Human Resources

The board and staff responsibilities chart is meant to help guide nonprofit board and staff as they determine who’s involved in various activities of governing and managing the organization. You may adapt to fit your organization's needs.

From an executive director: "The board is micromanaging. They're driving me crazy!” And from a board member of the same organization: "Every time we make a suggestion, the executive director accuses us of micromanaging. Aren't we supposed to be guiding and leading?"

When are board members governing, and when are they micromanaging? The guidelines in this article from Common Ground may be of great help.

Iget a little uncomfortable when someone asks me to be on a board that is mostly white, seeking racial diversity by saying, “We need to have an African American on the board.” Because that question tells me they may have expectations about my experience, my skills, my networks, and my access to resources that may not be accurate. If you know me, and you know what I can and can’t do, and you’re asking me to be on a board knowing that, then I feel more comfortable with the invitation. I understand the power of allAfrican American boards. For one board I joined, I walked into a high

Sample request for proposal for property and liability risk management and insurance consulting services.

While contributions of money or property donated to 501(c)(3) organizations are tax deductible, you cannot deduct the value of your time or services as a volunteer. See the most recent revision of IRS Publication 526's section on "Volunteers' Questions and Answers" for the more information about the rules for qualifying for various types of deductions when preparing a return for the most recent Tax Year. 

Sample volunteer policy and procedures document from The National Wildlife Federation, as championed among other volunteer management practices by the National Council of Nonprofits.

Sample waiver for a volunter/intern.

See also: The Hows and Whys of Volunteer Waivers

While many nonprofits are dependent on their volunteer workforce, they should still do their due diligence and take risk management precautions during the volunteer recruitment process, as described in How to Write a Volunteer Application to Protect Your Charity. (Balance Careers - Small Business, 2020)

Sample Volunteer Applications

Trust, But Verify: Why Volunteer Screening is So Important - In case you’re still not sold on the concept of screening volunteers, here are specific reasons about why you should. In a nutshell, it all comes down to managing risk for your organization. (GuideStar/Candid + Volunteer Hub)

A calculation by Independent Sector estimated the national value of volunteers' contributed time to be $28.54 per hour in 2021, thus helping to acknowledge the millions of individuals who dedicate their time, talents, and energy to making a difference. Charitable organizations can use this state-specific estimator to quantify the enormous value volunteers provide to their organizations.