Associations accomplish their work through volunteers and staff. Volunteer work is organized, most often, in committees, task forces, councils, and other structures. The purpose of these structures is to assemble member experts to help develop and implement initiatives based on the board’s vision and direction.
They help leverage member insights and serve as a training ground for future leaders. These structures can help address difficult issues, recommend and develop new programs and services, and evaluate and sunset old ones.
Committees can be permanent (standing) or temporary (task force or ad hoc). Effective committees require clear objectives, balanced representation, and strong leadership to maximize their effectiveness. A task force or ad hoc committee is usually formed to focus on a single defined activity. The term, “council,” may be used by an association as another term for their board or for their committees or may be used to denote a higher-level more prestigious committee.
Associations typically face critical questions on committee authority, size, when to sunset, and how to properly staff and support.
