“Think for a moment of the best conversations you’ve had with friends and colleagues. You were honest with one another—not shy about speaking up but relaxed, even if the topic being discussed was serious in nature. That’s the type of conversation The Nonprofit Board Answer Book aims to have with you in the pages that follow. It follows a question-and-answer format, enabling you to quickly find an answer to a burning question you have right now. At the same time, it’s easy to pick up and read straight through, either cover to cover or one section at a time.

At the end of each question-and-answer pairing you’ll find suggested action steps. These offer ways to put the information to a practical use on your own board and within your own nonprofit organization. Implementing some of these steps may lead to more questions as you become even more committed to fulfilling your responsibilities as a board member.

Remember: behind every good answer lies a good question. So keep asking those questions.”--from the Introduction

From the Inside Flap

What is the board's role in financial management? How should we select our board officers? Who should attend our board meetings and what are their roles? Should the chief executive have a vote on the board? The Nonprofit Board Answer Book is designed as a guide to good governance for board leaders at all levels of experience and expertise. BoardSource's second edition of its best-selling book shows board members how to be more effective, meet difficult situations head-on, and deal with commonplace challenges with confidence. It shows chief executives how to focus and support the board in carrying out its governance responsibilities. The book is written in an easy-to-use question-and-answer format and includes action steps and examples. The second edition of The Nonprofit Board Answer Book has been thoroughly updated and includes new material on topics such as Sarbanes-Oxley and its implications for nonprofit boards Executive compensation Mission and accountability Risk management The chief executiveboard chair partnership Board diversity Recent legislation, public policy, and ethical considerations This indispensable resource contains 80 questions and answersa wealth of information about board structure and process, meetings, board composition, orientation, board-staff relations, financial management, and much more. The book offers insight gained from the BoardSource Governance Index Survey, hundreds of board self-assessments, and questions and challenges heard by BoardSource from thousands of nonprofit leaders.