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BEST PRACTICES CONSULTATIONS
The objective of NAVREF’s Best Practices Consultations (BPC) Program
is to promote high quality operational practices among the VA-affiliated
nonprofit research and education foundations (NPCs). The BPC
program recognizes that every NAVREF member has a vested interest in the
success of every other NPC. Using peer to peer sharing, BPCs offer comprehensive, constructive suggestions on NPC
administration and sound advice from experienced colleagues.
Available as a service to NAVREF members,
these consultations are conducted at the request of the executive
director, or upon request by the board of directors with the concurrence
of the executive director. BPC discussions are limited to those directly
involved in NPC management and governance. No written reports are prepared.
NAVREF bears all the costs of sending one to two experienced executive directors and NAVREF Executive director Barbara West to spend up to two days on site.
To arrange a consultation, contact the NAVREF office (navref@navref.org). Requests for particular consultants are accommodated when possible.
A few weeks before the consultation, the executive director sends the consultants copies of readily available documents such as by-laws, recent IRS Form 990s, board meeting minutes, etc.
See sample letter below. The consultants may ask the executive director to have certain other documents available during the visit. The
NAVREF NPC Self Assessment
Tool may suggest items that the executive director will wish to raise during the consultation. Also, just prior to the actual visit, the consultants hold a conference call with the executive director to determine how they can best tailor the consultation to meet the
foundation's particular needs.
This program fosters the highest standards of NPC management by giving executive directors an opportunity to ask questions and to learn from others willing to share their expertise.
Ron Flink
Contract Manager, Chicago Association for Research and Education in Science (CARES), Hines, IL
Eileen Lennon, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Seattle Institute for Biomedical Research and
Education, Seattle, WA Donna
McCartney (by ex officio as NAVREF Chair)
Executive Director, Palo Alto Institute for Research and Education,
Palo Alto, CA
Mary Thornton
Director of Operations, Palo Alto Institute for Research and Education,
Palo Alto, CA
Donna Wilt
Executive Director, Biomedical Research Institute of New Mexico,
Albuquerque, NM
Barbara West
Executive Director, NAVREF, Chevy Chase, MD
Date
Name
Executive Director
NPC
Address
Address
City, State and ZIP
Dear Name:
The National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations
(NAVREF) is pleased to confirm your foundation's Best Practices
Consultation. The consultation is scheduled to be held on
Date and Date. In addition to
myself, your consultants will be
Consultants.
We anticipate that the consultation will last all day from 8:30 a.m. to
4:30 p.m. on 1st Day and from
8:30 a.m. to noon on 2nd Day.
Generally,
the consultants meet with briefly with selected board members and one or
two investigators early the first day to help frame the issues, and then
we will spend the remainder of the day with NPC staff, primarily the
executive director. The exit briefing that you have scheduled with the
board for Time on the 2nd Day is
an opportunity to share results and recommendations, and generally
requires a 90-minute meeting.
To prepare for the consultation, please prepare four binders (tabbed
dividers enclosed) containing copies of the following documents
pertaining to your corporation. In time for receipt not later than
three weeks prior to Day 1, please send one copy to
each of the consultants and retain the fourth for yourself.
-
Articles of incorporation
-
Bylaws including date of last board review or
revision
-
IRS letter of tax determination
-
List of board of directors; identify VA and officer
titles as appropriate; indicate which are the mandatory non-VA
members
-
Roster of foundation administrative staff with
titles; indicate any who are also VA employees
-
Roster of other employees (research personnel, etc.)
with titles; indicate any who are also VA employees
-
Resume or CV, job description and contract (if any) for NPC
administrative personnel including executive director, chief
financial officer, chief operations officer and human resources
manager or individuals with equivalent responsibilities
-
Most recent NPC senior staff evaluations
-
All written policies and procedures including sample
documentation forms
-
Most recent audit or review of independent auditor
including the management letter if any
-
Chart of accounts
-
Annual NPC operational budgets for the current fiscal
year and for the most recently completed previous fiscal year
-
Most recent financial report to the board of
directors
-
Sample periodic report on status of funds provided to
principal investigators
-
Minutes and agendas from board meetings for the last
two years
- Most recent
annual reports to the VA with all
attachments (including IRS Form 990)
- Executive Summary or
declarations page from all insurance policies
including directors and officers liability, workman’s compensation,
fiduciary bond, general liability, etc.
-
Sample donor acknowledgment letter
-
Completed NAVREF Self Assessment Tool (enclosed)
If
you have other materials that would help the consultants understand how
your corporation operates, or documents such as contracts or grant
notices that you would like reviewed, please provide them in the
package. Mailing addresses and phone/fax numbers for each of the
consultants are provided on the enclosed page. Using the enclosed tabs,
please send a complete binder directly to each consultant. **Please
make double-sided copies to save trees and weight.**
We
suggest that the consultation be held in or near your corporation's
offices to facilitate review of documents and access to computerized
records.
This consultation is intended for your NPC’s benefit. All discussions
are confidential and no written reports will be prepared.
A
copy of the NAVREF Self-Assessment Tool is enclosed. We suggest that
you use this to identify areas of management that you and your board
members especially would like to discuss during the consultation.
Also, please give thought to exactly what you and your board would like
to gain from the consultation so that it can be targeted to your
particular interests. We will hold a brief conference call
at least one week before the BPC to discuss your
NPC’s goals for the consultation and final logistics. I will follow up
with you in the month before the visit to
schedule the call.
Please sign both
copies of this letter and return one to the NAVREF office using the
enclosed self-addressed envelope, or email a PDF of the signed letter to
bwest@navref.org, within five business
days of receipt. Upon receipt of the signed letter, NAVREF will begin
making travel arrangements for the consultants. If you subsequently
require a change in the dates and/or the schedule agreed upon in this
letter, your NPC will reimburse NAVREF for all costs associated with
rescheduling the consultation including but not limited to airline
ticket change fees, un-refundable fares, agent fees or cancellation
costs that cannot be applied to the new dates and travel arrangements.
If new dates cannot be agreed upon within 60 days of your notifying
NAVREF of a change in date or schedule, your NPC will reimburse NAVREF
within 90 days of such notification for the entire unrecoverable cost of
the cancelled travel arrangements.
We
hope you will find your consultation a productive and positive
experience. We welcome your comments and suggestions for improving its
value to our members.
We
look forward to receipt of your packages by
Date, to a conference call
during the week of Date, and to
seeing you on Date. If you have
questions or need additional information in the meantime, please feel
free to contact me.
Sincerely,
Barbara F. West
Executive Director
Accepted:
_____________________________________
_____________________________________
Authorized NPC Signatory Date
_____________________________________
Printed Name
Enclosures: 4 sets tabbed dividers
NAVREF NPC Self-Assessment
Tool
Shipping addresses
Copy of letter
Self-addressed envelope
cc:
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