Governance Committee Charter

Purpose

The purpose of the Governance Committee is to assist in providing for the Board’s effectiveness and continuing development. The Committee will work closely with the CEO in advancing the education of the Board and in examining how the Board is functioning, how Board members communicate and the ways in which the Board is fulfilling its responsibilities. While all Board members should understand the agency’s mission and goals, the Committee will consider them with an eye on the Board’s responsibility to guide the agency and what is required of the Board to best accomplish that work. The Committee may make recommendations to the Board for consideration and may not take actions independent of the full Board.

Membership

The Committee shall be comprised of the Board Chair and Vice Chair as well as two Board Committee Chairs appointed by the Board Chair. The Board Vice Chair will ordinarily serve as the Chair of the Governance Committee.

Meetings

The Committee shall meet at least three times during a fiscal year, beginning July 1, 2019, or when necessary at the call of the Committee Chair.

Key Responsibilities

The Committee shall:

1. Review the basic responsibilities and leading practices of governing boards.
2. Recommend a plan for the education and development of the Board with specific attention to the relationship between the Board and the Regional Partnership Councils.
3. Recommend policies and processes designed to provide for effective and efficient Board governance.
4. Conduct a succession planning process for the Board officers and committee chairs, including recommending officers for election by the full Board.
5. Recommend plans for Board governance education, including Board orientation and an annual Board retreat. Orientation should specifically address responsible governance at First Things First and include new Board and Board committee members.
6. Recommend tools for a full Board and/or individual Board member assessments at least every three years.
7. Recommend a CEO evaluation tool and process and lead the full Board in an annual CEO review.
8. Review the Board committees annually to ensure they are designed to allow for meaningful work that furthers the agency’s mission and vision and recommend to the Board any suggested revisions to the committees.

Reports

The Committee shall initiate and review the following reports:

1. Annual board education plan.
2. Full Board and individual Board member assessments at least every three years.
3. Annual CEO evaluation.

Annual Committee Goals

The Governance Committee will establish annual goals specifying its principal work and focus areas each fiscal year.

Adopted January 15, 2019