Building the Best Board, Part 2

In a past edition of Non-Profit Partner we described some of the attributes to look for when selecting a board member for your non-profit organization.
Today, we want to highlight the legal duties of non-profit boards as well as their top ten basic responsibilities.
Legal Duties
According to Board Source, a board member must "meet certain standards of conduct and attention in carrying out his or her responsibilities to the organization." These can be summed up as

1. Duty of Care. Board members are expected to have a certain level of  competence and exercise reasonable care in making a decision that affects the organization.
2. Duty of Loyalty. Board members must be faithful and act in the best interests of the organization.
3. Duty of obedience. Board members must be faithful to the organization's mission.

10 Basic Responsibilities of a Non-Profit Board

1. Determine the organization's mission and purpose.
2. Select the chief executive.
3. Provide proper financial oversight.
4. Ensure adequate resources.
5. Ensure legal and ethical integrity and maintain accountability.
6. Ensure effective organizational planning.
7. Recruit and orient new board members and assess board performance.
8. Enhance the organization's public standing.
9. Determine, monitor, and strenthen the organization's programs and services.
10. Support the chief executive and assess his or her performance.

Sources for Success
Visit BoardSource, which sells publications to enhance your board.  The site also offers a large number of free articles and resources.