Reading
Disturbing Levels Of CEO Dissatisfaction With Board Performance Washington, D.C., May 8, 2008 -- Most heads of midsize nonprofits give their trustees low marks for fundraising and monitoring board performance, an Urban Institute study of nonprofits with annual expenses between $500,000 and $5 million has found. Sixty-two percent of the chief executive officers say their boards do a fair or poor job raising revenue and 60 percent assign similar marks for boards’ self-examination. Read more... The Consent Agenda: A Tool For Improving Governance "A consent agenda can turn a board meeting into a meeting of the minds around the things that matter most. A consent agenda is a bundle of items that is voted on, without discussion, as a package. It differentiates between routine matters not needing explanation and more complex issues needing examination." This White Paper from BoardSource provides clear steps for effectively utilizing a consent agenda. Read more... Meaningful Acts of Appreciation for Boards and Staff - 7 Do's and 2 Don't's Despite admonishments to "give positive feedback," it often seems that efforts between board and staff of appreciation feel trivial at best, and even hypocritical or enraging at worst. What are some ways to express authentic appreciation that are meaningful to the recipient, and send the right message about values? Blue Avocado has some tips. Read more...Resources
Board Recruitment and Orientation What should I know before joining the board?Board members have important legal and fiduciary responsibilities that require a commitment of time, skill, and resources. Board Source provides a list of some basic questions prospective board members before joining a board. http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=1.363
What questions should we ask our potential board members?
The objective of board recruitment is to find willing, able, and committed board members. How do you know if a candidate is going to be the right person for your board? BoardSource offers some questions to ask potential board members to help assess them for you board.
http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=3.188
The Board Glossary at BoardSource defines terms that board members should be familiar with. A great resource for new board members, particulary for those who have not served on nonprofit boards before.
http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=1.1016
What Information Should Board Members Have?
It is often difficult to strike a balance between not giving enough information to board members and providing so much that critical information gets lost in the deluge. Here are some suggestions from Baord Cafe about written documents the board should have. This is a good list for creating an orientation packet for new board members.
http://www.compasspoint.org/boardcafe/details.php?id=92
An Effective Board Manual
Getting all board members, especially new ones, on the same page is a challenge for all organizations. An effective Board Manual is one way to build shared knowledge about the organization. BoardSource offers some simple suggestions and a checklist for developing a Board Manual that will get your board on the same page.
http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=3.390
Board Development BoardSource provides
solutions and tools to improve board performance. BoardSource provides
assistance and resources through its Board Information Center, web
site, and workshops.
http://www.boardsource.org/
Board Café, from Compass
Point is a newsletter for members of nonprofit Boards of Directors that
offers a menu of ideas, opinion, news, and resources to help board
members give and get the most out of board service.
http://www.compasspoint.org/boardcafe/index.php
Alliance for Nonprofit Management provides information and resources for nonprofits. Their website includes Frequently Asked Questions about Board Development that covers common issues in board development.
http://www.allianceonline.org/FAQ/board_development
From www.boardcafe.org : A sample Board Member Contract
that can be a starting point for developing your own contract so that
all board members clearly understand and agree to uphold their
responsibilities.
http://www.compasspoint.org/boardcafe/details.php?id=30
Board Passages: Three Key Stages in a Nonprofit Board's Life Cycle
This
aritcle by Karl Mathiasen, III outlines the strengths and challenges of
boards as they move through the development of an organizations from a
start-up to a mature organization.
http://www.managementassistance.org/page4b.html Board Roles & Responsibilities Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards
From BoardSource: http://www.boardsource.org/Knowledge.asp?ID=3.368
Sample Job Descriptions for Board Officers and Commitee Chairs
From managementhelp.org: http://www.managementhelp.org/boards/brdjobs.htm
Tips to Help Board Members Understand Their Fiduciary Duties
From
the Chronicle of Philanthropy is a short article with practical tips to
help board members understand and carry out the fiduciary duties of
care, loyalty, and obedience. This is a great short article to
circulate among your board.
http://philanthropy.com/jobs/2006/05/18/20060518-163287.htm
Board Chair: Making Your Mark
An
article from Board Cafe that can help a Board Chair figure out how to
approach this important role and set an agenda that leaves the board
and the organization stronger. http://www.compasspoint.org/boardcafe/details.php?id=3
Creating a Board-Executive Relationship for Effective Governance and Management
Creating
a board-executive director relationship that is clear and productive is
a big challenge. This article from Idealist.org summarizes some of the
current thinking about how to make this relationship successful.
http://www.nonprofits.org/npofaq/03/16.html |
