ELGP 2022 Spring Project – Effective Handling of Conflicts of Interest on Boards

We are very proud of our ELGP 2022 spring graduates who have created an exceptional project that explores effective handling of conflict of interest on boards.

Not-for-profit (NFP) board members have a fundamental responsibility to always act in the best interests of the charity and in a way that furthers its charitable purpose. There may be times when a personal or professional interest can come into conflict with this responsibility, but through good governance, these conflicts can be identified and resolved, or even prevented. The production of this resource forms part of the authors’ participation in the 2022 Spring Emerging Leaders in Governance Program.

Some of the key takeaways for Boards to keep in mind include:

• Responsibility to maintain the Register of Interests should fall with a single individual (CEO or senior manager if the organisation is staffed, or the human resources committee of the board) to ensure consistency and accountability for it to be updated and reviewed
• Provide directors with professional development opportunities that increase knowledge on ethical issues, especially as it relates to COIs
• Provide directors with the COI policy/procedures and register of interest during their board induction

Please click here to download and share this project with your network.