The Nonprofit Board ANSWER BOOK
THIRD EDITION
What is the board’s role in fundraising?
What kind of board does an all-volunteer organization have?
How can our board assess and improve its own performance?
How can we protect the organization and ourselves from lawsuits?
To help their nonprofit organizations be successful in achieving their missions, board members must understand their responsibilities, be prepared to ask tough questions, and make difficult decisions. This third edition of the best-selling The Nonprofit Board Answer Book is written as a hands-on guide for nonprofit board members and other nonprofit leaders who are charged with meeting the goals of their organizations. Thoroughly revised and updated, this timely book answers the most commonly asked questions about governance and shows board members how to be more effective in dealing with everyday challenges. In addition, the book offers chief executives guidance in building a strong partnership with their board, which is essential for successful governance. Designed as an accessible resource, the book is written in an easy-to-use question-and-answer format and includes action steps and examples.
Whether you are new to governance or a seasoned veteran, you will undoubtedly encounter thorny board-related questions. The Nonprofit Board Answer Book answers 85 of the most commonly asked questions that boards struggle with. The answers are based on more than two decades of BoardSource experience gleaned from working with thousands of nonprofit boards around the world. The book covers a wealth of information on a wide variety of topics such as
- Board roles and responsibilities
- Board structure and size
- Board member recruitment and development
- Board and committee meetings
- The board’s role as a fiduciary
- Board-staff relations
- Organizational change
This third edition includes insight gained from the BoardSource Nonprofit Governance Index, thousands of board self-assessments, and questions and challenges heard by BoardSource from hundreds of thousands of nonprofit leaders.
From the Back Cover
Praise for the third edition of
The Nonprofit Board Answer Book
“This third edition of The Nonprofit Board Answer Book is an excellent resource guide for new and experienced nonprofit board members alike. Grounded in recent research and updated to reflect the changing demands of our times, this edition addresses both the basic questions and offers important new insights with practical answers and action ideas that are presented in a clear and succinct manner. The new Answer Book is a resource that every board leader and member will value having in their library.”
David O. Renz, Beth K. Smith/Missouri Chair in Nonprofit Leadership; director, Midwest Center for Nonprofit Leadership, Henry W. Bloch School of Management, University of Missouri Kansas City; and editor of the Handbook of Nonprofit Leadership and Management
“A better, more accessible overview of nonprofit board governance simply does not exist. The Nonprofit Board Answer Book, with its accessible format of 85 questions and answers, addresses every conceivable challenge all nonprofit boards, as well as their key staff, must eventually confront from ensuring that fundraising is on the board’s radar to outlining how new board members should be oriented (to what, for many of them, is uncharted territory) to providing recommendations on how best to navigate the often awkward relations between the board and management. This book is essential reading (and re-referencing) for anyone serious about the role of the board in today’s nonprofit world.”
Doug White, academic director, Heyman Center for Philanthropy and Fundraising, New York University; and author, The Nonprofit Challenge
“The Nonprofit Board Answer Book is a comprehensive guide for small and large nonprofit organizations. The format centered around critical questions and answers makes the information very accessible. Any question a board has about governance can be answered in this book. I was particularly impressed with the activities listed after each question. I would highly recommend The Nonprofit Board Answer Book to nonprofit organizations.”
Carol Goss, president and CEO, the Skillman Foundatione
About the Author
BoardSource is the premier resource for practical information, tools, best practices, training, and leadership development for board mem- bers of nonprofit organizations worldwide. Through its highly acclaimed programs and services, BoardSource enables organizations to fulfill their missions by helping build strong and effective nonprofit boards.
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