Energise Your Annual General Meeting with These Three Tips

It’s November and across Australia, not for profit organisations are gearing up for the Annual General Meeting.  More than just a governance compliance requirement, the AGM is a great opportunity to energise your organisation and set yourself up for success for the year ahead. These three strategies will help you get best results.

Supercharge your skillbase

The election of new board members is a great opportunity to bring new energy, skill sets and networks to a Board and strengthen organisational strategy. If you are moving towards a skills-based Board then the AGM is a great way to boost this strategy with specialist Board members.

 The people on your Board can make all the difference to how well your organisation can deliver on its mission.  The skills, expertise and experiences that new Board members bring to the table can be a very effective way to lift your overall organisational capabilities.

 Get new Directors off to a great start

A newly minted Board comes with energy, enthusiasm and new ideas.  Harness this and put it to work as soon as possible by also making sure that your new directors fully understand their role, financial and legal responsibilities and your organisation’s strategy, business and culture. The best way to do this?  Invest in a structured and complete Board Induction.

 Regular check-ins, in the form of Board evaluations or reviews, will continue to drive the contribution your Board makes by ensuring that they continue to grow their ability and effectiveness in serving the organisation. These are important drivers of your overall organisational success.

 Tell your best stories

Use your AGM to showcase your successes and engage potential donors, stakeholders and your community.  Share your program and service delivery outcomes, highlight the year’s progress and achievements, shower thanks on those who have helped it happen. Even in years that have been full of challenge, you can focus on how you have worked to overcome difficulties and move forward. 

 Strong governance practices can be an overlooked opportunity for a good news story - this is particularly appealing to donors and funding bodies to show them that you have a strong framework to guide the organisation and deliver on goals and strategies. 

 So, if you haven’t held your AGM yet then consider how you can use this annual event to drive and energise organisational strategy, engage potential donors and stakeholders while also ushering in a skilled and fully prepared Board for the year ahead.