Running an organisation in the NFP sector is demanding, operational demands and the day to day pressures of managing the often competing requirements of different stakeholder groups means that it's all too easy for those seemingly less important 'administrative' action items to get put off to another day. That's until the day dawns when the next Board meeting is tomorrow and those all-important reports and documents have not been sent to the Board members, or worse you realise that the ACNC and Office of Fair Trading returns were due in last week!
If any of that sounds just a little familiar, then we are here to help.
We can take over the load of managing your Governance and Company Secretarial services. We offer a range of services, from simply being at your Board meetings to make sure proper minutes are recorded, right through to the complete package of managing the Governance functions on your behalf. Whatever size of NFP you are we can tailor a package to suit your needs and budget.
• MINUTES Taking minutes at board, subcommittees and annual general meetings.
• AGENDAS Organising and preparing agendas.
• MEETING PACKS Preparing board and committee papers for circulation prior to the meeting.
• COMPLIANCE Ensuring meetings are properly called and held, and that records of these meetings are kept in compliance with both the Constitution and the Corporations Act.
• REPORTING Undertaking statutory compliance reporting including: ASIC, ACNC, ROCO and Office of Fair Trading.
• MONITORING Checking for changes in relevant legislation and the regulatory environment and advising appropriate action.
• CONSTITUTION Ensuring continuous compliance with the Constitution and arranging appropriate reviews of the Constitution
• TRAINING AND INDUCTION Ensuring the Board is provided with all necessary training (e.g. induction training and ongoing governance training)
• PERFORMANCE REVIEWS Facilitating Board performance reviews
• STAKEHOLDER RELATIONS Dealing with correspondence and communications with relevant stakeholders
• GOVERNANCE ADVICE Providing or procuring advice for directors regarding governance and regulatory requirements.
• GOVERNANCE FRAMEWORKS Development, implementation, communication and maintenance of compliance policies, processes and procedures
• BOARD PORTALS A number of the above services can also be managed and delivered via Board Portal systems where required.
While we can also deliver the above services to regular companies, our real specialisation is in delivering these services to the Not for Profit sector. NFP Governance Qld's Principal, Jacky Burkett, is a fully qualified Chartered Company Secretary with extensive experience in the NFP sector. Jacky also holds a Certificate in Governance for Not for Profits from the Governance Institute of Australia. Where standard templates are deployed these are all based on the Governance Institute of Australia's Best Practice guidelines.
Increasingly the role of the Company Secretary is being seen as the first gatekeeper to ensuring good governance. Having an independent specialist performing this role will help demonstrate to your stakeholders that good Governance is something your organisation takes seriously.
Fill out our enquiry form and we will contact you for an initial no-obligation discussion about meeting your Governance and Company Secretarial needs.
Through our associated business, Advicepoint Business Consulting Pty Ltd, we offer a range of services to support Boards and senior executives, with a particular emphasis on putting together and getting the most out of Advisory Boards. See the Advicepoint website for further information.
My name is Jacky Burkett, principal of NFP Governance Qld.
I am a fully qualified Chartered Company Secretary with wide ranging experience of working with Boards of public, private and Not for Profit organisations in Australia and the UK.
My career has spanned many areas, from the Entertainment industry through to high tech IT companies and advocacy for sufferers of specific medical conditions. I think what I do can be characterised under two main threads. Firstly I have a skill for organising, particularly for organising those in the arts and creative industries. My early career was in the music industry in the UK and more recently I have had significant involvement in the arts sector in Queensland.
The other main thread is Governance and working with Boards. I have been company secretary of a UK Stock Exchange listed company as well as many private companies. In Australia I have deployed my skills mainly in the Not for Profit sector. I find being able to help NFP Boards particularly satisfying as it's great to see what can be achieved when good Governance helps create great NFP outcomes.
My qualifications and professional accreditations include being a Member of Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (UK), a Member of the Governance Institute of Australia where I also obtained my Certificate in Governance for Not for Profits. I am also a Queensland Justice of the Peace (Qual).
My community service activities have included being a former committee member of the Brisbane Women’s Club and more recently Secretary of RedArts (Redlands Arts Council). I am currently an active member (and current President for 2015/2016) of Soroptimist International Bayside.
