Board Member Duties
- Establish and/or approve policy
- Monitor implementation of policy direction
- Amend the bylaws
- Elect directors, fill board vacancies
- Approve priorities of P&A
- Monitor implementation of priorities
- Approve strategic plans
- Approve annual budget
- Monitor financial management of agency
- Establish board committees
- Establish agency standards
- Hire, evaluate, support and fire ED
Job Description: Individual Board Member
General Expectations
- Know the organization’s mission, purposes, priorities, programs, services, strengths and
needs. - Suggest nominees for the Board.
- Serve in leadership positions or undertake assignments willingly when asked.
- Follow trends in the agency’s field of interest.
- Bring a sense of humor to the board’s deliberations.
Meetings
- Prepare for and participate in board and committee meetings, and other organizational activities.
- Ask timely and substantive questions while supporting the majority decision.
- Maintain confidentiality of the Board’s executive sessions.
- Speak on behalf of the Board when asked to do so by authorized persons.
- Suggest agenda items periodically for board and committee meetings, to ensure that significant policy-related matters are addressed.
Relationship with staff
- Counsel the Executive Director as appropriate and offer support.
- Avoid asking for special favors of the staff, without prior consultation with the Executive Director, Board President or Committee Chairperson.
Avoiding conflict
- Serve the organization as a whole, rather than special interest groups.
- Avoid even the appearance of a conflict of interest, and disclose any possible conflicts to the Board President in a timely fashion.
- Maintain independence and objectivity and do what a sense of fairness, ethics and personal integrity dictate.
Fiduciary responsibility
- Exercise prudence with the board in the control and transfer of funds.
- Faithfully read and understand the organization’s financial statement and help the board fulfill its fiduciary responsibility.
Fund raising
- Give an annual gift according to personal means.
- Assist the development committee and staff by implementing fund raising strategies through relationships with others (corporations, foundations, individuals).