Boards & Governance

Basic Responsibilities of Individual Board Members : Provided by BoardSource, Inc., this guide has been adopted by thousands of nonprofit organizations. Also included is a summary of personal characteristics to consider when seeking additions to a Board of Directors.

Ten Essential Responsibilities of Board Chairs: Provided by BoardSource, Inc.

boardnetUSA™ is the unique website revolutionizing the way nonprofit boards and new leaders find each other. If you're an individual interested in board service or a nonprofit looking for a new board member ... you've come to the right place.

Sample Job Descriptions for Members of Boards of Directors : assembled by Carter McNamara, Ph.D. for the Nonprofit Management Library.

Board Mentoring: by Peter Brinckerhoff, author of Generations: The Challenge of a Lifetime for Your Nonprofit.

BoardSource, Inc. : Anyone can use the "Nonprofit Essentials" and Q&A Archive features on this site, while a number of other areas are provided for members only. BoardSource (formerly the National Center for Nonprofit Boards) is an organization dedicated to building strong and effective nonprofit boards.

Nine Keys for Reinvigorating Board Leadership : By Paul Connolly of the TCC Group (formerly The Conservation Company). A one-page PDF.

Board Cafe : A free, weekly e-newsletter for members of nonprofit boards of directors, published by CompassPoint. "Short enough to read over a cup of coffee."

Board Development FAQ from the Alliance for Nonprofit Management.

Board Builders : At this site you can sign in for free access to a number of good articles on boards and development, penned by Board Builders' Founder Carol Weisman (aka the Goddess of Governance), along with an e-course covering basics as well as new ideas for board meetings.

The Organized Agenda: A Vital Tool for Efficient Meetings. A well-prepared and organized agenda is an important tool for helping groups hold orderly, efficient meetings. An organized agenda is not thrown together in a few minutes. Thought and planning are necessary to develop an agenda that provides meaningful information but does not become a lengthy narrative document. In addition, a carefully prepared agenda can influence the outcome of a meeting. This guide, which includes sample agendas, is provided by the University of Illinois Extension.

Investing in Performance: A Guide for Nonprofit Board Members : A keynote speech by Paul Light at a Citibank Board Leadership Forum in Los Angeles, 2004.

Keeping Your Board Above Board : The Sarbanes-Oxley Act sets strict new rules for corporate directors. Can nonprofit boards hold themselves to lesser standards? From Patrick K. O'Hare, principal at Ober, Kaler, Grimes & Shriver, Attorneys at Law, for The Grantsmanship Center.

TransitionGuides - Dedicated to sustaining and strengthening nonprofits through better managed leadership transitions and related organizational development.

The African American Nonprofit Network (AANN): A unique resource designed to share opportunities, build relationships, and ultimately strengthen the National Capital Region's nonprofit sector by connecting experienced and talented African Americans with nonprofit organizations seeking new leadership.