What to include in your constitution?
The information below will help you write a constitution if you are part of a group that does not intend to become a registered charity. Whilst there are a large number of reasons for groups starting up, most constitutions have similar headings and structure. There are a number of headings you should probably include in any constitution.
- name of organisation
- aims and objectives
- membership
- officers of the group / meetings
- committee
- rules of procedure / Annual General Meetings (AGM)
- finances
- discipline and appeals
- dissolution
- declaration
- Aims and Objectives: Why are you setting up this organisation? What do you want to achieve? Who has the group been set up to help? Are there any specific audiences that you want to include within the remit of your group? Please beware of defining your aims and objectives too tightly. Leave room for your group to add to or change the focus of why you exist; otherwise you may have to wind up the old group and start the process all over again.
- Membership: Who can be a member and how many people can be in the group? For example, is it anyone who pays a membership fee, everyone who uses the group or volunteers their time or anyone who lives in a certain area
- Officers of Group / Meetings: How many general meetings that are open to all members will there be each year? Will there be a committee responsible for organising these and generally dealing with the day-to-day issues?
- Committee: What officers do you need? How many people should be on the committee? How will the committee be chosen or elected? What are the responsibilities of the committee? How long should people serve on the committee for? How will the chairperson, secretary and treasurer be chosen or elected? How will the committee share information with all the other members of the group?
- Rules of Procedure / AGM: These can seem boring but they do help meetings and committees to run smoothly; For example, how often do you meet, are other members allowed to attend meetings and if so, are they allowed to vote?
- Finances: How will any monies owned by the group be looked after and used? You will need to establish and administer your bank account and ensure that there is more than one signature on any cheques.
- Dissolution: What happens to any property or money if the group closes or stops?