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Strong governance is not about control — it’s about clarity, courage, and follow- through. 1. Clarify Roles and Boundaries Board governs, staff manages. The board owns strategy, oversight, and accountability. The CEO/ED owns execution. Explicit expectations. Each board member should understand their fiduciary duties — Care, Loyalty, and Obedience — and what those look like day-to-day. Regular role recalibration. Revisit the board–ED 'operating agreement' annually to avoid drift and...

IS YOUR BOARD STRATEGIC OR OPERATIONAL? Ask most nonprofit boards whether they provide strong strategic leadership, and the majority will say yes. Yet examine the agenda of a typical board meeting, and you will find discussions about staffing, program logistics, vendor selection, or event planning. These topics are important — but they are operational, not strategic. How strategic is your board? Use this board diagnostic to find out!

Watch how they serve. Then—and only then—invite them to lead. If your board recruitment process starts and ends with coffee meetings, résumé reviews, and “they seem nice,” you’re gambling with your mission. There’s a better way—and it’s hiding in plain sight. The most reliable way to identify strong nonprofit board members is to invite prospective candidates to serve on a board committee before you ever offer them a board seat. Yes, it takes more time. Yes, it requires intention. And yes—it...