[Ohio-Talk] Role of the Affiliate and Chapter Board

[Richard Payne]

Role of the Affiliate and Chapter Board
As with the national constitution, each state affiliate or local chapter
constitution specifies the number of board members to be elected and how
long they should serve. It is customary that board members be elected every
two years. This allows for new members to acclimate while those who have
served for a time are able to contribute to the stability of the chapter and
affiliate. The role of board members is to first support the president and
elected officers. In many instances, affiliate board members may also be
leaders at the chapter level. Although their specific responsibilities are
not defined, board members should be in touch with the chapter or affiliate
president to keep them abreast of happenings within the organization and
with other members, help set the tone of the organization, participate in
activities and generally provide leadership. While it is expected and
typically demanded by the local or state constitutions that the president
and vice president be blind, board members do not have to be. However, it is
generally the practice that the majority of board members and the membership
body are blind. In the National Federation of the Blind it is an expectation
that all officers and board members work to achieve the goals of our
organization. There are no name only positions in the National Federation of
the Blind.
Role of the Vice President at the Affiliate and Chapter Level
The main role of the vice president is to preside over meetings when the
president is absent. The responsibilities of the vice president are to:
*	Stand in for the president if s/he is away
*	Support the president in running the affiliate or chapter and work
towards achieving the goals of the Federation
*	Assist the president with matters between meetings
*	Deal with specific tasks or issues as requested by the president
The vice president needs all of the skills that make for an effective
president as described above. Therefore it is important to pay as much
attention to the choice of the vice president as to that of the president.
Remember that on occasions, due to illness, family circumstances, or the
like, the vice president may be asked to fill the role of president on more
than an occasional basis.
Role of the Secretary at the Affiliate and Chapter Level
The role of the secretary at its most basic is to keep accurate minutes of
meetings, although its responsibilities are frequently wider and more
substantial. The role of secretary is critical, and you need someone who is
efficient, pays attention to detail, and has good administrative skills.
Keeping accurate minutes is a learned skill; minute takers do not need to
record every word said, yet they need to record more than just the decisions
made. For tips on creating useful and accurate minutes see How to Create
Useful Meeting Minutes.
The responsibilities of the secretary include but are not limited to:
*	Help the president to plan meetings
*	Organize the logistics of meetings
*	Take and distribute minutes (See How to Create Useful Meeting
Minutes)
*	Deal with board correspondence
Role of the Treasurer at the Affiliate and Chapter Level
The main role of the treasurer is to maintain a financial overview of the
affiliate or chapter. They are also responsible for setting up and managing
accounts for the affiliate or chapter including establishing an Employer
Identification Number (EIN) and to use best practices according to our
accounting department at our national center. For a treasurer, you need a
person who is good at figures, understands accounts, and can explain
accounts in layperson's terms. The affiliate or chapter will also need
someone who has the required time to give to the role, as it is likely to
entail a fair degree of work. 
The responsibilities of the treasurer include but are not limited to:
*	Look after the finances
*	Prepare and present, in a timely manner, understandable financial
reports to the President, board and members (See Appendix B - Template for
State Financials. This can also easily be used for chapter reporting as
well.)
*	Ensure that the financial resources of the organization meet its
needs; typically including chairing the fundraising committee
*	Ensure that appropriate accounting procedures and controls are in
place
*	Advise on the financial implications of any new projects
*	Prepare the monthly reports and send them to the national center in
a timely basis
The Financial Relationship between Chapters and Affiliates
*	Every affiliate has their own EIN and has been granted IRS 501(c)(3)
tax-exempt status
*	Chapters must have their own EIN, but most have not been granted IRS
501(c)(3) tax-exempt status and are not recommended to do so (please see
Appendix C: Obtaining an EIN-Employer Identification Number)
*	Any chapter activity that requires tax-exempt status should go
through the affiliate. This includes large fundraising events, grants, and
even tax-exempt letters. The affiliate needs to collect the funds and then
grant it to the chapter.
Authorizations
All expenses are reviewed and authorized by the president. The president
provides the treasurer with a written authorization form or an email for
expenditure. Emails should be printed out, but can also be saved for future
reference. When a reimbursement is requested, it must include receipts and
be approved by the president. All authorizations for the president to be
reimbursed need to include receipts.  
Security
The checkbook is to be secured at all times; locked in a drawer, cabinet, or
room when not in use. 
Check Signers
At least two people should be authorized to sign checks. Check signers
should include the treasurer and secretary or another officer other than the
president. A third signer can be authorized as a back-up signer. The
president should be designated as a check signer only for emergency
purposes. Ideally, the person who writes checks should not have authority to
sign checks; however, this may not be possible. Any checks written for
$5,000 or more should be signed by two check signers. Signature stamps are
NOT to be used; checks are to be signed by hand.


Richard Payne, President National Federation of the Blind of Ohio

937/829/3368
Rchpay7 at gmail.com <mailto:Rchpay7 at gmail.com> 

www.nfbohio.org <http://www.nfbohio.org> 

The National Federation of the Blind advances the lives of its members and
all blind people in the United States. We know that blindness is not the
characteristic that defines you or your future. Every day we raise the
expectations of blind people, because low expectations create obstacles
between blind people and our dreams. Our collective power, determination,
and diversity achieve the aspirations of all blind people.


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