Not for Profit Governance Accreditation - Exclusive Offer

Enterprise Care, a company specialising in Not for Profit Governance, has developed a framework for Australian Not for Profits aimed at improving an organisation’s governance practices.

It’s called the Enterprise Care Governance Institute Accreditation Program – and Enterprise Care is offering one of Pro Bono Australia’s subscriber organisations the chance to participate free of charge in the accreditation program for 2008/2009, worth up to $13,200.

The Accreditation program is the brainchild of Enterprise Care’s Managing Director, Damien Smith, a Melbourne solicitor, entrepreneur and acknowledged leading commentator on Not for Profit Boards.

Smith says the role of the Governance Institute Accreditation is to ensure the efficacy, probity and robustness of an organisation’s governance framework and of the accrediting process.

He says Enterprise Care has conducted over 1,000 governance workshops, Board and Director reviews and assessments, and conference presentations, and has developed a powerful state-of-the-art international standard governance framework.

Damien Smith says that with a sector that has an annual income of around $60 billion, the sector size alone should be a wake up call for the pursuit of any governance improvements.

He says the recent report commissioned by The Perpetual Foundation which raised serious concerns over governance and accountability practices within the Australian Not for Profit sector highlights the need for independent accreditation.

The report included the observations that Not for Profits lacked not only skilled Board management practices, but also strategic planning and financial management skills.

Smith says previous attempts to influence governance practices have often been done in a contractual or regulated manner and often tend to be prescriptive and fairly basic.

He says the Enterprise Care Governance Institute’s program represents an organisation’s public commitment to governance and importantly the improvement of their governance practices over a significant period of time.

He says independent accreditation offers assurance to funding bodies of the commitment to ongoing improvement in governance practices supporting the conclusion that the funding monies will be spent a whole lot better. This rests very well with their stewardship principles.

Smith points out that there is no ‘best-practice’ approach to governance and prescription tends to lead to a compliance-mentality to accreditation.

He says any accreditation should be about longitudinal attitude – a commitment to ongoing improvement – not just for the Board but for the organisation as a whole.

He says the Governance Accreditation Framework determines the quality of an organisation’s governance through objective internal and external reviews and assessments.

Enterprise Care Governance Institute Accreditation is a program of both self-management regulation and externally assessed and benchmarked levels of governance practices for organisations in the Not for Profit sector.

For more information go to www.governanceinstitute.com.au or email smithdj@enterprisecare.com.au.

Enterprise Care is offering one Australian Not for Profit organisation the chance to participate in the accreditation program for 2008/2009 free of charge.

Just write in 200 words or less why your organisation would benefit from this independent process. Submissions via email will be considered by Damien Smith and Pro Bono Founder, Karen Mahlab. Submissions close 5.00pm EST Wednesday 23rd April 2008.

Send your submission to probono@probonoaustralia.com.au.