It is the responsibility of the Board President, working with the Executive Director, to provide board members the education they need to govern well. Do your board members really understand that new program your nonprofit has created? Do they know how important risk management is for all nonprofits? Can they explain your monthly giving program [...]
I believe in term limits for board members. Many nonprofits have a policy that members can serve on the board for two terms of three years each. After the six years, they must leave the board. Some boards allow people to return to the board after a year or two. In my opinion, this policy allows people time enough to learn what they need to know and govern well and then move on to serve other roles in the organization.
Susan C. Hammond author of the Advisory Board Toolkit, contributor to this blog and Advisory Board Member of The Non-Profit Toolbox, is presenting Developing a Financially Intelligent Organization at Stonehill College Center for Nonprofit December 14, 2010.
Several years ago I joined the Board of Directors of a small independent school because of my strong belief in its mission. I had reviewed the balance sheet before accepting the position and knew that the school’s financial position was somewhat precarious because of a long term debt issue. I thought that resolving this issue would be a major focus of the board’s attention in the coming year.