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Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards*1. Determine The Organization’s Mission and Purpose – It is the board’s responsibility to create and review a statement of mission and purpose that articulates the organization’s goals, means and primary constituents served. 2. Select the Chief Executive – Boards must reach consensus on the chief exec’s responsibilities and undertake a careful search to find the most qualified individual for the position. 3. Provide Proper Financial Oversight – The board must assist in developing the annual budget and ensuring that proper financial controls are in place. 4. Ensure Adequate Resources – One of the board’s foremost responsibilities is to provide adequate resources for the organization to fulfill its mission. 5. Ensure Legal and Ethical Integrity and Maintain Accountability – The board is ultimately responsibility for ensuring adherence to legal standards and ethical norms. 6. Ensure Effective Organizational Planning – Boards must actively participate in an overall planning process and assist in implementing and monitoring the plan’s goals. 7. Recruit and Orient New Board Members and Assess Board Performance – All boards have a responsibility to articulate prerequisites for candidates, orient new members, and periodically and comprehensively evaluate its own performance. 8. Enhance the Organization’s Public Standing – The board should clearly articulate the organization’s mission, accomplishments, and goals to the public and garner support from the community. 9. Determine, Monitor, and Strengthen the Organization’s Programs and Services – The board’s responsibility is to determine which programs are consistent with the organization’s mission and to monitor their effectiveness. 10. Support the Chief Executive and Assess His or Her Performance - The board should ensure that the chief exec has the moral and professional support he or she needs to further the goals of the organization. * Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards / 2003 BOARDSOURCE – Building Effective Nonprofit Boards www.boardsource.org
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