

This article from the LEAP Ambassadors community explores the challenges, discusses creative approaches, and lists helpful resources. Evaluating the performance of the executive director is one of the most-likely-to-be-avoided but most important roles that a board can play in supporting a nonprofit’s sustainability.Help board members get comfortable with their important role as advocates.How does your board compare with others? Leading With Intent offers benchmarks from a national study (BoardSource).
Across the board meaning free#
We encourage all nonprofit board members to subscribe to our free monthly newsletters to stay up-to-date with issues that are popping up around the country, affecting the operations of charitable nonprofits, and in addition to be aware of these useful resources: Beyond fulfilling legal duties, board members can be important resources for the organization in multiple ways.

Board members also play very significant roles providing guidance to nonprofits by contributing to the organization’s culture, strategic focus, effectiveness, and financial sustainability, as well as serving as ambassadors and advocates. However, a board of directors does not exist solely to fulfill legal duties and serve as a fiduciary of the organization’s assets.

When there are paid staff in place, rather than steer the boat by managing day-to-day operations, board members provide foresight, oversight, and insight: think of them as up in the crow's nest scanning the horizon for signs of storms or rainbows to explore, perhaps with a pot of gold at the end! Yes, board members - your role as stewards of the nonprofits DOES involve fundraising. One of the most important responsibilities for many boards is to hire and set the compensation of a talented CEO/executive director to run the day-to-day management activities of the organization, and then to provide supervision and evaluation of the CEO. Board members are the fiduciaries who steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound, ethical, and legal governance and financial management policies, as well as by making sure the nonprofit has adequate resources to advance its mission.
