One of my mantras.

One of my mantras is "If it's not in writing it doesn't exist; if it is in writing we have to do it." I am a big fan of putting things in writing; however, sometimes our documentation can get so complicated and complex that it makes it difficult to follow.

I was recently reviewing the corporate documents of a nonprofit and well, it would take a mastermind, legal expert and analyst to understand all of the language and how to apply it. 350 pages of bylaws, policies and corporate documentation. Can you imagine? I think it must be what politicians feel when they are handed a 500-page draft bill to read... So is this you? Ask yourself these questions:

1. Can I read, understand and refer to our governing documents with ease? Can I wrap my head around the organizational chart, the chain of command and the mandates of the organization? If not, some pruning, rewriting and reorganizing may be needed.

2. Is the language of the governing documents easily understood or do I need a PhD to navigate it? Governing documents are meant to be followed and they should be written in a fashion that the average board member can understand easily. If you are using legal language or nonfamiliar-to-most-people terms, perhaps a rewrite is in order.

3. Do we adequately differentiate between governing documents and day-to-day operational documents? Policies and procedures that guide the day-to-day operations are not the same thing as those documents that require board authorization and approval. Review your documents and make sure you differentiate between governing documents (referred to for board order and decisions) and operational documents that help outline day-to-day process.

-Mindy Muller, CFRE, President/CEO of CDP

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