Should Board members have job descriptions?
Source: Freepik
When it comes to governance, strategic planning, and organizational development, most nonprofits have many long-waiting, high-level projects to tackle. So in trying to prioritize, questions about what’s really necessary often come up, such as:
Should we take the time to write job/role descriptions for our Board members and officers?
Short answer: Yes.
Longer answer: Yes, and here’s why... Board member positions should have job descriptions for all the same major reasons that staff positions should have job descriptions: to communicate and clarify expectations.
While nonprofit Board members typically don’t receive compensation for their service, they do have complex roles as well as legal and fiduciary responsibilities to the organization. These roles are incredibly important and a lack of understanding about them can have major consequences for the organization.
Job descriptions can help with:
Planning: Taking the time to plan roles and responsibilities of board members and officers is an excellent part of strategic planning. This could be done by leadership (Board President + the CEO/ED), the Executive Committee (Board officers + the CEO/ED), or an ad hoc committee. While most nonprofits have similar positions with similar roles and responsibilities, every organization is different, and you should tailor your job descriptions to your needs.
Advertising: Circulating a specific ask rather than a general call to “join our board of directors!” may be more effective in getting good candidates. It also shows prospective candidates that you are a professional organization that approaches governance seriously.
Recruiting: A prospective board member should have a clear understanding of what they are being asked to do. Though most nonprofit boards have similar structures, every organization has its unique qualities. Make sure your candidates know their roles and responsibilities up front.
One organization I worked with had an issue with every annual campaign, when multiple board members would be surprised at the expected “give-or-get” fundraising amount. The organization’s leadership was confused because they had been very clear about this amount. It turned out that the Recruiting Committee was so eager to get new board members, they were often minimizing or not even mentioning various requirements and responsibilities they were concerned would put people off. Introducing a written job description to give to candidates and review during initial meetings ensured that Recruiters didn’t forget — conveniently or otherwise — to mention key responsibilities.
Evaluating: Job descriptions give you the perfect starting point for individual and collective Board evaluations. (You’re doing those, right?) There’s no point in having a job description if you shove it in a folder and never see it again, so make sure Board members have access to them and refer to them regularly. Including the Board in annual evaluations is an excellent way to keep everyone on track without waiting for a problem to pop up first.
Troubleshooting: When a problem does pop up, it can be super useful to have a job description as a reference tool. With complex roles for busy people, issues come up…
A board member who doesn’t attend board meetings, committee meetings, and/or fundraising events
A board secretary who just takes notes at meetings and doesn’t fulfill their responsibility to ensure compliance with bylaws
A board chair who veers into management territory
When you need to have difficult conversations, the job description can be a useful guide.
So who should have job descriptions? Personally, I think everyone should! It doesn’t have to be formal, and if the term “job description” is putting you off, you can always have a “role description” or “Board expectations” or “Board responsibilities.” But it’s never a bad idea to clearly define expectations for anyone who is helping your organization achieve its mission.
I recommend listing your responsibilities in “modules” of some way that can easily be put together into a custom description for Board members who often take on multiple roles.
For example, your Fundraising Committee Chair may also join an ad hoc committee to plan a capital project. In that case, their job description would have three sections:
Board Member: The same general responsibilities and requirements that all board members have for governance, compliance, legal and fiduciary oversight, and fundraising.
Fundraising Committee Chair: Additional responsibilities specific to their committee leadership role.
Capital Project Committee: Additional responsibilities specific to the ad hoc committee.
The question of what should be in a job description is up to you and your needs. A quick Google search will yield lots of useful guidelines and samples from quality sources like Bridgespan, Boardsource, and the National Council of Nonprofits. Start there, and work with the leaders in your organization to assess and determine your needs.
Written role descriptions are a great way to lay the foundation for smooth and effective governance.
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