Every non-profit has rules they follow that help the organization stay true to its mission.  Civitan International is no different.  We have three sets of documents that guide staff and volunteer leaders as they make decisions on behalf of all Civitans.  The first is our articles of incorporation, which is the binding document that details Civitan’s creation and purpose.  Civitan’s articles were last amended and restated in 2004, when Civitan International and the Civitan International Foundation merged to become one entity.

The second set of documents is our bylaws, which set up our structure and procedures.  They also define the organization’s leaders and their abilities under these rules.  Any change to our bylaws must be proposed and approved by the International Board of Directors, with ratification by the membership. 

Lastly, the Civitan International Policies Manual details additional guidelines that align with our bylaws on all kinds of efforts – like club building, member recognition, election protocol and fundraising.  The policies in this manual can be revised, added onto, or deleted by the
International Board of Directors.

All of these organizational documents can be found on Civitan International’s website at civitan.org, under the Governance section of the Member Center.  Click here for access to those documents.** Your club should also be able to locate its articles and its bylaws, along with its charter from Civitan International.  We encourage club presidents and secretaries to have these on printed and electronic file, as a good practice.  If you have questions involving compliance and other governance related issues, reach out anytime by emailing clubcompliance@civitan.org. 

The International policies are the only one of the documents that is password protected.  Please contact growth@civitan.org for that information.