Roles and Responsibilities of a Nonprofit's Board of Directors

Every nonprofit organization is overseen by a group of people called the board of directors. These generous board members agree to accept responsibility for making sure the nonprofit organization remains true to its mission and purpose.

A board's primary governance responsibility is fiduciary, or to uphold the public trust, meaning:

• Paying close attention to what's going on and making decisions based on good information

• Putting the welfare of the organization above other interests when making decisions

• Acting in accordance with the nonprofit's mission and goals

Active governance as a board member involves:

• Reviewing the mission statement and goals of the organization on a regular basis

• Participating in planning

• If the organization has paid staff, hiring the executive director and reviewing his or her job performance

• Reviewing the organization's budget and keeping well informed of its financial situation

• Reviewing the performance of the organization's programs

• Raising money for the organization

• Setting, evaluating, and — if necessary — revising policies

• Serving as an ambassador for the organization — making more people aware of its work

• Recruiting additional board members and volunteers