Boardsource - The Nonprofit Board Answer Book: A Practical Guide for Board Members and Chief Executives

Copyright 2012 by BoardSource. All rights reserved.

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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The nonprofit board answer book: a practical guide for board members and chief executives. 3rd ed.

p. cm.

Includes index.

ISBN 978-1-118-09611-6 (hardback); ISBN 978-1-118-12700-1 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-12702-5 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-12704-9 (ebk)

1. Nonprofit organizationsManagement. 2. Directors of corporations.

HD62.6.A53 2012

658.4'22dc23

2011034051

BoardSource is dedicated to advancing the public good by building exceptional nonprofit boards and inspiring board service.

BoardSource was established in 1988 by the Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) and Independent Sector (IS). Prior to this, in the early 1980s, the two organizations had conducted a survey and found that although 30 percent of respondents believed they were doing a good job of board education and training, the rest of the respondents reported little, if any, activity in strengthening governance. As a result, AGB and IS proposed the creation of a new organization whose mission would be to increase the effectiveness of nonprofit boards.

With a lead grant from the Kellogg Foundation and funding from five other donors, BoardSource opened its doors in 1988 as the National Center for Nonprofit Boards with a staff of three and an operating budget of $385,000. On January 1, 2002, BoardSource took on its new name and identity. These changes were the culmination of an extensive process of understanding how we were perceived, what our audiences wanted, and how we could best meet the needs of nonprofit organizations.

Today, BoardSource is the premier voice of nonprofit governance. Its highly acclaimed products, programs, and services mobilize boards so that organizations fulfill their missions, achieve their goals, increase their impact, and extend their influence. BoardSource is a 501(c)(3) organization.

BoardSource provides

• Resources to nonprofit leaders through workshops, training, and an extensive Web site (www.boardsource.org)
• Governance consultants who work directly with nonprofit leaders to design specialized solutions to meet an organizations needs
• The worlds largest, most comprehensive selection of material on nonprofit governance, including a large selection of books and CD-ROMS
• An annual conference that brings together approximately 900 governance experts, board members, and chief executives and senior staff from around the world

For more information, please visit our Web site at , or call us at 800-883-6262.

Have You Used These BoardSource Resources?

The Governance Series

Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards , Second Edition

Legal Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards , Second Edition

Financial Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards , Second Edition

Fundraising Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards , Second Edition

The Nonprofit Boards Role in Mission, Planning, and Evaluation , Second Edition

Structures and Practices of Nonprofit Boards , Second Edition

Other Books

The Board Chair Handbook , Second Edition

Building the Governance Partnership: The Chief Executives Guide to Getting the Best from the Board , Second Edition

Driving Strategic Planning: A Nonprofit Executives Guide , Second Edition

Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards

Taming the Troublesome Board Member

The Nonprofit Chief Executives Ten Basic Responsibilities

Chief Executive Succession Planning: Essential Guidance for Boards and CEOs , Second Edition

Chief Executive Transitions: How to Hire and Support a Nonprofit CEO

Nonprofit Executive Compensation: Planning, Performance, and Pay , Second Edition

Trouble at the Top: The Nonprofit Boards Guide to Managing an Imperfect Chief Executive

Meeting, and Exceeding Expectations: A Guide to Successful Nonprofit Board Meetings , Second Edition

Culture of Inquiry: Healthy Debate in the Boardroom

The Board Building Cycle: Nine Steps to Finding, Recruiting, and Engaging Nonprofit Board Members , Second Edition

The Source: Twelve Principles of Governance That Power Exceptional Boards

Fearless Fundraising for Nonprofit Boards, Second Edition

The Handbook of Nonprofit Governance

Govern More, Manage Less: Harnessing the Power of Your Nonprofit Board , Second Edition

Understanding Nonprofit Financial Statements , Third Edition

The Nonprofit Dashboard: A Tool for Tracking Progress

Better Bylaws: Creating Effective Rules for Your Nonprofit Board , Second Edition

Managing Conflicts of Interest: A Primer for Nonprofit Boards , Second Edition