Good governance is an essential component of sustainability and leadership. Not all nonprofit boards are well-run. In fact, a poorly managed board could cause the organization to fail. If your non-profit is just beginning its journey or has been in existence for a while, making sure your board’s effective functioning can help it weather challenges and enjoy long-term success.

The most important function of a nonprofit’s board is to establish a strategic plan. The nonprofit board must be selected by members who are willing to commit the time and energy needed for this job. This requires a thorough selection process to identify the perfect mix of diverse backgrounds, knowledge and experience. It is also crucial to ensure that new and experienced board members receive training and support in their efforts to make top-level decisions for the non-profit.

If the board has you can try these out a strategy for tasks and objectives, it must be confident that it can trust the executive director to oversee the day-today operations of the organization. Nonprofits should avoid relying entirely on board committees to perform operational duties, as this can lead to an absence of accountability and inefficient decision making.

If a board of a non-profit organization does not have an chief executive officer, it usually operates under the Cooperative Governance Model. This is a highly-democratic model that distributes the power equally among the board members. It is recommended that the board members demonstrate equal dedication to the organization and are willing to be accountable for their actions. To minimize conflicts of interests the nonprofit should develop a well-written policy on conflict of interest and discuss it regularly with board members.