April 15, 2004 | Read Time: 1 minute
The New Effective Voluntary Board of Directors: What It Is and How It Works
by William R. Conrad Jr.
A board that works closely with employees is key to a nonprofit group’s success, writes William R. Conrad Jr., executive director of the Institute for Voluntary Organizations, in Downers Grove, Ill. His book discusses the essentials of the working relationship between employees and board members and gives advice to help boards set policies for their organizations.
Mr. Conrad describes the tasks that a board must carry out to provide oversight of an organization’s programs, fund raising, finances, and human resources. He also explains the principle behind the division of responsibilities typically practiced at nonprofit groups. “Boards generally decide what to do, not how to do it,” Mr. Conrad writes.
One chapter focuses on finding and recruiting good board members. Mr. Conrad stresses that nonprofit groups should be upfront with prospective board members about the expectations of the job, including how much time members should devote to board work, the number of required meetings, and fund-raising obligations. He also gives suggestions for introducing new members to board service and offers a sample agenda of an orientation session featuring information on the group’s programs and finances and the responsibilities of the board and its committees.
Other topics he covers include procedures to limit board members’ legal liabilities; how to resolve clashes between board and staff members; and hiring consultants to strengthen board relations.
Publisher: Swallow Press/Ohio University Press, Scott Quadrangle, 1 Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701; (740) 593-1154; fax (740) 593-4536; http://www.ohiou.edu/oupress; 229 pages; $32.95 cloth, $16.95 paper; I.S.B.N. 0-8040-1034-x.
