Staff Report to a board: Michael

Week four
Michael Berens
02/05/09

Staff Report to a board

Here are some guidelines I found on various sites concerning reports. The basic idea is to simplify and keep a template that can be used from week to week so that the board can read the report more effectively. Organization and simplicity is the key.

• Limit the body of your report to two pages, including an abstract. Because Board members receive so many reports, they appreciate brevity.

• Provide the following information in your report:
o Indicate whether the report is an information or action report:
o Information Report. Most reports are information reports. They update the Board on the progress of the committee.
o Action report: Only those reports requesting funding or a policy change are action reports. Procedural changes are usually handled by Advisory Committees. For example, a change to the names of tracks in a conference would be approved by the conference committee, not the Board.


• Abstract: The abstract summarizes the main points of the report. For example, if you manage the Operations Manual Committee and the main point of the report is that the first drafts of your manuals are complete, that's the crux of your abstract. If you have an action item, the abstract should include the proposed motion. The rationale would be described in the detailed report or attachments.

• List of goals. This list should be the same in each report to the Board. This list tells the Board what you propose to accomplish in the coming year and when you plan to accomplish it.

• Accomplishment towards goals. Describe the accomplishments made towards each goal, and a preview of accomplishments expected before the next Board meeting. For example, although you might plan to publish a manual by the end of the year, it will go through a series of drafts. Let the Board know which draft has been completed.

• List of committee members. Identify not only the names but also their chapters.
• Send in your report by the deadline. This is really a practical matter. If you mail the report late, it might not be received in time for Board members to review it before the meeting.

• The purpose of Board meetings is to review the status of the organization. The reports of each committee provide Board members with most of the information on which they base their assessment.

http://saulcarliner.home.att.net/leadership/committeereportformat.htm
http://philanthropy.com/forums/index.php?topic=424.0