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This section provides some ideas for compiling your VOPE’s annual report, and provides some examples and checklists for you to keep in mind.
An annual report is a comprehensive report of an organization's activities throughout the preceding year. Annual reports are intended to give stakeholders and other interested people information about the organization's activities and financial performance. It may also serve to share the plans and focus areas for the next year, or update the vision as it was captured in the organization’s plans.
For a VOPE, an annual report is useful for communicating important information to the VOPE members and donors, and is an indication of good governance. The report also creates the opportunity for a VOPE to communicate its achievements, share its challenges and ensure that the VOPE management stays focussed on the organization’s objectives. It is a good idea to distribute or present at least the annual financial report at the Annual General Meeting and publish it on the VOPE website. Specific rules, regulations and legislation about Annual Reports may apply in your specific country, so make sure that you are aware of what they are, and that you comply.
Some important considerations:
o Before considering themes, designs, output formats, etc., carefully plan what information needs to be included in the report.
o An annual report should focus on accomplishments rather than activities. The annual report is not a description of activities and rather should summarize what was achieved.
o The financial aspect of the report should be informative and easy to read. In most cases, some graphs and a copy of the balance sheet are sufficient. Information about the income streams of your organization and allocation of the funds to specific programs/events or administration could be included.
o Many organizations use the opportunity to issue a call to action to members, mobilizing members by including a request to assist.
o The annual report should be easy to read, easy to view (consider a .pdf version, an online version, presentation or separate executive summary), easy to understand (especially the numbers; provide enough information to keep the reader engaged but do not overwhelm your readers with huge amounts of data and complicated graphs) and include visuals (photos, diagrams).
o It might be helpful to organize your report around a theme that speaks to the focus of your organization for that specific year.
The KnowHowNonProfit website (http://knowhownonprofit.org/campaigns/communications/effective-communications-1/annual-reports [3]) provides a step-by-step guide of the key elements to include in the different report sections. These steps are adapted and summarized below:
Start the report with an introduction by the Chair of the Board or the President of the organization. This should be their own personal reflections on the year’s activities, pulling out particular successes and highlighting some of the plans for the following year.
Include the objectives or aims of the organization. Provide information on what the organization does and why? This should be a relatively short section and should align closely with the organization’s business plan / strategic plan. Include both the VOPE's long-term and short-term objectives.
Provide readers with information on the VOPE's key achievements over the year, measured against the objectives set for the organization.
Demonstrating the impact and value of the VOPE’s services is crucial. It is this part of an annual report that can really set your organization apart and help demonstrate to funders, supporters and all potential supporters the value of the work the VOPE does. However, it is important that claims are backed up by evidence, and that an evaluation reflects any commitments made in the organization’s plans, founding documents, etc. A VOPE, intending to deliver service to those interested in professional evaluation, may take this opportunity to model effective evaluation of the organization and effective reporting.
Many VOPEs rely on volunteers to keep their services running and help raise money. Include information on their role and achievements.
In this section, the following questions are addressed: How do this year’s activities and successes provide a platform for future plans? What are the challenges that lie ahead and how will they be overcome? What opportunities are there in the year ahead? This final section should be ambitious and forward-thinking, but keep it realistic.
As a general rule, it is best to leave the statutory information (as required by your country’s legislation) to the back pages, unless you can find a way of including it in such a way that you communicate your annual report messages better. When presenting the information, use graphs, infographics and diagrams which are easy to interpret, where possible.
"The Board and AEA Management reviewed member surveys, conference surveys, organizational data, conversations with various members through focus groups and outreach as well as a review of similar organizations. These Ends Goals and the subsequent Strategic Plan are living documents that will continue to evolve.
AEA’s tomorrow is dynamic and compelling. The focus of AEA’s work is to enhance the professionalism of the individual evaluator as well as helping evaluation be an important tool for change in the overall society. The future includes an Evaluation Academy, an Evaluation Research and Policy Center, an online Evaluation Marketplace to connect evaluators with evaluation user and provide tools and a supportive message on the important role of evaluators."
Source: https://www.eval.org/AEAin2020 [4]
Australasian Evaluation Society Annual Report (2012-2013). Retrieved February 20, 2014, from http://www.aes.asn.au/images/stories/files/About/Annual%20Reports/AES_an... [9]
The American Evaluation Society (AES) published a beautiful and comprehensive annual report on their website in 2012.
This section shares some options for managing email communication between the VOPE and its members in an efficient manner. Some tools and examples are provided as resources.
Setting up a listserv (mailing list) is one of the easiest and most cost effective (read free) start-up requirements of a VOPE. Mailing lists are popular because VOPE members access and pass on information via their email, a medium that most people are comfortable with. The drawback with a typical listserv is that you are not always able to search for information as easily (it comes down to searching through a ton of email). There is commercial listserv software available, for which there are free versions that support up to 500 recipients. Popular paid listserv software with free versions available examples are L-soft Listserv [12] and Groupmail Free [13]. However, their functionality is replicated just as efficiently by free online applications such as Yahoo Groups [14] and/or Google Groups [15]. It is also possible to set up a distribution list in Microsoft Outlook, but poses the risk that your entire listserv is usually located on a local computer and not online, risking all if the computer crashes. Depending on your email provider, there might also be limitations for example, on the number of recipients per email.
Any listserv requires some degree of management; approving requests to join and post, removing and banning members, managing spam and legitimate mail stuck in spam filters, and appointing moderators to assist in managing the listserv. Content moderation is the most important of these management duties. Although most platforms hosting these free listservs (e.g. Yahoo, Gmail, etc.) have their own user agreements, it is imperative that you also document your own VOPE’s set of rules for the mailing list. It is also important to keep content relevant to the scope of your VOPE, as even the most well-managed listservs get spammed with inappropriate content from time to time.
Keep in mind that no one should receive your mails unless they have requested them explicitly, and there should be a very clear and user-friendly unsubscribe / opt-out process. Once your members have joined one of your mailing lists, you must obtain their explicit permission to add them to other lists, even if these lists are also monitoring and evaluation or VOPE-related.
The ideal is a listserv with the search capability of an online forum; it is a good idea to embed your mailing list functionality (and any other social media presence) into the Terms of Reference for your website development or forum – and the advantages of taking this approach are many:
How to create a mailing list subscription pop up from your blog or website using Mail Chimp. Retieved March 18, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=76jzGPwHMD8 [17]
A YouTube video showing you how to create a mailing list subscription pop-up from your blog or website.
SAMEA Website Terms of Reference. Addendum to the SAMEA Communications Policy v1.5 Adopted. Accessed online 12 January 2015 from:
Open Source Website Development Terms of Reference from the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).
This section provides some practical advice for VOPEs which are about to develop a new website. It links to various toolkits and examples.
In many instances, a VOPE’s website is its flagship product. It is usually a good idea to start off with a page that meets your basic needs and then add additional modules to the site as your VOPE matures and gains additional resources.
You can register and pay for your VOPE’s domain (a once-off fee and usually annual or bi-annual payment renewal) and website hosting (usually monthly or annual fee) yourself, or include it in your web developer’s contract. Most VOPEs choose an .org domain as it is associated with non-profit organizations.
You can either take the open source or proprietary route in terms of web development. Keep in mind that proprietary solutions are more expensive but support and skillsets are more readily available, while open source solutions at the outset are more cost-effective. Make sure that the relevant support and skillset for your choice is available in your local market.
Keep in mind that, just like a database, a website has a “front and backend”. The backend constitutes the administrative tools, membership database, archived content, etc. that is linked to the front (user end) of the website. Both these aspects should ideally be included in the website’s Terms of Reference for contractual and change control purposes. Technical specifications, maintenance requirements, content creation and content management should be specified as clearly as possible.
Most VOPE website design caters for sections of the VOPE itself (Board, policies, membership – becoming a member and some sort of membership directory, reports, and minutes), training and job opportunities, newsletter and listserv signups, information for donor or volunteers, resources, events and news. The inclusion of good search functionality will enhance the user-friendliness of your website considerably. Other forms of social media (e.g. links to Twitter and Facebook) are usually also embedded in the website. If resources allow, consider embedding a full membership management module (automatic membership expiration notifications, links to membership payments, voting eligibility, etc.) and an online Board voting module into your website, creating an electronic audit trail for these important VOPE management functions.
The procurement and Terms of Reference for any web development should be in line with the VOPE’s procurement policy. Consider whether you want to embed mobile or other technology into the website’s development, and remember to include browser/operating system compatibility testing in the Terms of Reference.
It is advisable to design the website in such a way that VOPE members can easily add and edit content. There are various user-friendly website toolkits available that can be incorporated into your site to enable content management. As with social media and listservs, various administration-related functions and membership information (usually only partially searchable unless the member indicates otherwise) should always be password protected in line with your VOPE’s Privacy Policy.
There are multiple tools available to assist in managing website content. Generating and keeping website content current are usually the most labour intensive part of managing a website. Crowdsourcing/communities of practice contributions/collaborations/peer review functions from fellow online members can add great value to a website, but as with a listserv, it can potentially require time and effort to moderate responses if open to the general public. There are drawbacks to closing sections of a website off to members only – the content in these sections is often not detectable by search engines, which in turn generates less traffic to your site. The counter argument is that members-only sections of a website (particularly job and training opportunities) might encourage a higher membership subscription.
Managing content created by third parties, whether VOPE members or not, requires documented rules and guidelines in the form of a website policy. Care should be taken to review content for appropriateness, copyright infringement, etc.
Link exchanges/business directories are the most common way of diverting additional traffic to your site. Many VOPEs/other organizations will agree to post a link/information to and about your website on theirs and vice versa. Another user-friendly method to generate traffic is search engine optimization. For well-resourced VOPEs, most major search engines have a pay per click option where your website search ranking is increased in exchange for – often not so cheap – rates. The more relevant content and keywords your website contains, the higher your search engine ranking will be, so the pay per click is not really necessary for non-commercial ventures. Website Analytics will assist you in tracking your users (demographics), which pages are most popular, how often they visit and many other useful titbits without infringing on your visitors’ privacy.
13 Essential Tools to Check Cross-Browser Compatibility. Accessed online 26/02/2014 from:
Mashable has identified 13 potential tools to test multiple browsers across multiple platforms and resolutions, most of which are available free/ at a minimal cost – a great time- and headache saver if you are going the DIY website design route.
Tendenci Content Management. Retrieve February 27, 2014 from http://tendenci.com/cms-content-management/ [25]
Open Source Content Management Software to assist you in updating your website content. 30 Day Free Trial Available.
GoDaddy find a Domain. Retrieve February 27, 2014 from http://za.godaddy.com/ [27]
Easy domain registration from GoDaddy at reasonable prices.
Piwik - Liberating Web Analytics. Retrieved February 27, 2014 from http://piwik.org/ [29]
Free of charge Piwik Analytics is a PHP MySQL based service that provides detailed reports on your websites and visitors (open source alternative to Google Analytics).
Capterra. Top Association Management Software Products. Retrieved February 27, 2014 from www.capterra.com/association-management-software [31]
Capterra has put together a list of top Association Management Software Products with a short description and link to each.
Tendenci. Business Directory Software. Retrieved February 27, 2014, from http://tendenci.com/tendenci-business-directories/ [33]
Consider using software like Tendenci Business Directory software to share and manage VOPE partner information on your website.
Mapping your Online Media Strategies: A guide for non-profits.Retreived February 14, 2015 from http://nonprofit-network.org/ [34]
A free eBook on mapping online media strategies, specifically geared towards non-profits. The book will assist you to communicate more effectively using online media. "The ebook is for you if:
SAMEA Website Terms of Reference. Addendum to the SAMEA Communications Policy v1.5 Adopted. Accessed online 12 January 2015 from:
Open Source Website Development Terms of Reference from the South African Monitoring and Evaluation Association (SAMEA).
Example of a website section which keeps press releases. This specific example is announcing an event and invites the media to attend.
This section will help you to take note of some social media tools that VOPEs typically use to bolster their online presence. It also links to some examples of how VOPEs are currently using them.
Social media is a great, cost-effective way of disseminating your content and creating increased visibility for your VOPE. There are several types of social media to choose from, including blogs (e.g. WordPress) [47], microblogging (e.g. Twitter [48]), social networks (most notably Facebook [49], Google+ [50] and LinkedIn [51]), media/photo sharing (e.g. Youtube [52], Flickr [53], Pinterest [54]; Instagram [55]), social news (e.g. Reddit [56], Digg [57] and Leakernet [57]), mobile applications (e.g. WhatsApp [58]), wikis (Wikipedia [59], Wikia [60]), document repositories (e.g. Scribd [61], Doocu [62]), online magazines (e.g. Paper.li [63], Issuu [64], Flipboard [65], Rebelmouse [66]) and bookmarking sites (e.g. StumbleUpon [67]).
It is usually a good idea to start off with a social media platform that is easy to manage and not that resource intensive to maintain and then to progress towards media that require more time or funds to manage over time. Most well-developed VOPEs have a Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn presence to start off with. Depending on your VOPE’s needs, communications plan and resources (mostly a pair of hands to moderate and post content), any or all of these media can be used with great success and are more user-friendly than you think.
Some things to consider:
Ideally, you would want eventually to move towards some form of automation if your VOPE is running multiple social media profiles; a social media dashboard which combines all of these different accounts in one place might be an option to consider and will lessen the workload considerably. Alternatively, you could opt to use volunteers or interns to manage your social media presence, but keep track of who has what type of right to post and alter your social media profiles.
Ramblers. Social Media Toolkit. Retrieved February 15, 2015, from http://www.ramblers.org.uk/volunteer-zone/support-and-development/volunt... [78]
Ramblers, a non-profit organization based in the UK, has put together a generic Social Media Toolkit which contains sections on how to moderate, engage with users and deal with negative and abusive comments – essential skills when managing your VOPE’s online presence.
Posted by Jayne Corso on AEA365 and includes hot tips on how to create content that is mobile friendly.
23 Mar 2019
Youtube. What is Social Media? Retreived February 27, 2014 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ8J3IHhn8A [81]
Confused by all the different forms of social media? Help is on the way in the form of a short video.
This website provides a list of the social media sites, a short description and the number of users of each site.
https://makeawebsitehub.com/social-media-sites/ [82]
""Social media sites have also grown in numbers by leaps and bounds. As per the statistics revealed on Statista, approximately 2 billion users used social networking sites and apps in 2015. And, with the increased use of mobile devices, this number is likely to cross the 2.6 billion mark by 2018."
This section will help you think through some of the human resource management issues that VOPEs typically have to deal with, whether the VOPE relies exclusively on volunteers, or a combination of staff and volunteers. Resources on how to recruit VOPE leaders and documenting role descriptions are referenced as resources.
A VOPE is usually governed by a volunteer Board or Governing Body as set out in the constitution of a VOPE. This Board may have multiple roles (according to the community toolbox http://ctb.ku.edu/en/table-of-contents/structure/organizational-structure/board-of-directors/main [85]):
Ensuring that the Board works effectively at all of these roles is a typical challenge that VOPEs face. Volunteers usually start with good intentions, but if they are not clear about expectations up front, or if they don’t have the necessary skills or time to commit, or if they never get an opportunity to reflect on their contributions, it is possible that the goodwill of the volunteer Board may not be realized into measurable effects. Lobbying for the right Board members to be nominated to the future Board is one of the most important tasks that a current Board would have. The “right” Board members would typically add a diversity of skills and experience to the Board (e.g. fundraising, networking, web management or financial management skills), while ensuring that important representivity criteria (e.g. gender, sector specialization) are met. Most importantly, however, Board members’ work and life circumstances must be such that they would allow them to invest the extra time and effort into Board activities. It is not unheard of that volunteer Board members could spend as many as 2 hours per week just to keep up with email communication among Board members. If a Board involves non-board members in sub-committees, these sub-committees might provide an appropriate place to identify possible future Board members with a track record of working constructively.
Once a Board has been selected, it may be useful to:
It is typical for VOPE Board members to have a limit on the time period that they are allowed to serve on the Board. This is usually stipulated in the constitution, bylaws or founding documents of the VOPE and ensures that there is a constant flow of new energy on the Board. The effects of losing institutional memory when Board members leave a Board would, however, have to be managed carefully. It is advisable to develop a plan to ensure that all Board members (especially those who hold key board positions, such as secretary, chairperson, and treasurer) do not rotate off the Board at the same time. Some VOPEs also have a system where an incoming chair and outgoing chair support the work of a current chairperson.
The Board might recruit volunteers and administrative or program personnel on a part-time or full-time basis to assist the VOPE to deliver on its mandate. Personnel may be appointed as consultants or as permanent staff members; each kind of employment would have certain legal implications for the organization.
Having a clear set of guidelines and policies in place will make the recruitment process easier and more efficient. It will also increase your chances of recruiting the best person. According to Chapter 10 of the Community Toolbox (http://ctb.ku.edu/en//tablecontents/sub_section_main_1103.htm [86]), the typical activities for hiring and training of staff are as follows:
If your organization wants to make use of volunteers, you need to plan and develop guidelines for how the volunteers will be involved, how they will be recruited, orientated and trained. It may also be useful to have a code of conduct for volunteers and a written undertaking which outlines the mutual expectations in terms of efforts required, handling of confidential information and processes when a volunteer is no longer able to assist.
It is imperative to keep in mind that selecting the right people and training them well are some of the most important things you can do to ensure that your organization is effective.
The Bridgespan Group. Advice on writing a job description. Writing the Job Description. Retrieved May 14,2014 from http://www.bridgespan.org/getattachment/1b36c873-fcdf-4bd4-beff-1a5b5db2... [87]
Advice on writing a job description.
Here is an example of the recruitment adverstisement for an NGO director / CEO position. Bear in mind that the advertisement needs to take into account the legal requirements in your specific country.
It is extremely important for a VOPE to make sure that it has actively involved and informed members. The first aspect to be addressed is the membership policy statement (See Section 1.6 – Membership Policy [93]). Once this is clear the actual running of a membership administration system can be planned and implemented. This section will provide some insight into the administration aspects of the VOPE member management system, and suggest some software and examples to review.
Many existing VOPEs make allowances for more than one type of member and differentiate the membership fees (if applicable) and benefits according to the membership type. Once the decisions about the types of members, their fees and benefits are made and documented in a membership policy statement the other aspects for membership management that may need attention include:
The remainder of this section will focus on the membership management system. Informal VOPE networks might only require that members be added to an email distribution list, and the only administration that would be necessary is checking occasionally that all the bouncing email addresses are cleaned up. Service providers like Yahoo and Google and Facebook, among others, do provide automated listserv or group management options, where people can join or leave when they want to, without much intervention from an individual administrator.
More formalized VOPEs require members to provide some basic information about themselves and to pay a membership fee in order to become a member. It is possible to run a membership administration system with little more than paper-based forms, an excel spreadsheet and a membership dues receipt book, but this has the drawback of requiring many hours of meticulous work and carries the risk of errors slipping in. A better alternative would be to implement an automated system which runs off an online database that can automatically do more of the mundane tasks like issuing invoices, sending out reminders, etc. You will still require a person to manage the system, but the level of effort would be much lower, and it is likely that prospective members won’t be lost if they can’t get hold of the right person at the right time. Once a member has completed the application form, it would be necessary to consolidate the information into a central repository, in order to make sure that it is on hand if questions about membership are asked. Again, online systems make the collation into a central database very easy.
Other benefits of having an online membership application and administration system are that the information that members typically need – e.g. how to become a member, the cost of becoming a member, the benefits of membership – can be shared at the same time. If your VOPE has a website, consider adding a module that has an online registration form. Remember to allow for different membership types in the application form and provide fee payment instructions and details. If you set up your form with some logic, it will prompt potential members to correct missing or incorrect information fields before submitting.
For membership administration databases, a VOPE generally has three options available:
Bear in mind that, if you go for a free or low-cost service, you are likely to have to spend more time managing the membership system – so the total cost of operating the system is not necessarily apparent right from the start. In some cases, it does make sense to pay for a more expensive system, and invest the time to get it set up for your purposes, because in the longer term it will save you time and money associated with administering the system, while also making sure that you don’t lose out on potential members. Especially if your organization is going to rely on volunteers to do the work of the VOPE, you would want to have a membership management system that is as automated as possible.
A full specification membership system would allow you to:
Irrespective of the system you choose, bear in mind that you still would need a process for managing the information. Standard operating procedures for maintaining the membership database should be developed. They should clearly stipulate tasks, processes, roles and responsibilities. If you are using part-time or volunteer staff to manage your system, it is imperative that the steps for managing the system are clearly documented, since turnover in staff is likely.
This section shares some ideas about how a VOPE could run its process for the nominating, voting and appointing of Board members, with some suggestions regarding software that could be used, as well as some examples of how VOPEs have done this previously.
A VOPE is usually governed by a Board selected by the VOPE members from nominated individuals within the organization. . The constitution for the VOPE typically contains an explanation of how the leadership and governance structure works. It usually outlines eligibility criteria for Board membership and procedures for nomination, voting, and election to these positions, including the term of office for each position. (link here to 1.2 Founding a VOPE - Constitution). The voting administration process should manage the nomination, voting and appointment of Board members.
The election and voting process can be administered during a members’ meeting, such as an AGM, however since many VOPEs have geographically-dispersed members, they opt to administer their elections electronically using online voting administration systems. The elections process usually consists of four steps:
For voting administration systems, a VOPE generally has two options available. On option is that the election and voting process can be conducted during a membership meeting, such as an AGM, where members can nominate and vote with the show of hands, ballot papers or electronic input devices. Nominations can be made and confirmed during the meeting or before the meeting. If the nomination process is completed before the meeting, ballot papers can be printed for voting. In paper-based voting systems, votes are cast and counted by hand.
Alternatively, these systems can include an electronic input device and votes counted electronically. Online voting (also known as e-voting) uses electronic systems to aid in the call for nominations, casting and counting votes. A list of members should be available to enable members to have information on who can be nominated. Once the nomination period has expired, the nominated candidates should confirm that they are prepared to serve as a Board member. At this point, information about the candidates can be published on the website or through relevant email communication. Once the voting is declared open, members can cast their votes electronically using computers / smart phones up to the time the voting is closed. The system should have additional functionality to ensure that members are eligible to vote and can vote only once. Votes are counted electronically, the results published and members appointed. All this can be done via the VOPE website if the functionality is included in the design of the website.
The two administration systems (supervised or remote) have different costs. Administering the voting through a meeting may appear low cost but more time and effort is required in supervising and counting votes. Members may also incur travel costs. An e-voting system may require an upfront fee but can save time in administration and counting. Consequently, the total cost of operating the voting administration system needs to be considered right from the start.
The voting administration system should allow the VOPE to:
It is imperative that the steps for managing the system be clearly documented, for transparency and since turnover in staff is likely. Standard operating procedures for administering the voting process should be developed, clearly stipulating tasks, processes, roles and responsibilities.
EES Board Elections 2014. Retrieved February 10, 2014, from http://www.europeanevaluation.org/about-ees/ees-board-elections-2014.htm [98]
The European Evaluation Society (EES) published the results of their 2014 elections on their website.
Réseau Burkinabé de Suivi et d’Evaluation (RéBuSE).
Procès verbal (PV) de renouvellement de bureau exécutif du RéBuSE.
Managing the finances of a VOPE in a transparent and responsible manner is imperative. This section covers some of the financial management issues that VOPEs would need to address.
According to the Business Dictionary (http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/financial-management.html#ixzz32Fl435yz [102]), Financial Management is defined as the planning, directing, monitoring, organizing, and controlling of the monetary resources of an organization. The money or funds entrusted to your VOPE should be managed in such a manner as to efficiently and effectively support the objectives of the VOPE. The Financial Management function is specialized and is usually the responsibility of the treasurer of your VOPE with the assistance of a bookkeeper or accountant and auditor.
The following Financial Management topics are discussed in this section:
This section makes some suggestions about how to manage a system for allocating members’ registration fees, and provides an example policy on members’ fee receipts and allocations.
Once your VOPE receives membership fees, it is vital to allocate the payment to the correct member account and ensure the member is flagged as an active member and gains access to all of the member benefits. The payment transaction details, such as payment date and amount should be stored on your database to ensure a membership renewal notice is created when the membership of this particular member expires.
Members need to be notified when they have to renew their membership and pay annual membership fees. Automating this process will lessen the administrative burden on the VOPE significantly. This can be done by automating all possible aspects of member registration and renewal as well as the payment process through a web application. Unallocated payments of member fees can increase the administrative burden of the VOPE and frustrate members.
This process diagram gives an example of how to automate some activities of the member registration and payment processes.
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Figure 1: Example of a process to allocate member finances
This section elaborates on the purchasing of goods and services from external suppliers and provides some templates, tools and examples to consider.
The procurement process involves managing a variety of activities, including ordering, receipt, review, approval of items from suppliers, endorsing supplier payments and managing suppliers against their contracts. Although supplier relationships might be less important for a VOPE, procurement procedures should specify how you manage these relationships, to ensure a high level of service is received. It is advisable to start off with developing and streamlining the procedures and policies relating to purchases in the VOPE’s Financial Management policies and procedures document.
If a VOPE does not manage this aspect of the finances effectively and efficiently, it may result in unnecessary expenditure, incorrect goods or services being delivered, or frustrations due to dealing with unnecessary administrative burdens and unsatisfactory customer service. Unauthorized purchases can increase the cost of operating the VOPE, and as such deplete the organization’s resources.
The purchasing objective should be to: "buy the right quality and quantity of materials or products at the best possible price and at the appropriate time from the best vendor. (http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/79798-2 [105])
A VOPE’s purchasing policy and procedures should address the following issues:
Example of a very basic purchasing procedure (http://swni.org/CMS-Uploads/Guide%20to%20financial-controls-policies%20-%20Cindy%20Cumfer.pdf [106] )
The Treasurer can authorize purchases of $ 5000 or less which conforms to the Board’s budget. The Board must approve purchases above that amount. The Board must authorize any purchase which does not conform to the Board’s budget.
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If your VOPE purchases many items from external suppliers it might be necessary to develop an ordering system and make use of purchase orders. The ordering system will specify the steps an employee / Board member / volunteer must follow to request, order, receive and approve payment for goods and services. The purchase order is a formal request (document) that is sent to the supplier once you have agreed on the items, price and quantity with the supplier.
A preferential suppliers list might ease the administrative burden of looking for suppliers and comparing prices each time you make a purchase. Use the following list from http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/79798-2 [105] to evaluate suppliers for the preferential supplier list:
In the case of hosting a workshop, conference or other special event, it is likely that a large number of purchases would be necessary. It may be possible to sub-contract a service provider like a conference organizer who handles all purchases, payments and reconciliations. The VOPE should, however, have checks and balances in place to ensure that the purchases are adequately administered, and that it complies with key event-sponsor requirements.
Text Box 2: Capital Purchases (Source: www.nonprofitaccountingbasics.org [107])[1]
Capital Purchases A capital purchase happens when an organization acquires equipment or other assets that have a useful life of more than one year and cost more than a certain predetermined amount. The process of recording the purchase as a fixed asset and then “expensing” it over its useful life as it depreciates (is used up) is called capitalization. The capitalization threshold is simply the dollar amount over which it makes sense to capitalize the purchase and expense it over a number of years rather than recording it as an unusually large expense in one single year. Capital purchases should be tracked on a depreciation schedule (spreadsheet) showing:
Ideally, the organization will have a capital budget and will have planned for and preapproved the purchase. Policies regarding capital purchases should include the threshold amount and any other approval requirements and funding arrangements the Board and management deem appropriate. Don’t forget to include new capital purchases in your insurance inventory. |
As with other financial aspects of the VOPE, it is important to have your policies and procedures documented and communicated to all employees, Board members and volunteers. A delegated person must also do regular checks to ensure adherence to policies and budget amounts and keep all documents (quotes, orders, delivery notes, invoices, payment approvals, etc.) on file.
Non Profit Accounting Basics. Reporting and Operations. Financial Management. Retrieved May 26, 2014, from http://www.nonprofitaccountingbasics.org/reporting-operations/policies [108]
Non Profit Accounting Basics provides information on Financial Management and specifically on Reporting and Operations.
Cindy Cumder. Financial controls policies and procedures For small non-profit organizations. Retrieved May 20, 2014, from http://swni.org/CMS-Uploads/Guide%20to%20financial-controls-policies%20-... [106]
Cindy Cumfer illustrates the use of the guide as follows: "These policies and procedures are designed for small non-profits that do not have an administrator with financial expertise. They are set up to divide the fiscal control roles between two people, the Secretary and Treasurer. You can use any two competent, unrelated people.
Links
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