The Board of Directors of the Red Deer & District Community Foundation (Community Foundation) and management are committed to the principles of strong governance as required and applicable to the charitable sector.
The Board of Directors has adopted “best practices” in developing its approach to governance. Effective governance requires sound ethical and legal processes and direction consistent to the Community Foundation’s Vision, Mission and Strategic Plan. Adequate controls are in place to ensure appropriate guidance and protection of the Community Foundation’s assets and funds provided by the public and businesses. The Board of Directors also recognizes the importance of sound stewardship with respect to volunteer time and expertise committed to the Community Foundation.
Mandate of the Board of Directors
The fundamental responsibility of the Board of Directors is to oversee the management of the Community Foundation, with a view to maximizing benefit and value to the community in carrying out the Vision, Mission and Strategic Objectives. The Board’s responsibility includes among others, the appointment of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), approval of senior management compensation, and monitoring the performance of the Chief Executive Officer. The Board has established policies and administrative procedures which govern the approval of transactions carried out in the course of the Foundation’s operations, the delegation of authority and the execution of documents on behalf of the Community Foundation.
As a charitable, non-profit entity, the Community Foundation has no shareholders and is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors. Directors of the Community Foundation are committed, entrusted and focused on ensuring the values of the Community Foundation are maintained. They do not receive any remuneration or consideration of fees for undertaking their responsibilities and risks involved in being a Director. All Directors are unrelated to the Community Foundation and are independent of government. They are free from any interest or relationship which could indirectly interfere with their ability to act in the best interests of the Community Foundation.
Board Member Self Assessment
High performing boards have competencies and skill sets in a number of different areas. To help ensure this occurs for the Community Foundation Board of Directors, a “Self Assessment Questionnaire” is completed by each member. This questionnaire attempts to qualify the skill sets of the current board by asking members to rate themselves in their level of knowledge and experience in Legal, Human Resources, Risk Management, Financial Literacy, Governance, Investments, Volunteer Management, Leadership, Strategic Planning, Government relations, Marketing and Communications, and Regional Knowledge. All of these skill sets are important to the sustainability of the Community Foundation. The results of the questionnaire reveal the areas of strength and skills that can be enhanced on the Board of Directors. The Board Governance Committee compiles the information gathered and provides it to the Committee of Nominators as that committee undertakes its work.
Board Candidate Recruitment & Board Member Appointment
After reviewing the summary of the Board’s Self Assessment, the Board Governance Committee identifies potential board candidate with the skill sets required to provide balance and expertise to the Board. Additionally, the call for application packages are submitted, in confidence, to the Chief Executive Officer of the Community Foundation, who then coordinates a meeting of the Committee of Nominators. The Committee of Nominators, as established in the Community Foundation’s by-laws, is comprised of the Mayor of the City of Red Deer, the Mayor of Red Deer County, the Chairperson of the Red Deer Public School Division Board of Trustees, the Chairperson of the Red Deer Catholic School Division Board of Trustees, the President of the Red Deer Chamber of Commerce, the Chief Justice of the Court of Queen’s Bench residing in Red Deer. The committee, operating independently of the Board of Directors, reviews current work of the Community Foundation, examines the summary of the Board’s Self Assessment Questionnaire, and makes appointments to the Board from incoming applicants that will meet the current and future needs of the Community Foundation.
2011 Committee of Nominators:
Mayor Morris Flewwelling, City of Red Deer
Mayor Jim Woods, Red Deer County
Lawrence Lee, Red Deer Public School Division
Adriana LaGrange, Red Deer Catholic School Division
Bruce Schollie, Red Deer Chamber of Commerce
Justice James Foster, Court of Queen’s Bench
Standing Board Committees
The Board of Directors of the Red Deer & District Community Foundation has six Standing Committees that assist the Board in fulfilling its mandate. The Board annually reviews and appoints members to the Standing Committees.
In 2006, The Board of Directors established the Board of Governance Committee. Foremost, as part of its mandate, formalized guidelines for governance and Terms of reference for Standing Board Committees were developed and have since been reviewed and revised as required. The specific scope and mandate for each committee has been established, and all committees act solely in an advisory capacity to the Board of Directors, with all recommendations brought to the Board of Directors for approval.
The six Community Foundation Standing Board Committees are:
- Board Governance Committee
- Finance and Audit Committee
- Investment Committee
- Human Resources Committee
- Grants Committee
- Asset Growth and Development Committee
Membership in all six Standing Board Committees is comprised of current Directors, and welcomes the inclusion of Non-Director community members. The Chair of each committee is a current Director. The Board Chair and the Chief Executive Officer are ex-officio members of the Standing Committees. Appropriate skills and expertise are considered in the formation of each respective Committee. Committee membership is reviewed annually.
Strategic Planning
The Community Foundation’s Board of Directors has the responsibility for setting and monitoring overall strategic direction with management. In assuming this responsibility, the Board of Directors undertakes an annual strategic planning session with senior management to review and approve the direction of the Foundation. Management regularly prepares reports that are reviewed and discussed by the Board. Strategic plans and budgets are approved by the Board prior to implementation. Key objectives of the strategy are incorporated into the annual review and budget processes.
The Community Foundation’s current Three Year Strategic Plan was developed and adopted by the Board of Directors in 2008. Focusing on the Community Foundation’s role as a community leader, its commitment to fund development, stewardship, and governance, this plan outlines core objectives and strategies designed to move the Community Foundation forward.