Get a conflict of interest policy your committee can actually use

Because many governance problems start with uncertainty about what should be disclosed, who should step back from a decision, and how the issue should be recorded. In a not-for-profit setting, conflicts can arise through family relationships, supplier connections, funding links, personal benefit, or overlapping roles in related organisations. A clear policy helps the committee deal with those situations more consistently. It also gives chairs and secretaries a practical reference point for meeting conduct, registers and minutes, rather than leaving each issue to be handled ad hoc.

It commonly covers what counts as an actual, potential or perceived conflict, when disclosures should be made, how they should be recorded, who decides the management steps, and whether the affected person can stay for discussion or voting. Many organisations also need rules about ongoing conflict registers, annual declarations, and what happens if a conflict is identified late. The exact content depends on how your organisation is governed in practice. A useful policy should fit the way meetings, delegations and approvals actually work, not just repeat generic governance language.

The drafting usually depends on your legal structure, whether you have members as well as a committee or board, how decisions are approved, and the kinds of relationships that commonly arise in your sector. For example, a small community group with volunteer committee members may face different conflict scenarios from a larger charity with funding partners, service delivery contracts or related entities. Existing constitutions, trust deeds or governance policies can also affect the wording. The aim is to produce a policy that works with your current governance documents rather than cutting across them.

Template wording often needs adjustment so it matches the actual transaction, workflow and risk allocation. However, it often stays too general to be useful when a real conflict arises. Templates may not line up with your constitution, your meeting procedures, or the way your organisation records decisions. They can also leave out practical points such as who maintains the register, how recurring conflicts are handled, or what happens where a committee is very small. A tailored policy is usually more workable because it reflects the governance structure and conflict patterns your organisation is actually likely to face.

Not automatically. This service is for the conflict of interest policy itself and the practical procedures that sit around that document. If your organisation also needs a broader governance review, constitution amendments, filing steps or ongoing representation, that would usually be separate work. Keeping the scope document-led helps make the fixed-fee clearer. If, during drafting, it becomes obvious that another governance document is causing the problem, we can flag that and discuss whether additional support would be worthwhile.

Submit an enquiry on this page or click 'Get started'. One of our legal consultants will review it within 1 business day and get in touch to understand what you need.

Your consultant will then email you a fixed-fee quote setting out the cost, scope and timing. If you're happy with it, you can accept the quote and sign our engagement letter online.

Once you've accepted, one of our Australian-qualified lawyers will work with you to complete your project. They'll contact you by email or phone if they need anything.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Conflict Of Interest Policy For NFPs service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We work online, so we can help wherever you are in New Zealand. Our team works remotely, mainly from Australia.

Your work is done by our Australian-qualified lawyers, who hold Australian practising certificates and specialise in business law. None of them are New Zealand lawyers or hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

Sprintlaw NZ Limited is a legal consultancy, not a law firm, and is not regulated by the New Zealand Law Society. We don't act in court or tribunal matters, conveyancing (including leases and business sales) or other reserved areas of work. Communications with Sprintlaw are unlikely to be protected by legal professional privilege. We still keep everything confidential under our engagement letter.