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

[Kimberly Jackson]

Good morning, Richard.  This is very helpful.  Thank you so much.

On Sun, Jan 25, 2026, 10:42 PM Richard Payne <rchpay7 at gmail.com> wrote:

> 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* <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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