Your Role Includes

As a Board member, you must make sure you meet the needs of the members you serve.

Your organization exists to serve members. The “bottom line” of every decision you make should be, “How will this decision help us serve members better?”

Board members, acting as a group, set policies and goals for the chief executive officer to implement and achieve.

Board members do not carry out policy. That’s why you hired a chief executive officer and staff. Let the chief executive officer implement your decisions.

It is important to understand that Board members do not take action as individuals–they must act as a team. Board members who take Board actions without the approval of the full Board seriously damage their organizations.

Board members must ensure that their organization has adequate finances and that money is responsibly spent.

No Board can set policy and make plans for the future without assessing the need for financing. If necessary, you may be called on to personally contribute your influence and resources to assure that your organization has enough money to carry out your policy directives.

As a trustee of your organization’s money, you are responsible for seeing that it is well spent.

This, however, does not mean you must approve every expenditure. It does mean that you know the money was spent effectively to deliver the kind of programs and services you have authorized. This can be done by financial and performance “audits” – not by personally examining how every penny was spent.

Board members must play an active role in supporting the organization and the staff.

One of the primary responsibilities of a Board is to support the chief executive officer–not to give him/her daily orders.

Your role is to provide the direction in which you want your chief executive officer to take your organization. And you must also provide the chief executive officer with the necessary resources to get you there.

Once you give your chief executive officer direction and resources, let him/her freely manage your organization. Expect feedback from your chief executive officer on performance of the organization and evaluate your chief executive officer on this performance. 

Individual Board members should attend Board meetings and actively participate, including serve on Board committees and as Board liaisons.

How can your Board conduct business when its members are gone? Why don’t some Board members contribute anything?

These are common questions asked by Board members. When you volunteer to serve on your Board, be active. If you can’t, you might want to reconsider your Board membership.

If you truly want to help the members served by your organization, you will know your proper role as a Board member and be active in carrying out your responsibilities.

The following guidelines may help you fit together all the pieces of your job as Board member: 

• The Board sets the direction – the policies of the organization.
• The chief executive officer implements the policies and reports to the Board.
• Staff delivers services and achieves goals set by the chief executive officer. 
• Those you serve are the focus of all efforts by the Board, chief executive officer, and staff. 

Personal Focus

Are your duties as a Board member clear? Note your questions and ask for further explanation during the orientation session.