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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:
Resources:
See Resource Development for Fundraising by the Board Resources.
Board Member Service
- A Guide to Nonprofit Board Service in Oregon - Oregon Department of Justice (Guide-PDF)
- Guía para el Servicio de Directivo Sin Fines de Lucro en Oregón - Departamento de Justicia de Oregón (Guide in Spanish)
- Your Rights, Roles and Responsibilities as a Nonprofit Officer - Oregon Department of Justice
- Board Roles and Responsibilities - National Council of Nonprofits (Resource Guide)
- Board Roles and Responsibilities Checklist - BoardSource (Checklist)
- Eight Best Practices of Nonprofit Boards - Emerson Collective (Article)
- Essentials for Nonprofit Board Members - NonprofitReady (Curriculum)
- Fundamental Topics of Board Service and Resource Library - Boardsource (Resource Library)
- Generative Governance: Making Sense of Problems through Critical Inquiry - BoardSource (Blog)
- Good Governance Policies for Nonprofits - National Council of Nonprofits (Guide)
- Leading with Intent: 2017 National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices - BoardSource (Report-PDF)
- Liability and the Board: What Governing Teams Need to Know - Nonprofit Risk Management Center (Article)
Board and Executive Director/CEO Roles
- Insights into Great Relationships: Board Chairs and Executive Directors - National Council of Nonprofits (Article)
- Nonprofit Governance: Board and Executive Director Roles - MissionBox (Article)
- Can the Executive Director Serve on the Board of Directors? - Cullinane Law Group (Article)
Board Development & Structure
- How to Build an Effective Nonprofit Board: The Complete Guide - Wild Apricot (Guide)\
- How Nonprofit Boards Can Support Leaders of Color: Failure is not an Option - BoardSource
- Structure, Composition, and Culture Resources & Tools - BoardSource (Resource Library)
- Board Member Job Descriptions - BoardSource (Guide)
- Board Chair - The Effective Board Chair - NonprofitReady (Video)*
- Board Treasurer - Duties of the Treasurer of a Nonprofit Corporation - Neo Law Group (Article)
- Youth Board Members: Can Minors Serve on a Nonprofit Board? - Neo Law Group (Article)
Board Meetings
- A Comprehensive Guide on How to Run a Board Meeting - BoardEffect
- Board Structure, Committees and Meetings - BoardSource (Guide)
- Productive Board Meetings - BoardSource (Guide)
Virtual Board Meetings
- How Nonprofits and Board Members Can Respond To COVID-19 - BoardSource
- Serving on Nonprofit Board When You Can't Meet in Person - Oregon DOJ
- The Upside of Virtual Board Meetings - Harvard Business Review
Board Recruitment & Orientation
- Board Orientation - National Council of Nonprofits (Guide)
- Board Recruitment Center - BoardSource (Guide)
- Tips for a Successful Board Orientation - BoardSource (Feb 2020)
- Board Posting & Matching Programs by Region - BoardSource (Guide)
- Finding Board Members - GrantSpace (Guide)
- Finding the Right Board Members for your Nonprofit - National Council of Nonprofits (Guide)
Adding & Removing Board Members
- Adding and Removing Nonprofit Board Members - Foundation Group (Article)
- Can Board Vote by Email - OR Department of Justice (Article)
- Participation in Remote Meetings - Davis Wright Tremaine (Article)
- Removing Board Members: Four Ways to Remove a Board Member - Blue Avocado (Article)
- Removing Board Members: How to Properly Remove a Nonprofit Board Member - Board Effect (Article)
Board Diversity
- 10 Steps to a More Diverse Board - National Council of Nonprofits (Pointers)
- Building a Diverse and Inclusive Board - BoardSource (Guide)
- Diversity on Nonprofit Boards - National Council of Nonprofits (Practice Pointers, Tip Sheets, Assessments)
Board Performance & Assessment
- NAO Board Assessment Overview Tool
- NAO Board Member Self Assessment (Worksheet)
- Annual Board Tuneup Checklist - National Council of Nonprofits (PDF)
- Board Member Contract - Blue Avocado (Sample)
- Enforcing Board Member Responsibilities - Nonprofit Risk Management Center (Article)
- Five Board Dysfunctions that Create Chaos - Public Interest Management Group (Blog)
- Top 15 Board Governance Mistakes - Charity Lawyer (Article)
Conflicts & Ethical Behavior
See Legal, Compliance & Transparency for Bylaws & Conflict of Interest Resources.
- Board's Role in Revamping Workplace Culture to Prevent Harrassment - BoardSource (Guide)
- Ethics and Accountability for Nonprofits - The National Council of Nonprofits (Guide)
- It's Time for Nonprofit Boards to Have a Conversation About Sexual Misconduct - Nonprofit Quarterly (Article)
- Managing Conflict On The Board - BoardSource (Article)
- Preventing and Investigating Fraud, Embezzlement, and Charitable Asset Diversion: What's a Nonprofit Board to Do - Venable LLP (PDF)
- What Constitutes Board Director Misconduct - BoardEffect (Article)
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