A board of directors for nonprofits can be a vital group of people who will bring life to your organization’s goals. When new members join, they should be thoroughly informed about their roles and responsibilities.
The first thing to remember for new board members that they are not in charge of the day-today operations of the nonprofit. These tasks are the responsibility of the executive director, paid employees and volunteers. The board’s role is to provide oversight and direction.
To do this, they should be aware of the organization’s operations and finances. They must know what their fiduciary and legal obligations are, how they can assess the executive director, and the organization’s governance policies.
New board members should also be able to monitor and direct fundraising efforts effectively. Some nonprofits ask all board members to contribute financially, whereas others encourage donations but do not require them to do so. The most successful fundraisers are ones who can help the board decide on the best strategy for earning income and assist the board in implementing it.
To make it easier for them to do that, the association should provide a clear and concise description of its position for board members, and provide regular communication channels (both in-person and remotely through tools such as MemberClicks an association management software) to keep board members informed about what’s happening. The organization should also make it easy for board members to access information through a dedicated section of the website, where they can find documents, agendas, and meeting minutes.