Overview: Board Operations and Systems

Sections of this topic

    © Copyright Carter
    McNamara, MBA, PhD, Authenticity Consulting, LLC
    .

    The vast majority of content
    on this topic applies to for-profits and nonprofits. This book also covers this topic.

    Developing, Operating and Restoring Your Nonprofit Board - Book Cover

    Sections of This Topic Include

    Recurring, Annual Operations
    Overall “System” of Board
    Operations

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    Related Library Topics

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    Recurring, Annual Operations

    Boards meet their responsibilities usually by conducting certain
    major activities at certain times of the year. Often, the bylaws
    specify when certain activities will be conducted. Activities
    include, for example, conducting regular Board meetings (every
    month, two months, etc.), conducting the Board self-evaluation,
    evaluating the chief executive, reviewing and updating Board and
    personnel policies, conducting strategic planning, recruiting
    new members, holding an annual meeting, reviewing and authorizing
    the yearly budget, conducting fundraising (in the case of nonprofits),
    etc. The following sample Board Operations Calendar lists typically
    recurring activities of the Board and suggests the timing for
    these activities.
    Sample
    Board Operations Calendar

    Overall “System” of Board
    Operations

    Below, in the links about systems, are handy one-page depictions
    of the various inputs to the operations of a Board, the Board
    processes that influence those inputs, and the various outputs
    from Board operations. This information gives a concise “snapshot”
    of the recurring activities — the loop of activities — in a
    Board. The links about where Boards “fit” are to one-page
    depictions that indicate the role of the Board in the overall
    planning, development, operations, and evaluations in the organization.

    For-Profit Boards

    Depiction
    of the system of a for-profit Board

    Depiction
    of where Board activities “fit” in for-profit organizations

    Nonprofit Boards

    Depiction
    of the system of a nonprofit Board

    Depiction
    of where Board activities “fit” in nonprofit organizations

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