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Governance
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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
- A Guide to Nonprofit Board Service in Oregon - Oregon Department of Justice
- Your Rights, Roles and Responsibilities as a Nonprofit Officer - Oregon Department of Justice
- Guía para el Servicio de Directivo Sin Fines de Lucro en Oregón - Guide in Spanish
- For printed booklets, email your request to Charitable@doj.state.or.us or call 971-673-1880.
- NAO Board Management Workbook - NAO
- Be a Better Board Member - Page Two Partners (Book: English & Spanish versions)
- How to be the Board Member You and Your Nonprofit Deserve
- Be An Effective Board Member - NonprofitReady (Curriculum)*
- Board Roles and Responsibilities - National Council of Nonprofits
- Board Roles and Responsibilities Checklist - BoardSource
- Eight Best Practices of Nonprofit Boards - Emerson Collective
- Fundamental Topics of Board Service and Resource Library - Boardsource
- Liability & the Board: What Governing Teams Need to Know - Nonprofit Risk Management Center
- Nonprofit Board Responsibilities: The Basics Guide - Nonprofit Quarterly
- Pay for Board Members: Can Board Members Be Paid? - National Council of Nonprofits
- Pay for Board Members: To Pay or Not To Pay? - Economic Research Institute
- Related Members on a Nonprofit Board of Directors - Foundation Group
- Avoiding Conflict of Interest on a Nonprofit Board - Foundation Group
Governance Policies & Practices
- Creating Nonprofit Policies - BoardSource
- Good Governance Policies for Nonprofits - National Council of Nonprofits
- Recommended Governance Practices - BoardSource
- Recommended Nonprofit Governance Policies - CharityLawyer
- Sample Contents of Board Members Manual - Free Management Library
2. Board & Executive Director/CEO Roles
- Insights into Great Relationships: Board Chairs and Executive Directors - National Council of Nonprofits
- Nonprofit Governance: Board and Executive Director Roles - MissionBox
- Can the Executive Director Serve on the Board of Directors? - Cullinane Law Group
3. Board Job Descriptions & Committees
- Board Member Job Descriptions - BoardSource
- Board Chair - The Effective Board Chair - NonprofitReady (Video)*
- Board President/Chair Duties - Neo Law Group
- Board Treasurer Duties - Neo Law Group
- Board Secretary Duties - Neo Law Group
- Building an Effective Board of Directors - Nonprofit Quarterly
- Structure, Composition, and Culture Resources & Tools - BoardSource
- Youth Board Members: Can Minors Serve on a Nonprofit Board? - Neo Law Group
Board Committees
- Board Committees - Center for Nonprofit Excellence
- Board Committee Charters - Stanford Law School
- Common Types of Standing Committees - BoardEffect
- Executive Committee - BoardSource
- Executive Committee Role - BoardEffect
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
- A Comprehensive Guide on How to Run a Board Meeting - BoardEffect
- Board Structure, Committees and Meetings - BoardSource
- Effective Board Meetings for Good Governance - National Council of Nonprofits
- Meeting Minutes Do's and Don'ts - ASAE Center
- Meeting Minutes - What Not To Include - Fellow Blog
- Productive Board Meetings - BoardSource
6. Board Meetings-Virtual
- Changes in the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Act - Center for Nonprofit Law
- Virtual Meetings Untangled - BoardSource
- Serving on Nonprofit Board When You Can't Meet in Person - Oregon DOJ
- The Upside of Virtual Board Meetings - Harvard Business Review
7. Board Performance & Assessment
- Annual Board Tuneup Checklist - National Council of Nonprofits
- Board Member Contract - Blue Avocado
- Enforcing Board Member Responsibilities - Nonprofit Risk Management Center
- Five Board Dysfunctions that Create Chaos - Public Interest Management Group
- Top 15 Board Governance Mistakes - Charity Lawyer
8. Board Recruitment & Orientation
- Board Recruitment Center - BoardSource
- Board Posting & Matching Programs by Region - BoardSource
- Finding Board Members - GrantSpace
- Finding the Right Board Members for your Nonprofit - National Council of Nonprofits
- Interview Questions for Board Members - BoardEffect
- Interview Questions: Legal and Illegal - The Bridgespan Group
- Orient and Develop Your Members - BoardSource
- Orientation for Board Members - National Council of Nonprofits
9. Board Diversity
- 10 Steps to a More Diverse Board - National Council of Nonprofits
- Building a Diverse and Inclusive Board - BoardSource
- Diversity on Nonprofit Boards - National Council of Nonprofits
- Nonprofit Boards: Supporting Leaders of Color - BoardSource
- Nonprofit Boards: Supporting Leaders of Color - BoardSource & Building Movement Project
- Recruiting BIPOC Board Members? Read This First - Train Your Board
10. Board Voting; Adding & Removing Directors
- Can Board Vote by Email - Oregon Department of Justice
- Changes in the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Act - Center for Nonprofit Law
- How Nonprofits Take Action: Getting Board or Member Approval - Nolo
- Adding and Removing Nonprofit Board Members - Foundation Group
- Removing Board Members: How to Remove a Nonprofit Board Member - BoardEffect
11. Board Member Conduct & Ethics
See Legal, Compliance & Transparency for Bylaws & Conflict of Interest Resources.
- Code of Ethics or Statement of Values: Needed by Nonprofits? - National Council of Nonprofits
- Codes of Conduct & Ethics: Nonprofit Board Members - BoardSource
- Dynamics and Processes for a Nonprofit Board - BoardSource
- Dissonance to Harmony: Managing Conflict On The Board - BoardSource
- Ethics and Accountability for Nonprofits - National Council of Nonprofits
- Sexual Misconduct: It's Time for Nonprofit Boards to Address - Nonprofit Quarterly
- What Constitutes Board Director Misconduct - BoardEffect
To view an A-Z list of all P&P resources, go to: NAO Resources Index
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