INFO CENTRAL: Governance

A nonprofit’s board of directors is responsible for defining the organization’s mission and for providing overall leadership and strategic direction to the organization. Each nonprofit board should: 1) actively set policy and ensure that the organization has adequate resources to carry out its mission; 2) provide direct oversight and direction for the executive director and be responsible for evaluating his/her performance; and 3) evaluate its own effectiveness as a governing body, as a group of volunteers, and as representatives of the community in upholding the public interest served by the organization.

More Related Practices  

Featured Article:  Get Your Board on Board
The boards of nonprofit organizations have wide-ranging responsibilities. This featured article gives ten simple steps on understanding and managing the board’s role in a nonprofit risk management.

More of this featured article     

The Basics

Templates and Samples

FAQs

Other Resources

Principles and Practices for Nonprofit Excellence

Newly revised in 2005, the Principles and Practices for Nonprofit Excellence are based on the fundamental values of quality, responsibility and accountability. The ten characteristic accountability principles distinguish the nonprofit sector from government and business. The 133 management practices provide specific guidelines for individual organizations to evaluate and improve their management

More info