Board Governance

Leading a nonprofit is a tremendous responsibility for both boards of directors and executives. Boards that don’t pay attention to executive evaluation and compensation are opening the organization up to serious risk.

Holding the chief executive accountable is a critical board role. BoardSource's Core Competencies of Nonprofit Chief Executives ensures both the board and CEO understand expectations and the chief executive is properly executing his/her core roles.

Boards of directors can adapt BoardSource's sample evaluation form for supporting and evaluating their executive directors/CEOs.

Creating Fertile Soil for the Merger Option shows research from several organizations that experienced mergers. It reports their reasons for merging and what happened after they merged.  (Nonprofit Quarterly, 2018)

Use this sample template for board member evaluation from the Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations to have board members gage their performance and the performance of the organization.

Even the most organized and responsible nonprofit board needs to document its activities, internal rules, and processes. BoardSource's infographic, Must-Have Board Documents, outlines the documents to which your board needs to pay attention.

Download and adapt this sample sexual harassment policy for your organization.

In Letting Go and Leaving: The Founder's Role in a Successful Transition, executive transition expert Tom Adams shares the story of a successful executive transition and tips for letting go (©2003 Common Ground, North Carolina Center for Nonprofits). 

Adapt RoadMap Consulting's "Leadership Transitions Work Plan Example" to get a jump start on the executive transition process and timeline. 

Tom Adams with CompassPoint developed this sample job description for an interim executive director that you can adapt for your own purposes.