Notes, not newsletters.
Short pieces on strategy, workforce and the files underneath — for people who do not have a spare afternoon for a 40-page PDF.
Position descriptions that committees actually use
I once asked a committee Secretary where their position descriptions lived.
What “compliance” means for a tiny association
“Compliance” is a word that makes volunteer Secretaries age in dog years.
Planning season: a year-ahead reset for boards
September has a particular energy in Australian not-for-profits.
Grants vs strategy — don’t chase money off-mission
There’s a special kind of board meeting where someone says: “There’s a $40,000 grant open. We should apply.”
The "Bus Factor": A governance risk you’re probably ignoring
We talk a lot about financial risk (running out of money) and reputational risk (ending up in the paper for the wrong reasons). But I rarely
A Treasurer handover checklist that doesn’t lose the year
January is when a lot of Treasurers quietly say: “I’m done after the next AGM.”
Meeting agendas that decide something
I can usually tell how a board meeting will go from the agenda alone.
Conflict of interest without the lecture
Mention “conflict of interest” in some committee rooms and people bristle like you’ve accused them of theft.
When policies sit unread in a Drive folder
Open your shared Drive.
Recruitment without the HR theatre
Somewhere along the way, “recruitment” in the not-for-profit sector started sounding like a corporate talent show.
Induction for new committee members (that isn’t a binder dump)
Someone brave puts up their hand at the AGM. You elect them. Everyone claps. Then they sit through three meetings nodding politely, terrifie
Respect at Work, in plain English, for small NFPs
If you’ve heard “Respect at Work” and “psychosocial hazards” and felt your stomach drop, you’re in good company.
You can’t do everything (and that’s okay)
"Scope creep" is the silent killer of regional charities.
Why I’m tired of “Strategic Plans” that nobody reads
Let’s be honest. When was the last time you actually pulled your organisation’s Strategic Plan off the shelf?
AGM prep without the panic
Every year, around the same time, I get the same call.
Volunteer burnout signals boards ignore
The resignation email is never the start of the story.