Basic Board Roles & Responsibilities

• An outline of the roles and responsibilites of a nonprofit board. No explanation or instruction, just an outline.
  
  Source: Hurwit & Associates   |  Published: 2000

How Religious Should the Board Be?

• Basic board development, plus an answer to the question: "How much religious sentiment is necessary for a board member of a faith-based nonprofit?" By Tom Nees.
  
  Source: NCM USA/Canada   |  Published: 2007

Board Development for Faith-Based Charities

• Article by Tom Nees, CEO of NCM, Inc. This is written specifically for Compassionate Ministry Centers, and discusses basic board governance, maintaining a status independent from the church, and using church (Nazarene) connections to network more effectively.
  
  Source: NCM USA/Canada   |  Published: 2007

Best Practices: Nonprofit Corporate Governance

• This article provides a series of “best practices” for nonprofit boards. These often excel legal requirements, going beyond what may be possible for smaller nonprofits to set an ideal standard of board involvement and activity. A good yardstick to measure any board.
  
  Source: McDermott Will & Emery   |  Published: 2004

Tips for a Smooth Nonprofit Board Meeting

• Advice about how often to meet, how much dissent is desirable, and how detailed the minutes should be. 9 short paragraphs, very practical advice that should streamline every board meeting.
  
  Source: Thompson & Thompson   |  Published: 2006

Sample Board Meeting Minutes

• Here are some tips on what one should and should not cover in meeting minutes, with a sample of board minutes at the end.
  
  Source: American Contract Bridge League   |  Published: 2006

The Board Building Cycle

• The 9-step "board building cycle" in a 1-page PDF. From identifying a board's preliminary needs (step 1) to celebrating a board's achievement, no matter how small (step 9).
  
  Source: National Center for Nonprofit Boards   |  Published: 2000

Boards of Midsize Nonprofits: Their Needs and Challenges

• The Urban Institute gathered survey information and research about the boards at midsize nonprofits ($500,000 to $5 million). This summary of the findings sheds light on what CEOs think of their boards, the most common mistakes of boards in nonprofits of this size, and what we can take from this research to improve their effectiveness.
  
  Source: The Urban Institute   |  Published: 2008

Building an Effective Board of Directors

• A comprehensive guide that outlines board responsibilities, talks about committees and challenges of boards, common pitfalls, and guidelines for meetings and activities.  Even provides sample board feedback forms and pledges at the end. By Frank Martinelli.
  
  Source: The Center for Public Skills Training   |  Published: 2009