Governance

A nonprofit is not owned by any individual, but is governed by a board of directors. The board of directors fulfills its governance duties of due care, loyalty and obedience through a variety of practices and protocols. Board and staff should be representative of the community they serve and responsive to community needs and changes. Documented checks and balances must be in place to protect both the public good and the board as individual volunteers. 

Professional Development and Learning:

Resource Topics On This Page:

1. Board Member Service & Governance Policies
2. Board & ED Roles
3. Board Job Descriptions & Committees
4. Board Communication & Decision Making
5. Board Meetings
6. Board Meetings - Virtual
7. Board Performance & Assessment
8. Board Recruitment & Orientation 
9. Board Diversity
10. Board Voting; Adding/Removing Directors 
11. Board Member Conduct & Ethics

Bylaws & Conflict of Interest - See Legal, Compliance & Transparency
Fundraising by the Board - See Resource Development 

1. Board Member Service & Governance Policies

Governance Policies & Practices

2. Board & Executive Director/CEO Roles

3. Board Job Descriptions & Committees

Board Committees

4. Board Communication and Decision Making

  • Communicate Effectively to Create Better Board Relationships - BoardSource
  • Difficult Board Conversations - Governing Good
  • From Principles to Practices: Structuring Your Decision-Making Process - The Bridgespan Group
  • Strategies for Building Strong Nonprofit Board Communications - BoardEffect

5. Board Meetings

6. Board Meetings-Virtual

7. Board Performance & Assessment

8. Board Recruitment & Orientation

9. Board Diversity

10. Board Voting; Adding & Removing Directors

11. Board Member Conduct & Ethics

See Legal, Compliance & Transparency for Bylaws & Conflict of Interest Resources.

To view an A-Z list of all P&P resources, go to: NAO Resources Index

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