Key Takeaways
If you serve on a nonprofit board, you have ten fundamental responsibilities. Not suggestions. Not aspirations. Responsibilities that carry legal weight and define whether your board is actually governing or merely meeting.
These ten responsibilities were originally articulated by Richard T. Ingram in his classic BoardSource publication. They have been validated by decades of governance research. But knowing the list is not enough. The gap between knowing and fulfilling is where most boards fail.
After more than 30 years of board development consulting with over 100 nonprofits, the difference between high-performing and struggling boards is not intelligence or dedication -- it is clarity about expectations and the discipline to meet them.
Responsibility 1: Determine the Organization's Mission and Purpose
The mission statement is not a plaque on the wall. The board reviews it annually, evaluates every major decision against it, and resists mission drift.
Where boards fail: Passive acceptance. The mission was written years ago and no longer reflects what the organization actually does.
At your next board meeting, ask every member to write the mission from memory. If answers vary significantly, your board lacks mission clarity.
Responsibility 2: Select the Executive Director
Hiring the ED is the single most impactful decision a board makes. The board leads a structured search, conducts thorough references, and manages transitions with succession planning.
Where boards fail: Hiring based on personality rather than organizational fit.
Responsibility 3: Support and Evaluate the Executive Director
The board simultaneously supports and evaluates the ED. Annual performance evaluation with written goals. Regular check-ins between board chair and ED. Professional development support. Clear compensation review process.
Where boards fail: Either never evaluating (leaving the ED without feedback) or micromanaging (undermining ED authority).
If your board has not conducted a formal ED evaluation in the past 12 months, schedule one immediately.
Responsibility 4: Ensure Effective Planning
The board ensures a strategic plan exists, participates in creating it, and monitors implementation. Strategic plan progress is a standing board meeting item.
Where boards fail: Approving a plan and then ignoring it.
Responsibility 5: Ensure Adequate Financial Resources
Every board member makes a personal financial contribution. Board members actively participate in fundraising. The board approves and monitors the fundraising plan.
Where boards fail: Treating fundraising as exclusively the staff's responsibility. When the board abdicates, the organization is limited to what development staff can accomplish alone.
Implement the Give-Get-Do framework: every member gives, helps get gifts from others, and does fundraising-supportive activities. For low-cost strategies, see our dedicated guide.
Responsibility 6: Protect Assets and Provide Financial Oversight
The board reviews financial statements at every meeting, ensures annual audits, establishes internal controls, and reviews Form 990 before filing. Every board member has a duty to understand the finances.
Where boards fail: Deferring entirely to the treasurer. "I'm not a numbers person" is not acceptable for a fiduciary.
Responsibility 7: Build and Sustain a Competent Board
Active recruitment through a governance committee. Structured orientation. Annual self-assessment. Term limits. A board matrix mapping skills, demographics, and connections. Direct conversations with underperforming members.
Where boards fail: Recruiting from convenience rather than need.
See our article on nonprofit board roles and responsibilities for a complete treatment.
Responsibility 8: Ensure Legal and Ethical Integrity
Conflict of interest policy enforced annually. Whistleblower policy. Compliance with all federal, state, and local requirements. Ethical concerns addressed immediately.
Where boards fail: Assuming compliance happens automatically. See our guide on 501(c)(3) board requirements.
Responsibility 9: Monitor and Strengthen Programs and Services
Regular program reports with outcome data. Board members visit programs. Underperforming programs addressed honestly. New programs evaluated against mission before approval.
Where boards fail: Either ignoring programs entirely or micromanaging program design.
Add a standing "program impact" item to every board meeting. Require outcome data, not just activity counts.
Responsibility 10: Enhance the Organization's Public Standing
Board members speak about the organization in their networks, attend events, make introductions, and help manage reputation during challenges.
Where boards fail: Anonymous board service. Board members who never tell anyone they serve.
Board Self-Assessment Scorecard
| Responsibility | 1 (Failing) | 3 (Adequate) | 5 (Excelling) | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Mission and purpose | Not referenced | Annual review | Guides all decisions | |
| 2. ED selection | No succession plan | Basic plan | Structured pipeline | |
| 3. ED support/evaluation | No formal review | Annual review | Comprehensive + goals | |
| 4. Effective planning | No current plan | Plan exists | Plan governs decisions | |
| 5. Financial resources | Board does not fundraise | Some members give | 100% giving + active | |
| 6. Financial oversight | Rubber-stamp | Review at meetings | Informed questions | |
| 7. Board development | No strategy | Ad hoc recruitment | Matrix-driven | |
| 8. Legal/ethical integrity | Missing policies | Policies exist | Active monitoring | |
| 9. Program oversight | Never discuss | Occasional reports | Outcome evaluation | |
| 10. Public standing | Anonymous | Attend events | Active ambassadors | |
| Total | /50 |
Interpretation:
Distribute this self-assessment anonymously. Compile results. Discuss the three lowest-scoring areas at your next meeting.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most important responsibilities for a new nonprofit board? Mission (1), financial resources (5), and board development (7). Everything else depends on these three being solid.
Can board members be held personally liable? In extreme cases, yes. Gross negligence, self-dealing, or fraud can create personal liability. D&O insurance and the business judgment rule provide protection for board members acting in good faith.
How often should a board review these ten responsibilities? Annual full self-assessment. Specific responsibilities addressed through committee work throughout the year.
What should a board do when it discovers it is failing at one? Acknowledge the gap openly. Assign a committee to develop an improvement plan. Consider a board development consultant for training. The worst response is inaction.
Are these responsibilities different for advisory boards? Yes. Advisory boards have no legal fiduciary responsibility. These ten responsibilities apply specifically to governing boards of directors.
About the Author
Drew Giddings is the Founder and Principal Consultant of Giddings Consulting Group, with more than 30 years of experience in board development and nonprofit governance.
Contact Giddings Consulting Group to discuss board training, governance assessment, or strategic board development.
About the Author
Drew Giddings
Founder & Principal Consultant
Drew Giddings brings more than two decades of experience working with mission-driven organizations to strengthen their capacity for equity and community impact. His work focuses on helping nonprofits build sustainable strategies that center community voice and create lasting change.
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