Governance for community-based organisations
A plain guide to governance for community-based organisations: why it matters, what a governing document covers, committee roles, records and accountability.
Short answer
Governance is how a community-based organisation decides things, handles money and answers to the people it serves. Good basics are a written governing document, an elected committee with clear roles, regular meetings with minutes, simple financial records, and open feedback routes for the community. These basics help you earn trust and meet partner and donor checks.
Key points
- Governance means how decisions are made, how money is handled and who holds influence.
- A governing document sets purpose, membership, committee, meetings, finance and how to change the rules.
- A committee is collectively responsible; no single person should decide everything.
- Accountability runs to members, the wider community, funders and partners.
- Check national registration rules with a qualified adviser; they differ and change.
What is governance, in simple words?
Governance is how a group organises itself to get things done. Local Trust, in a guide for communities, describes it as how people organise themselves to make something happen. It lets people see how decisions are made, how money is handled and where influence sits.
For a community-based organisation (CBO), good governance has a direct practical value: it keeps the group together when people change, protects members and funds, and makes it possible for partners to trust you. A group that depends on one person's memory is fragile.
What should a governing document include?
A governing document, often a constitution, sets out what the group is for and how it runs. Two UK community group guides, from Havering and Ealing councils, list the usual contents. Rules and legal forms differ in Myanmar, so treat this as a checklist of topics, not as a legal model.
| Topic | What to write |
|---|---|
| Name and purpose | What the group is called and what it aims to achieve |
| Membership | Who can join, how, and how membership ends |
| Committee | How members are elected, their terms and the jobs to fill |
| Meetings | Regular committee meetings and an annual general meeting |
| Finance | Who holds money, who signs, how accounts are prepared |
| Changing the rules | The procedure for amendments, usually at a general meeting |
| Closing down | What happens to assets if the group stops |
The Havering guide makes a clear point: once a group adopts its constitution, everyone must follow it, so adoption should happen at a meeting that is recorded in minutes.
How do committees work?
The committee manages the group. The Havering guide describes it as corporately responsible for everything done in the group's name, which means no one person decides how the group is run. Once the committee agrees by consensus or vote, all are party to the action.
Basic roles to consider: a chairperson who runs meetings, a secretary who keeps records, and a treasurer who looks after money. Where possible, keep money tasks separate: one person to receive, another to record, and committee approval for larger spending.
Our guide to board governance basics for NGOs covers the same ideas for larger organisations.
How do you keep records that partners will trust?
Partners often ask for the same small set of documents. Start with these.
- Minutes of every meeting. Date, who attended, decisions, actions. Use our meeting notes guide as a format.
- A member and committee list. Names, roles, dates of election.
- A simple cash book. Every receipt and payment, with a receipt or voucher number.
- An annual summary. What you did, what you received and spent, presented to members at the annual meeting.
- A short conflict of interest rule. Members must say when they or relatives benefit from a decision, and step out of that decision.
- A policy folder. Even a one-page safeguarding statement and a financial rule is a start. See the starter pack of NGO policies.
Who are you accountable to?
The Local Trust guide says a group needs to know who it answers to, who it listens to and who has a legitimate interest in its decisions. For most groups this includes the wider community, and may also include funders, partners, members, staff, volunteers and regulators.
It adds a useful warning: accountability becomes strained when people do not understand how decisions are made, where money is kept or who speaks for the group. Clear routes for raising concerns matter as much as formal documents. Practical steps:
- Hold open meetings or community conversations at fixed times.
- Share a short summary of what you received and how you spent it.
- Keep a way for people to complain, such as a suggestion box or a named contact.
- Tell members how to stand for the committee.
For a full mechanism, see how to set up a complaints and feedback mechanism that works.
How does governance connect to partner requirements?
International partners often review governance during due diligence: legal status, board or committee, minutes, financial controls and policies. If your records are in order, assessment is quicker. Read passing partner due diligence as a local NGO for the full list.
Registration is a separate question. National laws and donor rules differ, and they can change. Ask a qualified adviser or the relevant authority what applies to your group now, and ask each partner what proof of status it will accept. Do not assume that a requirement from one partner applies to all.
How should a CBO grow its governance?
The Local Trust guide notes that groups move back and forth between stages and that not every group needs the same structure. It also says funders should avoid pushing communities too quickly into structures that may not suit them. Start with the basics above. Add formal elements as your funds, staff or partners increase.
In Myanmar, where members may live in different places or meet online, consider how you will hold valid meetings, record decisions and verify who attended, while protecting the safety of members.
How EMPO can help
EMPO is a trusted, Yangon-based training and consultancy provider and one of Myanmar's leading names in practical NGO training, with 1,200+ people trained and 15 partner organisations. We work in English and Burmese, online and in person across Myanmar. Our organisational development support can help a CBO draft governing documents, committee procedures and basic policies. See our services or contact us.
Sources
- How do we organise ourselves? A guide for communities deciding how to organise and act — Local Trust, 2026
- The Good Group Guide — London Borough of Havering
- Resident and community association governance manual — Ealing Council, 2025
Questions people ask
Does a CBO need to be formally registered?
Rules differ by country and change over time, so check the current requirements with a qualified adviser or the relevant authority. Many partners and donors ask for evidence of legal status, so ask each one what they need.
How many people should be on the committee?
There is no universal number. Choose a size that can meet regularly and share tasks, and set it out in your governing document, with a process to elect or replace members.
How often should the whole membership meet?
Common practice in the community group guides is at least one annual general meeting, where the committee is elected, accounts are presented and the annual report is shared. Your governing document can set more meetings.