Bylaws generally define things like the group's official name, purpose, requirements for membership, officers' titles and responsibilities, how offices are to be assigned, how meetings should be conducted, and how often meetings will be held.
A corporation's governing documents must meet a list of requirements in order to pass under California law. These items should not merely be seen as a checklist, however, as they will be cited to in the event a lawsuit or investigation arises down the road.
10 steps for writing bylaws for an association Research. Form a committee. Create the structure. Outline your organization's key roles and responsibilities. Establish your meeting rules. Define your membership. Address finances. Outline the amendment process.
While bylaws are a detailed and immediate source of regulations, they must follow federal and state laws and comply with your organization's articles of incorporation. If there is a contradiction between the bylaws and these other regulations, that part of the bylaws is invalid.
Failure by a board to follow the stipulations outlined in the bylaws can have devastating consequences to the organization…and potentially even to the board members themselves. Since bylaws are such a big deal, it stands to reason that what they contain and how they are used should be taken extremely seriously.
You not only have a duty to understand your bylaws, you are legally accountable for following them. This is not optional. A court of law will side with your bylaws in any dispute brought by another board member, an employee, volunteer or recipient of services who may have a grievance.
Unlike employee guidelines, bylaws pertain to board-level decisions and actions about the day-to-day running of the business. Think of them as legal guidelines for your business, any action that violates them could be challenged in court.