This is the third blog in a series focusing on creating informative, impactful, and welcoming processes for nonprofit board member recruitment, engagement and development.
Last month’s blog focused on onboarding new board members and now we move to the next step and look at creating/maintaining your board member manual and what is needed to further support new members. In an ideal world, your manual would already exist and be reviewed with new members during their onboarding process.
Boost Your Board’s Efficiency with a Well-Crafted Manual
Creating a Board Member Manual is like giving your board a reliable GPS for navigating potential governance challenges. Whether you’re new to this concept or looking to improve an existing manual, this guide is here to help. Let’s explore the why, what, and how of building this essential resource.
Why Your Board Needs a Manual
Think of your Board Member Manual as your organization’s guide. It’s not just a nice-to-have; it’s critical for success. Here are a few reasons why:
1. Supports Governance
- It provides clarity on board roles, organizational goals, and decision-making frameworks.
- It sets down policy about meeting attendance & time commitments, committee participation, conflicts, code of conduct and other elements of being a board member with the organization.
- It can also speak to board culture – how we operate on this board, which can be very different from board to board and is important in developing the kind of board you want for your organization.
2. Enhances Collaboration
- A manual fosters alignment by keeping everyone on the same page—literally.
3. Ensures Clarity and Understanding
- It helps board members meet their legal obligations:
- Care: Acting as responsible stewards.
- Loyalty: Prioritizing the organization’s best interests.
- Obedience: Following laws and bylaws diligently.
- And it helps board members understand their responsibilities:
- Prepare: read and process (not skim), follow through on commitments that you made at the meeting.
- Show up: physically, mentally and emotionally – be present.
- Participate: share your relevant insights, boards are body of equals, everyone needs to participate, you don’t need to share on every topic, but you do need to be present and attentive.
- Vote: may only abstain if there is a conflict of interest.
What to Include in Your Manual
Every organization is different, so customize your manual to meet your needs. However, a typical structure might look like this:
- Organizational Profile: Mission, vision, and values to remind members why they serve.
- Foundational Documents: Legal frameworks and bylaws.
- Board Operations: Policies, meeting minutes, and committee charters.
- Financial Overview: Budgets, fundraising plans, and contracts.
- Educational Resources: Onboarding guides professional development materials.
- Miscellaneous: Personnel notices and other relevant documents.
Best Practices for Your Manual – a few ideas on how to make your manual user-friendly and reliable:
- Store It Digitally – Use platforms like Google Drive, OneDrive/SharePoint, or Dropbox for easy shared access. Remember to set secure permissions.
- Version Control – Save working versions and old iterations in separate folders to track updates and reduce confusion.
- Keep It Evolving – Refine your manual as your organization changes and grows. Progress beats perfection.
The Manual in Action – a well-maintained manual isn’t just a document—it’s a tool for:
- Onboarding – Helping new members hit the ground running.
- Professional Development – Providing resources for ongoing learning.
- Strategic Decisions – Serving as a reference for informed boardroom discussions.
Ready to Get Started?
Building your Board Member Manual may seem daunting, but the payoff is worth it. It strengthens your board’s effectiveness and ensures everyone is equipped to contribute meaningfully.
If you’d like support in creating or refining your manual, let’s connect. Together, we’ll make it a resource your board can rely on. Here’s a link to a board member manual checklist from my site. I also have some other helpful tools and a great template that I’m happy to share with you, just drop me an email for a free copy.
P.S. If you think it’s valuable, feel free to share this with others who might find it useful. Let’s help more boards thrive!
Join me next month with the continuation of the board brilliance series when we will discuss governance vs operations as it pertains to your board and organization.
Frank