
Transparency
Nonprofit organizations are expected to routinely and openly share more, and more complete, information to the media and the public about their financial condition, major activities, and staff compensation. A charitable nonprofit should make certain information about its operations, including its governance, finances, programs, and activities, widely available to the public.
Accountability
Although the board sets and periodically assesses the adequacy of major organizational policy, accountability measures ordinarily and appropriately fall to management. But the board needs to consistently ensure the organization is accountable to those who it serves, those who support it, and to the greater community.
Training Beneficial for New and Continuing Members
The “ten basics: as set forth above, tends to be an important training I recommend for all nonprofit boards and both new and returning board members. However, if your board is in need of a different training related to a specific aspect of organizational governance, such as governing midst the consequences of COVID-19, I can tailor the training accordingly. Most importantly, the training needs to be applicable and appropriate for your individual board.
Let’s Discuss What Your Organization Needs
Interested in hosting a two-hour training containing content individualized to your organization? That’s great and we can look to a date when we expect to no longer be social distancing and quarantining.
Generally, I charge a flat fee and this fee means no surprises for you or your budget. I’m also very conscious of pervasive budget constraints and will work with you and your budget.
The fee includes as many conferences as needed in preparation, materials during and following the training, and an active Q&A session throughout the training.
To discuss further, please don’t hesitate to contact me via email (gordon@gordonfischerlawfirm.com) or on my cell (515-371-6077).
Doctor Directive: Place Important Estate Planning Documents on File
Estates & Estate Planning, Powers of Attorney, Wills, Trusts & EstatesBack before COVID-19 made its way to Iowa I had an appointment at the University of Iowa Hospital. Don’t worry, it was nothing serious. Beyond the facility, technology, and the clearly talented health care providers, what impressed me most was the nurse asked if I had a health care power of attorney and/or living will and if I had them on file there. Of course, I got quite excited that the hospital is putting this important part of estate planning front and center as a part of the checkup where they take your vitals and such.
Now, with a pandemic front and center, this often overlooked step in estate planning is more salient than ever. In case you don’t have a helpful nurse to prompt you to take this important step, allow me to issue the reminder.
Once your estate plan is executed you should store it properly, as well as give a copy of certain documents to your doctor(s). Your doctor doesn’t need your entire estate plan on record, but they should have a copy of your health care power of attorney and health/medical-related documents, such as a living will. You should request these documents to be placed in your medical records.
What Do YOU Want?
A major benefit of this simple action is that if anything unexpected happens, your doctors and their teams will have your detailed wishes readily available. Giving a copy to your health care provider(s) is especially important in the case where you have been incapacitated (such as in a coma or under anesthesia) and want a specific person (like a spouse, adult child, or sibling) to be able to important decisions on your behalf. You want there to be no question as to whom you trust to make those decisions. You also want there to be no questions when it comes to personal choices regarding things like blood transfusions and being kept alive on machines.
Access to Medical Records
When the health care power of attorney goes into effect, your designated representative will also have access to your medical records (which would otherwise be undisclosed due to HIPAA rules). If your doctor has your power of attorney on file, there will be significantly less red tape to your representative accessing essential information.
Remember Revisions
If you make revisions to your estate plan documents, such as who your designated health care representative is or specifics included in your living will make sure you give the updated version to your doctor’s office. You don’t want them operating off of an old version if an emergency occurs.
Questions about estate planning? Think it may be time to update your health care power of attorney document? Don’t hesitate to contact me. Want to get started? A great place to start is with this free, no-obligation estate plan questionnaire.
Pop Quiz: How Much do you know about this Important Estate Planning Document?
Estates & Estate Planning, Powers of AttorneyTake a break from whatever you’re doing for entertainment during these socially distant days to test your knowledge on how much you know about health care power of attorney—a particularly important estate planning document. Because I’ve never particularly enjoyed tests (who does?), I’ll give you a hint; all the answers can be found in this recent blog post:
To make things even easier, all of the statements below are either true or false.
1. An estate plan is a set of legal documents to prepare you (and your family and loved ones) for your death or disability.
2. There are six basic legal documents that nearly everyone should have as a part of an estate plan:
3. A health care PoA is a legal document that allows you to select the person (your “agent”) that you want to make health care decisions on your behalf, if and when you become unable to make them for yourself.
4. Once your health care PoA goes into effect (typically most people elect to have this be the case only if an attending physician certifies you are unable to make medical decisions independently), your agent will then be able to make decisions for you based on the information you provided in your health care PoA.
5. If there are no specifics in your health care PoA relating to a unique situation, your agent can and should make health care decisions for you based on your best interests.
6. The person you select as your health care agent should be someone in whom you have the utmost trust.
7. The agent you select will be able to access your medical records, communicate with your health care providers, and so on.
8. Your health care PoA isn’t just about end-of-life decisions; it can cover many types of medical situations and decisions. For instance, you may choose to address organ donation, hospitalization, treatment in a nursing home, home health care, psychiatric treatment, and other situations in your health care PoA.
9. For people who feel strongly about not wanting to be kept alive with machines, this can be specifically covered in a document that can be part of your health care PoA, known as a living will.
10. If you don’t have a health care PoA and you should become incapacitated to the degree where you are unable to make health care decisions for yourself, your doctor(s) will ask your family and loved ones what to do. Ultimately, if your immediate family members cannot agree on a course of action, they would have to go to an Iowa Court to resolve the matter.
11. Going to court about a person’s medical care is very complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. This is especially true when compared with the convenience of simply putting a health care PoA in place should the need arise.
12. A health care PoA gives you control over how decisions are made for you, and the agent you choose will carry out your wishes.
13. Everyone can have unique issues and concerns when estate planning. It’s completely up to YOU as to what’s contained in your health care PoA. You name the agent(s). You decide what medical decisions will be covered and how. It’s all up to you.
14. Executing a health care PoA is a smart and responsible thing to do.
All of these statements are true. That wasn’t too bad! How did you do?
Questions about how and why to execute a health care power of attorney document? Don’t hesitate to contact me. Want to get started? A great place to start is with this free, no-obligation estate plan questionnaire.