Nonprofit boards are the protectors of an organization’s mission. They provide foresight, oversight and insight: think of them as a bird in the crow’s den, looking over the horizon for stormy clouds or rainbows to pursue (or even to wait for). The vast majority of board members of charitable organizations work as volunteers, with no any compensation.
The primary objective of a nonprofit board is to establish and enforce the guidelines that govern the organization. These could include governance, financial management as well as ethical and legal practices and strategic planning. The board of directors must also supervise the executive director of the organization and ensure that all the necessary resources are available to advance its cause.
The board must represent the organization’s interests to its communities, its donors, and outside parties. This usually means advocating for its cause in the public or political arenas. The board also must help the nonprofit to build an organization that will be durable over time.
To achieve these goals the board must possess an impressive mix of abilities and experience. Many nonprofits look for candidates from a variety backgrounds and industries to locate them. These candidates are usually connected to the cause of the nonprofit and have the ability to help drive the organization’s growth and change.
It is important for nonprofit board members to be aware of their primary duties. This will help them avoid mistakes and misunderstandings that could hurt the reputation of the non-profit, or lead to costly lawsuits.
www.pleaseboard.com/why-nonprofits-have-boards-and-what-excelling-boards-do/
