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Bylaws of Youth for Nepal

I. Name and Standing

The name of the institution, established according to these by-laws, shall be ‘Youth For Nepal’ (YFN). YFN is a non-profit organization and any revenue generated from activities must be redirected towards operational costs and projects supported by YFN. YFN is an autonomous body and is not affiliated to any other for-profit, non-profit, religious or political organization.

II. Mission

YFN aims to assist in the development of Nepal by encouraging the youth to work in the fields of education, environment and health. The core objectives of YFN are:

  • Develop the infrastructure at resources-deprived educational and healthcare institutions
  • Increase literacy amongst underprivileged children and adults
  • Raise awareness about environmental issues and implement grassroots-level environmental programs
  • Increase knowledge of basic health and sanitation issues in the community
  • Maintain transparency and accountability in all its activities

III. Membership

Any person can be a member of YFN by emailing YFN’s email address, signing up at YFN’s website (www.youthfornepal.org) or contacting one of the office bearer’s of YFN. The attributes sought of any member are good conduct, commitment towards the objective of the institution and a desire to work towards the materialization of YFN’s goals.

IV. The Cabinet

  1. The cabinet for the United States chapter shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary, Assistant Secretary, Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer, each having a term of one year.
  2. The Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurers are elected by a majority vote from the general members of YFN.
  3. After one year, the Vice President, Assistant Secretary and Assistant Treasurer will take on the responsibilities of the President, Secretary and Treasurer respectively.
  4. A vote for the President, Secretary or Treasurer will only be conducted if the respective assistant resigns at the end of one year, leaving the position vacant for the next year.
  5. For election of the vice president, vice secretary, and vice treasurer, a temporary election commission will be set up and will include one cabinet member, the President of Nepal’s organization, one board member who is not on the cabinet, and a general member of the organization who is not applying for any of the positions available.
  6. Candidates for the vice president, vice secretary, and vice treasurer must have been a general member of YFN for a year before they can apply for the positions.

    7. Note: For the first year of the organization’s existence, only the posts of President, Secretary and Treasurer will be occupied. Nominations for these posts will be made by the founding members of the organization.

    The Cabinet is responsible for the daily activities of the organization as described below.

    The Cabinet for the Nepal chapter will be decided by the founding members in Nepal, in accordance with the laws of Nepal.

    President and Vice President
    The President and Vice President are responsible for the smooth operation of the organization and are the liaison between the members, the board and the project undertakers. The President must report to the Board of Directors at every regular Board meeting and issue a general statement to all members at the end of the fiscal year outlining the overall activities and status of the organization.

    Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer
    The Treasurer and Assistant Treasurer are responsible for all financial affairs of the organization. The two must work together to ensure transparency in the accounting and financial activities of the organization. They must also ensure the transparency and accountability of the various projects. The Treasurer is responsible for the timely filing of tax returns and making them accessible to the general public. The Treasurer reports to the President and the Board of Directors.

    Secretary and Assistant Secretary
    The Secretary is the official spokesperson of YFN, and is responsible for liaising with the various project leaders to ensure that their needs are met and their projects are being timely executed. The Secretary reports to the President and to the Board of Directors. The Assistant Secretary works with the Secretary in any capacity required.

    Meetings
    Regular cabinet meetings shall be held twice a month.
    Special meetings may be called by any of the cabinet members.

V. Board of Directors

The Board of Directors (“the Board”) is responsible for the overall policy and direction of the organization, and has the fiduciary responsibility of ensuring that the Cabinet and the organization is adhering to its core mission and objectives. The Board shall manage the affairs and property of the organization in accordance with the purposes and limitations set forth in the Certificate of Incorporation.

  1. The Board shall consist of thirteen members. The members of the Board shall consist of the entire Cabinet, the President of YFN in Nepal and six general members.
  2. The general members of the Board shall be nominated from a pool of applicants by the existing Board. Each general member shall have a term of two years.
  3. A person must be an active member of YFN for at least one year before she may apply for a position on the Board.
  4. The Board shall meet at least once every two calendar months. Additional meetings may be called upon by any board member due to extenuating circumstances. Agendas shall be provided by the Secretary at least 7 days in advance.
  5. Board members with 4 or more unexcused absences from regularly scheduled meetings in any given year will be dismissed from the Board. The Chair of the Board has the sole authority to excuse a member from the meeting.
  6. Vacancies shall be filled by the Board, in accordance with Articles V a) – f) of this document.

    7. Officers
    The officers of the Board shall consist of a Chair and Vice Chair.
    (a)The Chair shall preside at all Board meetings, appoint committee members, and perform other duties as associated with the office. The President of the organization will also be the Chair of the Board.
    (b)The Vice-Chair shall assume the duties of the Chair in case of the Chair’s absence and shall be responsible for the minutes of the Board and the agenda for the meetings. The Vice-Chair will be elected from the remaining Board members by a majority vote.

    Quorum and Voting
    A majority of board members present constitutes a quorum, given that at least four Board members are present at any time. In absence of a quorum, no formal action shall be taken except to adjourn the meeting to a subsequent date.
    Passage of a motion requires a simple majority. In case of a tie, Chair of the Board (if the President is unavailable or unable to decide) gets to cast the deciding vote. The Chair of the Board may not participate in a vote otherwise.

    The Board for the Nepal chapter will be decided by the founding members in Nepal, in accordance with the laws of Nepal.

VI. Committees

The Board may create standing and ad hoc committees as needed. Current proposals for committees (details to be determined by Board) are

a) Fund Promotion Committee
The Fund Promotion Committee (FPC herein after) shall perform necessary programs and meetings to raise funds to achieve the goals of the institution.

VII. Meetings (for the entire organization)

No regular meetings shall take place, unless called by the President.

VIII. Compensation

No financial compsensation will be provided to any member or office bearer of YFN for services provided. Persons may, however, be reimbursed for reasonable expenses, such as transportation, long-distance phone calls and copying undertaken on behalf of the Corporation. In addition, nothing herein shall be construed to preclude any member from serving the Corporation in any other capacity and receiving reasonable compensation for such services.

IX. Conflict of Interest

Any member of the board who has a financial, personal, or official interest in, or conflict or appearance of a conflict with any matter pending before the Board, of such nature that it prevents or may prevent that member from acting on the matter in an impartial manner, will offer to the Board to voluntarily excuse him/herself and will vacate his seat and refrain from discussion and voting on said item.
A person may not apply for any position on the Cabinet or Board if he or she is unable to execute his or her duties in a fair and impartial manner due to personal reasons, financial or otherwise.

X. Fiscal Year

The fiscal year of the board shall be from July 1 to June 30 of the subsequent year.

XI. Financial Provision

  1. Financial Source

    YFN shall actively seek to raise funds through donations, and will accept donations from any legal source (personal or organizational) provided that such donations are without requirements that are contrary to the mission and objectives of the organization

  2. Operation of Bank Account

    A bank account of the institution shall be administered by the Treasurer for all financial purposes.

    The Tresurer must update the Cabinet on all financial activities during each Cabinet meeting, and must provide the Board with an overview during Board meetings. Expenses, purchases or disbursements of more than US$500.00 must be ratified or approved by the Board prior to the disbursement.

  3. Auditing
    The auditing shall be carried out annually by a licensed auditor, a report of which must be submitted to the Board at conclusion.
  4. Tangible assets
    The tangible assets of YFN shall be managed as per the prevailing law, and administered by the Board.

XII. Amendments

The by-laws may be amended by a two-third vote of Board members present at any meeting, provided at least two-thirds of the Board is present and provided a copy of the proposed amendment(s) is (are) provided to each Board member at least one week prior to said meeting.

XIII. Ratification

These by-laws are ratified by the following founding members who were also appointed as the members of the Board of Directors by the incorporator Mr. Sanchit Chokhani, per articles of incorporation of the State of New York, USA.

Founders:
Mr. Sanchit Chokhani
Mr. Abishkar Shrestha
Mr. Suyog Shrestha