Coalition Council Terms of Reference

Coalition Mission To maximize the capacity, effectiveness and cultural uniqueness of the child, youth and family services system through collective efforts.

Purpose
As the main decision-making body for the Coalition, Council provides oversight and leadership to the Coalition, ensuring the alignment of the activities of the Coalition with its Strategic Plan, and making decisions on recommendations from the Tables of the Coalition.

Functions
• Primary decision-making body re. policy, planning and budgeting
• Provides oversight & leadership to the Coalition, ensuring alignment of the Coalition with its Strategic Plan
• Approves and monitors annual budget
• May delegate decision making responsibilities to Tables for certain issues
• Creates a forum for information-sharing, networking, education and inspiration of members.

Members
Made up of members of the Coalition who support the Coalition mission, pay annual sliding scale fees, and designate an executive staff person to represent them at monthly Council meetings. Members are responsible for regular attendance, with the option of a substitute as necessary but not as a regular alternative. Council members are expected to share relevant information from Council with other staff in their organization. Funders participate on an ex officio basis i.e. they do not pay a fee for membership in the Coalition and do not have a vote on Council. Similarly, a member who is leading a key Coalition initiative may be asked to attend Council for the duration of the initiative as a non voting, non fee paying member.

Selection of Coalition Chair and Vice-Chair
The Chair and Vice-Chair of the Coalition should be senior managers with experience on the Coalition Council who serve a term of one year each, with transition from Vice-Chair to Chair, and Chair to Past-Chair. The Chair and Vice-Chair are recommended by the Secretariat and confirmed by the Council.

Conduct of Meetings
The agenda of the Council is set by the Chair, in consultation with staff and the Secretariat. A quorum of the Council (50% of members) should be present to conduct business. Decisions will be made, whenever possible, through consensus. When consensus is not possible, the Chair will call for a vote requiring a 2/3 majority of the voting members present.

Interest in Conflict...
with Council On a matter of principle, a member organization may not agree with all decisions being made by the Council or its Tables. The organization has a right to withdraw from participating in such decisions yet still remain part of the Coalition. The organization’s representative may wish to have their difference noted in the minutes and recuse themselves from the discussion.

Groups that Relate to Council Council takes guidance from Secretariat, Infrastructure and Planning Tables which it has empowered to research, discuss and make recommendations in the areas noted in their respective Terms of Reference.

Meeting Frequency Meet 8-10 times per year.

Communication
Minutes are distributed to the membership of the Council and posted on the Coalition website for access by stakeholders.

Review
These Terms of Reference will be reviewed every two years.