Best Practices Consultations Program

about navref

BEST PRACTICES CONSULTATIONS PROGRAM

Introduction
Consultants
Sample Letter Responding to a Request for a BPC
NAVREF NPC Self Assessment Tool

Introduction

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 PBC 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 and no written reports are prepared. If in the course of a consultation, the consultants learn something that may benefit other NPCs, they may share it with NAVREF without attribution to be incorporated in a newsletter article or Annual Conference session.

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 site 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.

Best practices consultants

Ron Flink
Executive Director, Chicago Association for Research and Education in Science (CARES), Hines, IL
Antonio Laracuente
Executive Director, Atlanta Research and Education Foundation, Atlanta, GA
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
Loretta Phillips Stillings
Executive Director, Biomedical Research Foundation, Little Rock, AR
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

Sample Letter Responding to A Request for a Best Practices Consultation

Dear Executive Director:

The National Association of Veterans' Research and Education Foundations (NAVREF) is pleased to confirm your foundation's Best Practices Consultation. The consultation will be held on (dates). (Names of consultant(s)) and I will conduct the consultation.

(Paragraph about logistics)

To prepare for the consultation, please provide each of us with copies of various documents pertaining to your corporation in time for receipt at least two weeks prior to the visit. Please include:

Bylaws
Articles of incorporation
List of board of directors with VA (if applicable) and corporation titles
Foundation staff and employee roster with titles
Resume or CV, job descriptions and contract for NPC administrative personnel including executive director, chief financial officer, chief operations officer and human resources manager or individuals with equivalent responsibilities
Written policies and procedures including sample documentation forms
Most recent audit or review of independent auditor including management letter
Chart of accounts
Annual NPC operational budget for the current fiscal year and for the most recently completed fiscal year
Most recent financial report to the board of directors
Sample periodic report on status of funds provided to principal investigators
Minutes from board meetings for the last two years
Last two annual reports to the VA with all attachments (including IRS Form 990)
Declarations page from all insurance policies including directors and officers liability, workman’s compensation, fiduciary bond, general liability, etc.
Sample donor acknowledgment letter
Completed NPC Self Assessment Tool (enclosed)

If you have other documents that would help give a sense of how your corporation operates, please provide them too. Mailing addresses and phone/fax numbers for each of the consultants are provided at the end of this letter. Please send each consultant’s package directly to him or her.

We suggest that the consultation be held 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. Corporation staff, board members or VAMC personnel will be involved to the extent you which to include them. Some executive directors have chosen to have the consultants meet with one or more board members during the second day of the visit, and we are agreeable to sharing findings and recommendations with the board.

If in the course of the visit, the consultants learn something that would benefit other corporations, they may share it with NAVREF without attribution to be incorporated in a newsletter article or Annual Conference session.

A copy of the NAVREF NPC Self Assessment Tool is enclosed. We suggest that you use this list as a self-assessment tool and to identify areas of management that you especially would like to discuss during the consultation. Also, please give thought to exactly what you would like to learn from the consultation so that it can be targeted to your particular interests. I suggest that we hold a brief conference call on or about (date) to discuss your goals for the consultation and final logistics.

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.

If you have questions or need additional information in the meantime, please feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,

Barbara F. West
Executive Director

Enclosure

Best Practices Checklist

last updated: 01/31/08