DIY: Make a Bylaws Cheat Sheet
Bylaws Cheat Sheet: If a copy of the by-laws is handy, it’s tedious to have to look over all the legalese for an answer to a simple question.
Article Highlights:
“What does it say in the bylaws?”
“Does anyone have a copy of the by-laws?” “I know I got one when I started on the board but… “
Here’s a new idea: a Bylaws Cheat Sheet.
Even if there is a copy of the by-laws handy, it’s tedious to have to look over all the legalese when you want an answer to a simple question. So a nice 30 minute Do It Yourself (DIY) project is to create one:
- Legal Name of Nonprofit Corporation:
- Tax Exempt Determination year:
- Maximum and Minimum # of Board Members:
- How many years in a term?
- Are there term limits? If so, how many terms?
- What are the officer positions?
- What is the percentage or number for a quorum?
- How can the bylaws be changed?
- And a Yes/No checklist:
- Are board members indemnified?
Is there a procedure for removal of a board member?
You might also like:
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- Rebuilding Nonprofit Boards: When a New Board Can Be a Fresh Start
- Five Lessons for Creating an Effective (and Accountable) Nonprofit Board
- A Cautionary Tale: Overcoming Governance Nightmares in Nonprofit Organizations
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About the Author
Jan is a former editor of Blue Avocado, former executive director of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, and has sat in on dozens of budget discussions as a board member of several nonprofits. With Jeanne Bell and Steve Zimmerman, she co-authored Nonprofit Sustainability: Making Strategic Decisions for Financial Viability, which looks at nonprofit business models.
Articles on Blue Avocado do not provide legal representation or legal advice and should not be used as a substitute for advice or legal counsel. Blue Avocado provides space for the nonprofit sector to express new ideas. The opinions and views expressed in this article are solely those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect or imply the opinions or views of Blue Avocado, its publisher, or affiliated organizations. Blue Avocado, its publisher, and affiliated organizations are not liable for website visitors’ use of the content on Blue Avocado nor for visitors’ decisions about using the Blue Avocado website.
• Sarbanes-Oxley and Nonprofits: Bogeyman in the Boardroom? This link directs to a page that is not loading. I'd be interested to read the info however.
• Sarbanes-Oxley and Nonprofits: Bogeyman in the Boardroom? This link directs to a page that is not loading. I'd be interested to read the info however.
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Please fix the Sarbanes-Oxley link.
Attention Blue Avocado readers….If you are still finding broken links, close out of your e-mailed verisionof Blue Avocado. Go to www.blueavocado.org. You should be able to successfully link to the articles that way. All the links have been fixed.
a small team of folks in our state of Washington homeowners association is attempting to update only the HOA by laws –50 year old document that has not been touched since 1986. We have an Article of Corporation, CC&R, by laws and architectural policy.
the task seems daunting. Do we need to keep all references to the developer . Membership ceased for the developer on January 1, 1991. References throughout the bylaws state “Developer” as “Declarant” (found also in the Articles.) No further lots are available to build new residential dwellings.
The HOA has been sued multiple times about the same issue around “view maintenance” so folks are quite gun shy on deleting or changing anything so far. Can you clarify if the historical stuff about the developer and declarant should remain? any guidance appreciated. Any resources too would be welcome.