Sample of Nonprofit Boards of Directors — The Roles and Duties of Nonprofit Organizations
Dec 20
Nonprofit organizations need to work toward building a sturdy organizational structure. In order to achieve a strong structure, the board of directors should consist of knowledgeable and experienced members. Their role in the organization as a group is extremely important for the organization’s growth.
What is the Board of Directors?
The board of directors governs the nonprofit organization, making decisions regarding its future. They have the responsibility of ensuring all the activities that take place will benefit the organization in some way. To achieve this goal, the board of directors hold annual meetings to ensure everything is in order and ready to go.
What Happens in the Meetings?
In the meetings, the board of directors discusses and vote on issues pertaining to the organization it is preferable that all members of the board be present at the meeting for best results. Apart from the annual meetings, weekly or monthly meetings may take place throughout the year. In those meetings, board members make decisions that are in favor of the nonprofit organization.
How Long Does the Membership of the Members Last?
The memberships on the board last anywhere from two to five years, but the positions are not permanent. Each board member will serve a specific term on the board and will be replaced once their term ends.
What is the Goal of the Board of Directors?
The role of the board of directors in a nonprofit organization is completely different from the paid employees of the organization. Even though in small startups you will find board members serving in administrative positions, the goal is to keep those two departments separate from one and other.
The goal of the board of directors is to focus all of their efforts into making the nonprofit organization’s goals and mission a reality by implementing strategies that will get them one step closer to achieving it. When a board of directors also serves in the administration department of the organization, it increases the chance of developing a conflict of interest between members. However, some board members do have dual-roles in the organization as officers.
What Are Officers?
Board members elected as officers play a vital role in meetings. In the first meeting of the board of directors, votes are cast to elect officers. Usually, there are three officers; the president, secretary, and the treasurer. Similar to board members, they also serve terms. Here are the roles of each officer:
- The president of the board supervises the interactions of the board. Sometimes, the CEO of the nonprofit organization can also serve as the president of the board. However, with one difference, that they cannot be remunerated for holding the position as president of the board of directors.
- The secretary of the board is in charge of maintaining the minutes of the meetings that take place amongst the directors. Another duty of the secretary is to keep track of the activities of the organization to make sure the actions taken by the organization complies with the Bylaws. They all send reminders to the board of directors about future meetings and events.
- The treasurer of the board maintains the books of the organization. They have to keep track of the organization’s finances and keep the officers and board members informed about it.
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For non-profit 501-3..what are the role for board members,,
president
vice-president
secretary
treasurer