Board Governance

Use this template to gauge the performance of each of your board members. Take note of strengths and weaknesses to maximize the efforts of the board as a whole and make the most of talents evident through this evaluation.

Nonprofit Board Orientation Checklist - This checklist is a general outline to guide the orientation of new board members. Your organization should modify it as you see fit to ensure that all new board members are provided with the information necessary to fulfill their responsibilities. (BoardSource, 2016)

The Donor Bill of Rights was created by the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP), the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (AHP), the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), and the Giving Institute: Leading Consultants to Non-Profits. It is considered a sector standard for fundraising professionals and is encouraged reading for adopting these practices as your own.

This checklist was prepared by Jane Kendall, president of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits and a trustee of the Kathleen Price Bryan Family Fund at the time she wrote this. These tips came from more than 1,100 nonprofit leaders in the U.S. and four other countries. They were gleaned through in-depth interviews conducted as part of a W.K. Kellogg Foundation National Fellowship and through 20 focus groups held during the grassroots creation of the North Carolina Center for Nonprofits.

Planning to start an endowment? Read this series of articles by Kim Klein for Grassroots Fundraising Journal to find answers to your questions about whether it is appropriate for your situation and how to best go about establishing an endowment.

Charitable solicitation compliance is not optional. It is the law. Charitable solicitation is regulated on the state-level and the requirements vary by state. Forty-one states require registration and four additional states require disclosure statements to be included on solicitations. Charitable solicitation can take on many forms of asking for a donation, including fundraising online. In addition to registration, many states require foreign qualification of the nonprofit corporation and appointment of a registered agent.

Your Form 990 asks whether a nonprofit has a "gift acceptance policy" that requires the review of any "non-standard gifts" (gifts other than cash or check). Additionally, a written gift acceptance policy can help manage the expectations of donors, (while treating them with respect) and also serve as guidance for board and staff members who are either on the asking, or receiving, end of contributions.

A series of guidelines by the Association of Fundraising Professionals which "explores a way to frame the conversation about your board's give-or-get policy so that you can gain consensus from all board members and come to a satisfactory conclusion."

Getting Your Board Members to Give, Get, or Get Off 

Ethical standards and principles are the foundation for maintaining public trust in your organization and the nonprofit sector as a whole. The Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) first published its code of ethical standards for fundraising professionals in 1964, and "believes that ethical behavior fosters the development and growth of fundraising professionals and the fundraising profession, and enhances philanthropy and volunteerism."

Download a sample Board Member Committee description to use as a summary of who serves on which committees and what each committee's area of responsibility entails.