Resources for Board Members

Bridgespan Partner David Simms writes about how many nonprofit boards are poorly managed and proposes steps to make them more effective.

As an organization grows, so does its culture of accountability. But, sometimes it seems that the focus is on the bureaucracy rather than on the mission. This article by BoardSource explains how your organization can strike a healthy balance.

Board performance is widely recognized as a critical ingredient in a nonprofit organization’s ability to achieve impact. This article explores the key elements of what effective board performance looks like, and how can nonprofit boards become more effective.

Many nonprofit boards spend considerable time defining the board’s role in securing adequate resources for the organization, and board members’ personal contributions are an essential part of the discussion. This article from BoardSource discusses why board members should give, various giving policies, and more on the topic.

Like the featured stories in the chart-topping reality show, there are nonprofits that need more than a modest renovation. In this GuideStar article, Sue Dahling Sullivan, chief strategic officer of Citi Performing Arts Center, points out that often a complete rebuild begins with the board and offers tips on how to manage a board makeover.

During the search process, figuring out who is the right leader for the organization is the ultimate goal, but doing this can be as difficult as it is crucial. How will you know you’re recommending not just the best person out of good pool of candidates, but also the right person to take the organization where it needs to go? In this BoardSource article, Dr. Antionette E. La Belle shares research she conducted that can help board members answer this question.

Steady opportunities to learn are crucial to the effective governance and successful performance of nonprofits. This article by BoardSource lays out a strategy for your board to set a deliberate program for board education to ensure that all members have the tools they need to properly govern.

“Governance as Leadership,” a book published by John Wiley & Sons in October 2004, challenges traditional thinking about the role of nonprofit boards of directors with a new framework for understanding the modes in which boards govern.

This article by BoardSource explains why boards should conduct the periodic assessment of the chief executive.

This list of effective practices is designed to serve as a guide and to spark discussion within an organization about its top priorities for board development.