Nonprofit Board Best Practices
An organization will be able to make better decisions, make decisions more quickly, and maximize the talents of its board members and staff if the board:
- Has common understanding of the role of the board and of board members,
- Establishes clear procedures for how the board is going to operate, and
- Establishes a partnership with the ED/CEO, so that he or she can make the day-to-day decisions that need to be made if an organization is going to be effective.
File:501 Commons - Best Practices for Boards 8.2011.docx
Resources
- Board Development- A program of United Way of Canada - Centraide Canada, this site offers an abundance of good practices in governance and includes checklists, forms, documents, and tools.
- Boardnet USA- Boardnet USA connects people looking for board positions with organizations looking for board members. The site enables boards to reach people they normally wouldn't have connections to in order to strengthen their boards, and offers a way for people to find potential organizations on which to serve as board members.
The website provides solutions, leadership tips, and governance information about board-related issues such as accountability and transparency to increase board capacity. While membership is not free, certain articles and essential research data can be downloaded at no charge.
Current board and board committee opportunities in the Seattle/King County area. Created by United Way of King County to help people find the board opportunities that best suit individual needs and interests.
The Nonprofit Manager's Library includes a section on Boards of Directors. Visitors can view sample job descriptions for board members, guidelines for recruiting members, and so on. The Nonprofit Good Practice Guide, which provides more than 7,000 tips and resources organized into ten topic areas, has a section on nonprofit board governance.