Knowing how every aspect of your organisation was intended to be run is an important part of running it correctly. Your organisation’s articles of association (AoA) serve as a detailed roadmap for your board of directors to use when making decisions and evaluating organisational success.
Here is an overview of what articles of association are, why this element of corporate structure is important for your organisation, and some of the best articles of association templates currently available.
What Are Articles of Association?
An articles of association document is a written record of the specific policies and procedures your board of directors is expected to follow when making decisions about your organisation, whether it’s a private company, limited company, nonprofit organisation, or other legal entity. Your company secretary generally handles most of the work of creating and maintaining your articles of association.
This document, along with your bylaws, serves as the deciding factor if questions or discrepancies occur during your general meetings. Your organisation will generally need to submit a copy to your local jurisdiction to ensure that your organisation is operating legally. Knowing the differences between your articles of incorporation vs. bylaws helps out here.
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Articles of Association Templates
Using a template can be an excellent starting point for creating your articles of association document, especially if you have not done so before and are unsure of what to include. This option helps make sure you’ve covered all your bases when creating your first articles of association. It can also assist you with making amendments later if you find certain policies are no longer working for your organisation down the road.
Several free articles of association templates are available. Some may also be included as part of a larger paid subscription that provides tools for creating and storing a range of documents.
1. Contractbook
Contractbook provides a simple fill-in-the-blank template you can use to add specific information important to your organisation. Most of this template’s wording looks the same for any organisation, and you will simply need to add your board members’ names, contact information, the jurisdiction your organisation is located in, and other details that will customise your finished articles of association to align with the policies of your organisation.
Contractbook also provides options for creating and storing a wide range of other contracts and important documents to ensure your organisation functions the way it’s intended. It also includes strong scalability options that integrate smoothly with a wide range of sales and business platforms.
2. Revv
Revv provides a free articles of association template that provides a higher level of customisation than many other templates. That helps you create articles of association that perfectly match the needs of your organisation. Revv’s platform provides a starting point for boards that have little experience with creating this type of document. It also allows users to add and delete sections as needed to ensure the information included represents your organisation as accurately as possible.
Revv focuses heavily on the legal aspects of creating official documents for your organisation. That makes it an excellent option for beginner users who need help making sure their articles of association meet government requirements to support an officially recognized organisation. Selecting a provider that is particularly strong in this area can help your company avoid any legal concerns that may result from incomplete or incorrect articles of association.
3. Business in a Box
Business in a Box provides downloadable templates for creating articles of association and a wide range of other important business documents. Although this template does not provide an option for filling it in electronically, copying the document yourself can be perfectly doable if its wording is a better fit for the needs of your business. Business in a Box strives to keep every part of your business up and running with a wide range of documents available in one place.
4. PandaDoc
PandaDoc’s articles of incorporation template functions similarly to articles of association templates, and includes many of the same types of information. PandaDoc’s template also helps you with how to write articles of incorporation. It offers a wide range of tips throughout the document, walking you through common questions and points of confusion to help you fill out the template correctly.
5. LawDepot
LawDepot allows you to customise your articles of incorporation for your company’s specific industry. This makes it easier to create a document that includes any relevant specialised information you need for properly running organisations with similar regulations to yours.
Master File Management With OnBoard
Reviewing and updating your organization’s articles of association regularly to reflect current company values and goals is healthy business practice. It encourages organisational alignment, from the board of directors through management and administration.
OnBoard makes it easier than ever to keep master copies of all your important files in one place. Our digital file management system is a convenient and secure alternative to keeping track of paper copies. Plus, being able to access your articles of association and other important documents from anywhere makes it easy for your board of directors to clarify any questions or discrepancies that come up during board meetings or at any other time.
Providing a better way to manage your organisation’s files is just one of many ways OnBoard makes life easier for your board of directors. Other frequently used features include:
- Options for securely creating, distributing, and storing agendas and minutes for each board meeting
- A secure messaging system less susceptible to hacking than email or social media
- Simple integration with Zoom and other video conferencing platforms
- Options for keeping track of voting results
- A wide range of meeting analytics to track the success of board meetings over time
Improve your document management and board governance starting by your next meeting with OnBoard’s free board meeting minutes template.
Ensure effective, efficient meetings with our comprehensive Board Meeting Agenda Template.
About The Author
- Adam Wire
- Adam Wire is a Content Marketing Manager at OnBoard who joined the company in 2021. A Ball State University graduate, Adam worked in various content marketing roles at Angi, USA Football, and Adult & Child Health following a 12-year career in newspapers. His favorite part of the job is problem-solving and helping teammates achieve their goals. He lives in Indianapolis with his wife and two dogs. He’s an avid sports fan and foodie who also enjoys lawn and yard work and running.
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