Board Governance Monitoring to determine the effectiveness of the Board of Directors Francie Mathes

CSBG OVERVIEW Community Action Agencies  Community Action Agencies were created under the Economic Opportunity Act of  The Community Services Block Grant was created in 1981 and it maintained funding to Community Action Agencies.  Tripartite Boards exist in Community Action Agencies because it is a mandatory requirement of CSBG.

Tripartite Board  The Statutory Authority is found in Public Law , Section 676B.  The CSBG Program must be administered through a Tripartite Board.  The Board must fully participate in the development, planning, implementation and evaluation of the programs.  The members must be selected by the agency according to their by-laws.

Board composition Public Officials  One-third of the members are elected public officials, holding office on the date of the selection, or their representative.  If the number of elected public officials available to serve is less than one-third, appointed public officials or their representatives may be counted as meeting the requirement.

Low-income Individuals and Families  Not less than one-third of the membership  Must be chosen by a democratic selection process.  Must be representative of the individuals and families served.  If a member is selected to represent a specific neighborhood – the member must live in the neighborhood represented.

Private Sector  Must be members or Officials of: Business Industry Labor Religious Organizations Law Enforcement Education Or other major groups and interests in the area served

State CSBG Offices Expectations  Board members must be fully informed as to their roles and responsibilities.  There should be a board manual available to all members and it should be updates on a regular basis and reflect current practice.  If the by-laws require meetings to be open to the public, then steps should be taken to ensure that the public has information regarding the date and time of each meeting.

Expectations  Members of the board are entrusted with the authority to establish policies for the Governance of the Corporation.  State CSBG Offices expect this responsibility to be carried out with the duty of care, obedience and loyalty.  Collectively and individually, board members are legally and ethically responsible for the activities of the agency.

Expectations  These responsibilities must be carried out in an efficient and informed manner  Board Members, need to have access to information necessary to carry out its responsibilities. Review the books and records of the organization. Know the types of grants received and the programs administered. Carefully review all financial and program reports. Review all minutes of the meetings of the Board and its committees.

Expectations  Be aware of the requirements regarding maintaining a viable non-profit corporation. Should the grant be amended due to changes in the types of programs? Are all requires reports files with the appropriate state and federal agencies?

How will you Know????  Attend a Board Meeting Observation tool  Guiding Principles  Board Interview & CSBG Checklist

RESOURCES  From a Board manual developed by the Minnesota CSBG Office: Characteristics of an effective board Basic responsibilities of an effective board

RESOURCES  FROM CAPLAW: Community Action Board Requirements Lobbying and Political Activity  Public Law :  Section 766B – Tripartite Boards  Section 678C – Corrective Action and Termination

RESOURCES  Right from the Start – Guidelines for Board Members

Indeed, I feel I have not answered any of them completely. The answers I have found only serve to raise a whole new set of questions, which only lead to more problems, some of which we weren’t even aware were problems. To sum it all up, I feel we are just as confused as ever in some ways, but I believe we are confused at a higher level and about more important things. I fully realize that I have not succeeded in answering all your questions.

Indeed, I feel I have not answered any of them completely. The answers I have found only serve to raise a whole new set of questions, which only lead to more problems, some of which we weren’t even aware were problems. To sum it all up, I feel we are just as confused as ever in some ways, but I believe we are confused at a higher level and about more important things.