The ACNC has a range of resources to support annual general meetings (AGMs) that are productive and well organised.
Before your AGM
To decide when your AGM should be held, what needs to be discussed, who can attend and who can vote, check your governing document, as well as any requirements in funding contracts or in the rules of relevant state or territory regulators.
Prepare an agenda that covers these requirements. Our meeting agenda template suggests items to include and who should be responsible for them. Common agenda items include confirming previous AGM minutes, presenting annual reports and financial statements, electing board members and celebrating your charity’s successes. Some charities may also need to have their financial statements reviewed or audited before the AGM.
Send a notice of your AGM meeting to charity members and stakeholders. Our AGM notice templates provide examples of what to include.
During your AGM
Appoint someone to take minutes so there is a record of decisions, when they were made and why. For some meetings, including directors’ meetings, keeping minutes is required by law. You can use our AGM minutes template.
After your AGM
Write up minutes as soon as possible and provide them to the relevant people in your charity.
If there were any changes to board or committee membership, make sure you notify the ACNC of changes within the required timeframe. Small charities have up to 60 days to notify these changes, while medium and large charities have up to 28 days.
If there are new board members at your charity, make sure you have a handover process in place to support knowledge sharing and maintain momentum during leadership changes. See our checklist for supporting new board or committee members.
For more information, see our guidance on annual general meetings.