Constitutions are the rules that drive an association's structure and governance but are not always appropriate or well constructed. Our Constitution Review service highlights matters for consideration by associations including constitution content, governance structure, member definitions and Board composition.

Having reviewed over 550 association constitutions, Associations Forum can provide recommendations on what needs to be reviewed or improved based on legislative requirements and contemporary practice in the association sector. Our reviews highlight omissions or areas of ambiguity and make practical recommendations to help improve your constitution. The review is in the form of a letter with numbered points.

Some common issues we find with constitutions are:

• Often constitutions don't define membership to ensure that only appropriate supporters of the cause can join and vote.
• Some constitutions do not provide clarity regarding how directors are actually elected or appointed.
• Extraneous matters are included in the constitution, e.g. job descriptions.
• The style and language used in constitutions is often not appropriate.

For members, Constitution Review is included as part of our Gold Member Benefits (please note: only one benefit can be redeemed once every membership period).

This benefit can also be delivered to Non-Members as well as Silver and Bronze Members for a fee. For more information, contact our team on 02 9904 8200 or at membership@associations.net.au for further information.