Transparent Organization Management for NPOs & Volunteer Organizations

"We had conflicts over officer selection..." "The same people always bear the burden" "We want to gain member trust through transparent decision-making"

For NPOs and volunteer organizations, transparent governance leads to organizational trust.

This article explains how to fairly conduct officer selection, duty assignment, and role distribution from an organizational management perspective.

Challenges Faced by NPOs & Volunteer Organizations

1. Officer Selection Challenges

Common Problems:

• "No one volunteers to run"
• "Same people serve as officers every year"
• "Selection process is opaque"
• "Decisions made by a few people's opinions"

Impact:

• Member distrust
• Decreased participation motivation
• Failure to attract new members
• Lower evaluation in grant reviews

2. Role Distribution Challenges

Common Problems:

• "Burden concentrated on specific individuals"
• "Unwanted roles being pushed around"
• "Deteriorating relationships due to unfairness"
• "Volunteer work feels like obligation"

Impact:

• Burnout syndrome
• Member attrition
• Declining activity quality
• Concerns about organizational sustainability

3. Transparency & Governance Challenges

Common Problems:

• "Decision-making process is invisible"
• "Decisions made only by a few members"
• "No records kept"
• "Insufficient accountability"

Impact:

• Declining trust from donors and grant organizations
• Difficulties in government partnerships
• Loss of media credibility
• Declining social reputation

Importance of Transparent Organization Management

Stakeholder Trust

Donors:

• "Are donations being used appropriately?"
• "Is the organization managed soundly?"
• "Is there transparency?"

Grant Foundations:

• Governance structure verification
• Decision-making process transparency
• Accounting appropriateness

Government:

• NPO certification requirements
• Subsidy and contract project review criteria
• Public benefit assessment

Beneficiaries:

• Trust in service continuity
• Organizational stability

Internal Member Satisfaction

What Transparency Brings:

• Acceptance of decision-making
• Sense of belonging to organization
• Increased willingness to contribute
• Long-term commitment

Improving Transparency in Officer Selection

1. Board Member & Auditor Selection

Recommended Process

Step 1: Clarify Officer Requirements

Items to document:

• Term of office (e.g., 2 years, renewable)
• Job duties
• Expected time commitment
• Required skills and experience
• Compensation (if any)

Step 2: Call for Candidates & Nominations

Transparency points:

• Specify application period (minimum 2 weeks)
• Notify all members
• Document nomination reasons
• Confirm nominee's consent

Step 3: Candidate Information Disclosure

Information to disclose:

• Background and expertise
• Track record of contributions to organization
• Aspirations as an officer
• Conflicts of interest

Step 4: Choose Selection Method

Method A: Election

• Voting at general meeting
• Ensure fairness with anonymous voting
• Transparent vote counting (confirmed by multiple people)

Method B: Nomination Committee

• Establish selection committee
• Select committee members considering diversity
• Document nomination reasons
• Approval at general meeting

Method C: Lottery When Multiple Equally Qualified Candidates

• Multiple candidates with similar qualifications
• Decide through fair lottery
• Process visible to all participants

Step 5: Record Keeping

Records to maintain:

• Minutes of selection process
• Voting results (with privacy considerations)
• Nomination reasons
• Q&A at general meeting

2. Committee Member Selection

Types:

• Public Relations Committee
• Project Committee
• Accounting Audit Committee
• Event Executive Committee

Transparent Selection Methods:

1. Preference Survey

   • Ask all members for preferences
   • Fill in up to 3rd choice

2. Coordination

   • Adjust committees with concentrated preferences
   • Decide fairly through online amidakuji

3. Skill Matching

   • Separately consider committees requiring expertise
   • But ensure transparency

Fair Duty & Role Distribution

1. Regular Duties (Reception, Cleaning, etc.)

Challenges:

• Same people always burdened
• Unclear substitute when absent
• Sense of unfairness

Solution: Create Rotation Schedule

Step 1: Survey Everyone's Availability

Using Google Forms, etc.:
- Available days and times
- Unavailable dates
- Preferred frequency (once/month, twice/month, etc.)

Step 2: Create Fair Rotation Schedule

1. Determine initial order with amidakuji
2. Then rotate in sequence
3. If absent, priority for next time

Step 3: Visualization

- Share via Google Calendar
- Post on paper as well
- Automate reminder notifications

2. Event Role Distribution

Example: Charity Event

Roles:

• General Manager
• Reception Staff
• Venue Setup
• PR Staff
• Accounting Staff
• Photography/Records

Transparent Distribution Methods:

Method 1: Skill-based + Lottery

1. Roles requiring expertise (accounting, etc.) go to qualified people
2. Other roles - preference survey
3. Overlapping preferences decided by lottery

Method 2: Burden Point System

Assign burden points to each role:
- General Manager: 10 points
- Reception: 3 points
- Setup: 5 points

Adjust so each person's annual points are equal

3. Long-term Project Team Formation

Example: New Business Launch

Transparency Process:

1. Share Project Overview

   • Purpose, duration, required commitment

2. Open Call

   • Recruit interested parties
   • Submit application reasons

3. Selection

   • Clarify selection criteria in advance
   • Review by selection committee
   • Feedback on results and reasons

4. Team Roles

   • Roles within team decided fairly through amidakuji, etc.

Transparent Decision-Making Process

1. General Meeting & Board Operations

Transparency Points:

Preparation:

• Advance disclosure of agenda (2 weeks prior)
• Advance distribution of materials
• Accept questions in advance

On the Day:

• Create minutes (record speaker names)
• Clarify resolutions
• Record dissenting opinions

Follow-up:

• Publish minutes (within 1 week)
• Announce decisions
• Report implementation status

2. Daily Decision-Making

Even for Small Decisions:

• Record decision process
• Report to stakeholders
• Collect feedback

Tool Utilization:

• Discussion on Slack/ChatWork, etc.
• Collaborative editing on Google Docs
• Use voting features

Governance Strengthening Checklist

Organizational Structure

• Articles of incorporation and regulations are established
• Officer selection method is documented
• Board meeting frequency and minutes rules exist
• Conflict of interest prevention mechanisms exist
• Auditor independence is secured

Transparency

• Financial information is disclosed
• Annual reports are created and published
• General meeting minutes are disclosed to members
• Decision-making processes are documented
• System exists to respond to information disclosure requests

Fairness

• Role distribution is not concentrated on specific people
• Lottery and selection methods are fair
• New members can also obtain roles
• Burden is recorded and visualized
• Regular rotation exists

Accountability

• Donation usage is reported
• Activity reports are made regularly
• Opportunities to explain to stakeholders exist
• Complaint and consultation channels exist
• PDCA cycle for improvement exists

Specific Tool Utilization

1. Online Amidakuji

Usage Scenarios:

• Officer mutual selection (select 1 from equally qualified candidates)
• Committee member determination
• Event role distribution
• Duty order determination

Benefits:

• Completely transparent process
• Remote members can participate
• Records remain
• Free to use

2. Google Workspace (Nonprofit Edition)

Free Features:

• Gmail (custom domain)
• Google Calendar (duty schedule sharing)
• Google Drive (document sharing)
• Google Forms (surveys/voting)

Application Method: Apply to Google for Nonprofits (For public interest corporations and NPO corporations)

3. Slack / ChatWork

Use Cases:

• Daily communication
• Record decision-making
• Simple decisions through voting features
• File sharing

4. Trello / Notion

Project Management:

• Task visualization
• Clarify assignees
• Share progress
• Who's doing what at a glance

Frequently Asked Questions

Q1: What if no one wants to be an officer?

A: Consider these measures:

1. Subdivide roles: Reduce burden
2. Shorten terms: Lower psychological barrier with 1-year terms
3. Multiple-person system: Co-representative system
4. Consider compensation: Appropriate honorarium
5. Utilize external talent: Invite external experts as board members

Q2: Is it appropriate to decide officers by lottery?

A: It depends on the case:

• Appropriate: Mutual selection when multiple equally qualified candidates exist
• Inappropriate: Positions requiring expertise or experience

Choosing fair decision methods is important.

Q3: Should board minutes be fully disclosed?

A: Basically disclose to members, publish summaries publicly:

• For members: Detailed minutes
• For public: Summary version (excluding personal information)
• Non-disclosure: Personnel matters, personal privacy

Q4: How can remote members participate in decisions?

A: Utilize online tools:

• Hold general meetings via Zoom
• Online lottery
• Electronic voting
• Written resolution

However, the articles must specify "online participation allowed."

Q5: Do small organizations need governance too?

A: Yes, it's important regardless of size:

• Prevent relationship troubles precisely because it's small
• Prepare for future growth
• Gain social credibility
• Advantageous for grant applications

Start with a simplified version and gradually build it up.

Summary

Improving transparency in NPOs and volunteer organizations:

Importance:

• Gain stakeholder trust
• Improve internal member satisfaction
• Organizational sustainability

Implementation Methods:

• Fair officer selection process
• Introduce rotation system
• Document decision-making process
• Record keeping and disclosure

Recommended Tools:

• Online amidakuji (role determination)
• Google Workspace (document management)
• Slack/ChatWork (communication)

Keys to Success:

• Process visualization
• Opportunities for full participation
• Regular reviews
• Reflect feedback

Build a trusted organization through transparent governance!