How-To Tips: Implementing Practice 3a

Ensure that governing body members have the requisite skills and experience to carry out their duties.

Keep in mind that each governing body member, regardless of role or office, accepts oversight responsibility for the organization by agreeing to serve. Governing body members have an obligation to educate themselves and require the staff to provide timely program and finance reports.

Ensuring governing body members have the skills and experience to carry out their duties takes place in the nominating and approval process, as well as through orientation, training, and ongoing development. Nonprofits should obtain the following information from prospective governing body members:

• level of experience with nonprofit governance;
• professional and personal skills they will contribute to governing body service;
• areas where they require further education to serve effectively.

Many sources offer lists of informational materials and sample orientation packets for nonprofit governing bodies. At minimum, governing body members should receive and understand the following information from the organization during the nomination process or at orientation:

• mission and purpose;
• programs and how they relate to mission;
• values;
• by-laws;
• code of ethics;
• legal, financial, conflict of interest, and confidentiality policies of the organization;
• strategic plan;
• a job description or other list of duties, responsibilities, and expectations. Some organizations have descriptions specific to officer or committee chair roles as well
• legal and fiduciary responsibilities of all nonprofit governing body members;
• organization's directors and officers liability insurance.
  

There are many approaches to ongoing board education and development. Organizations invite guest speakers to address the governing body, provide informational materials prepared by lawyers and accountants, circulate materials via e-mail, and offer governing body members the opportunity to attend workshops or conferences on nonprofit governance or program issues. Regular brief updates may prove as valuable as intermittent workshops or trainings.

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