Nonprofit Organizations: Creating a Board Guidebook

Even though you are running a nonprofit organization (or serving on the board of one), you should still have a booklet which board members can use to make changes, implement procedures and maintain focus on your cause. For this purpose, I recommend a Board Guidebook, which might closely resemble an employee handbook.

An effective Board Guidebook for nonprofit organizations should include the following:

Creating a Board Guidebook: Legalities

The Board Guidebook for your nonprofit organization should include the legalities that govern your organizations. Important things to include might be articles of incorporation, organization bylaws and other legal information.

Creating a Board Guidebook: Board Affairs

It is imperative that board members understand their roles in the nonprofit organization, which is what this section is for. In the Board Affairs section of your Board Guidebook should be duties and responsibilities; review and removal procedures; election processes and anything else that board members should know.

Creating a Board Guidebook: Board Directory

The Board Directory section should not only include the contact information for board members themselves, but also that of volunteers and staff. Each member of the nonprofit organization should provide their names, addresses, phone numbers and e-mail addresses for the Board Directory.

Creating a Board Guidebook: Committees

In this section, list all of the committees that operate in the nonprofit organization as well as their purposes and responsibilities. You can also list the names of the chairs as well as all of the members of each committee. This might change from year-to-year, so you’ll have to update your Board Guidebook.

Creating a Board Guidebook: Programs

The Programs section should contain pertinent information about each of the programs run by the nonprofit organization. This could be drives, fundraisers, community service, outreach programs or anything else that your nonprofit organization runs.

Creating a Board Guidebook: Background

In this section, you should list your nonprofit organization’s mission statement as well as a history of the founders of the organization and any other pertinent background information. Be as detailed or as concise as you would like as long as each of the board members can fully understand the history of the organization.

Not only will a Board Guidebook assist the board of directors, but it will also serve as a kind of yearbook for your nonprofit organization. You can track the changes, successes, failures and progress of your programs and cause, and make changes from that information.