Need a Governance Committee?

Why have one? The last ten years or so, there’s been a great governance movement among non-profits. Carver’s 1990 book, Boards That Make a Difference, was the spur. In the land of credit unions, my books, Reinventing Credit Unions, 1990 and Who’s Driving Credit Unions?, 1997, both offered similar stimuli moving credit union boards to a more pure governance position.

Many in the business of being a volunteer director did not realize that they have been practicing some level of governance for a while. Now they have projects to examine policies and board/executive power relationships, in order to rewrite the relationship. Some organizations establish a Governance Committee. It is quite common, when a Board establishes a committee, to make it a standing committee. What about making it ad hoc?

When governance is no longer a project, the GC may evaporate. Governance is what every board begins to do when it stops doing everything by itself, and starts getting things done through others. The next stage in the life of a Board is pure governance -- no operational duties, only setting ends and limitations. Once the Board achieves that level of governance, it's no longer a project but a way of accomplishing success for the organization and its beneficiaries. Then, let the committee go.