Note
For other boards, there may have been plenty of prior communication. No matter what, this meeting starts the formal activity of the board as a legal entity. During the first meeting, the board must:
Elect officers
Authorize new officers
- Adopt a set of bylaws, if already drafted, or start creating this document
- Implement terms and term limits to allow your board to refresh itself and bring in new ideas on a regular basis
• Assign duties for everyone
To add order and process, every board should support the following positions, regardless of board size or type:
Chairperson – responsible for leading the board and facilitating meetings
Vice Chair – acts as the board chair’s understudy and second in command
Secretary – responsible for official communications with board members and recording meetings
Treasurer – oversees all matters related to the organization’s finances, property, and budget
Since it’s impossible to do a job well if you don’t know what the job is, all boards must take the time to ensure that every board member fully understands what’s expected and needed of them, and then hold all members accountable. You can find more details on each role at the end of this article.
Basic Board Member Duties
This starts with an understanding of the fundamental legal duties of each individual board member, which include:
- Duty of Care — Each board member has a legal responsibility to participate actively in making decisions on behalf of the organization and to exercise their best judgment while doing so.
- Duty of Loyalty — Each board member must put the interests of the organization before their personal and professional interests when acting on behalf of the organization in a decision-making capacity. The organization’s needs come first.
- Duty of Obedience — Board members bear the legal responsibility of ensuring that the organization complies with the applicable federal, state, and local laws and adheres to its mission.
But these are just the starting point, as boards have responsibilities that go far beyond these three legal duties.
Developed a board self-assessment tool to help boards evaluate their performance in each of these areas.
Resources: https://nonprofitally.com/start-a-nonprofit/first-nonprofit-meeting/