“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

Finally! Board member orientation truly simplified. Serving on a nonprofit board can be an incredibly rewarding experience for the properly prepared board member. This book is for the generous and busy people who agree to give of their time and talents by serving on nonprofit boards. Nonprofit boards often fail to do a good job of board member orientation for a variety of reasons. It takes a significant amount of time and effort to plan and conduct quality board member orientation programs, and every time a new board member arrives, it's time to do it again! Because of the challenges associated with providing quality board member orientation, many nonprofit organizations do not do it at all, leaving their board members to wing it. This book provides help and support to the truly great men and women serving on nonprofit boards whose service makes a positive difference in the lives of countless people every day. This book is a concise and appropriately comprehensive guide to nonprofit board service designed especially for new board members. It is a quick read, (about one hour), yet it addresses with accuracy the most significant elements of board service, such as mission, responsibility, duty, risk, liability, and board meeting dynamics. Hooey Alerts! Watch for Hooey Alerts! where the author identifies and dispels common myths and legends about nonprofit board service. There are many sources of false or misleading information about the nonprofit board service environment. A perfect example is the often vaguely-worded and intimidating assertion or implication that the Sarbanes-Oxley Act passed by Congress in 2002 applies to nonprofit organizations in a manner similar to how it applies to publicly-traded companies. (It does not.) Reviews "This book is the perfect guide for every nonprofit board member! Concise, highly informative, and loaded with nuggets of wisdom, it's a must read that will take board members to the next level of successful board governance." -- J. Todd Chasteen, General Counsel, Samaritan's Purse "Mike Batts has put his quarter century of advising and serving on nonprofit boards to good use in this accurate and easy-to-read book. In addition to describing major principles of nonprofit law and governance, the book provides helpful questions to guide board members in understanding the practical applications of the concepts discussed. While geared primarily toward helping new board members get up to speed quickly, it should also help veteran board members discharge their stewardship roles wisely and efficiently." -- Chuck Hartman, Associate Professor of Business Law and Accounting, Cedarville University "This book, Board Member Orientation, is exactly what a busy volunteer board member needs. The board member's duties are presented in a clear and concise manner from the perspective of someone who has been around many boards. With a focus on those issues that are most common and/or most important, it is perfect for board member orientation and for quick reference reminders for the experienced board member." -- Doug Starcher, Partner, Broad & Cassel "This book provides clear, no-nonsense guidance on the basic issues for new nonprofit board members. Using this book for board member orientation will ensure your organization has communicated fundamental governance issues and will assist the board in determining risk management strategies." -- Dan Busby, President, ECFA *********************************** The Simple Board Member Orientation Process Using This Book: 1.Your board members read Chapters 1-9 of the book, which will provide them with insights regarding the key elements of nonprofit board service. 2.You provide the board members with copies of the documents described in Chapter 10 related to your organization. 3.You meet with your board members to discuss the unique attributes of your organization following the discussion questions provided in Chapter 10. Done!

Are you new to a board and have no idea what’s expected of you? Do you know what a board’s six key responsibilities are? Do you know what your relationship with the Executive Director should be? If not, this book is for you. So many board members—especially of small nonprofits—want to support a nonprofit and readily accept the invitation to join the board. It’s only then that they discover they are in over their heads, with no idea of their expectations and responsibilities. The Little Book of Boards is here to throw that drowning board member a rope. Told with a conversational style, this book will lead you through the basics of being on a board, how meetings work, and what’s expected between meetings. In addition, at the back of the book are several in-depth resources for understanding Roberts Rules of Order, bylaws, committee structures, board leadership, and much more. Perfect for any new board member—or for an entire board that is feeling lost—this book and its common sense approach will serve you every year you are on the board.

Praise for Joining a Nonprofit Board ""As an individual who has served on various nonprofit boards, and as the president and CEO of a large nonprofit organization, I can attest to how valuable this book is. Marc Epstein and Warren McFarlan offer insight into the expectations of nonprofit board members, which is extraordinarily beneficial to individuals considering their first nonprofit board and to seasoned professionals already serving on boards." —Gail McGovern, President and CEO, American Red Cross Excerpted from Foreword" "This book is a roadmap for the business person who wants to serve on a nonprofit board, and unwittingly assumes that the approaches that worked so well in the for-profit world can be seamlessly extrapolated to the nonprofit board room." —Roseanna H. Means, M.D., founder and president, Women of Means "A must-read for all new and existing nonprofit board members. It is full of practical advice that will help improve the effectiveness of nonprofit board members and the organizations they serve." —Roger Servison, president emeritus, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, and vice chairman, Boston Symphony Orchestra "What a powerful tool now available for anyone involved with governance of America's nonprofit enterprises. The analysis is cogent and concise, amply supported by real-life examples." —George B. Beitzel, chairman emeritus, Amherst College, and chairman emeritus, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation "Joining a Nonprofit Board offers practical advice in complementing your business experience with the nuances of nonprofit governance, performance, and management in order to fully achieve the societal mission." —Jeffrey C. Thomson, president and CEO, Institute of Management Accountants "This book will guide you through the differences between for-profit and nonprofit organizations (and boards). It will help you navigate through all the nuances in which nonprofit organizations actually operate on a day-to-day basis."—Elaine Ullian, former president, Boston Medical Center "Joining a Nonprofit Board is a must-read. This book should be required reading and distributed at the opening board meeting." —Agnes C. Underwood, former head, Garrison Forest School and National Cathedral School; vice president/managing associate, Carney, Sandoe and Associates "A Board needs a unifying and visionary objective—'It must be World Class.' This book successfully shows how to create a World Class Board." —W. Richard Bingham, former chairman, California Academy of Sciences

Nonprofit Hero is written by Valerie Jones, who has raised more than $175 million for nonprofits and coached thousands of people to authentically and successfully ask for the causes they care about. She’s addressed more than 50 audiences from Baltimore to Beijing and is one of fewer than 10,000 Certified Fund-Raising Executives (CFREs) worldwide. In addition to running her boutique consulting firm, Valerie M. Jones Associates (VMJA), she’s volunteered extensively, serving nonprofits as president, chair, board member, and committee member. Her methodworks. Trained boards report increased comfort and willingness to ask. Many indicate they are prepared to ask for bigger gifts, can identify more prospective donors, and intend to contact these prospects sooner. Her book, Nonprofit Hero,contains stories, tools, and exercises not included in trainings. Readers will learn how to: Honor their fears.Surprisingly, these contain their personal prescription for success. Channel their passion by tapping the energy of why they want what they want. Discover their asking personality, including how they should and shouldn’t ask. Get started with tips on thirty simple things to do right now for free to help raise money. Follow five easy steps, starting with thanking, not asking, and with givers, not prospects. Cast themselves as stars, finding the step they’ll most enjoy and at which they’ll excel. Attract support by listening, understanding motivations, and helping fulfill donors’ desires. Elevate their speech so that they can make their case sincerely and with compelling confidence. Get in the right frame of mind to show up ready for “yes,” not braced for “no.” This book also helps readers form an in-depth description of their asking personality. It illustrates how they can best thank, steward, research, cultivate, and ask; which of the five steps they favor; how to address their fears; play to their strengths; overcome their weaknesses; and how to get what they need to excel. There are 16 different and distinct profiles, one suited to each reader. Finally, this book includes a toolkit of practical samples and templates, such as sample giving dos and don’ts, asking scripts, and fundraising plans.

Nonprofit leadership is messy Nonprofits leaders are optimistic by nature. They believe with time, energy, smarts, strategy and sheer will, they can change the world. But as staff or board leader, you know nonprofits present unique challenges. Too many cooks, not enough money, an abundance of passion. It’s enough to make you feel overwhelmed and alone. The people you help need you to be successful. But there are so many obstacles: a micromanaging board that doesn’t understand its true role; insufficient fundraising and donors who make unreasonable demands; unclear and inconsistent messaging and marketing; a leader who’s a star in her sector but a difficult boss… And yet, many nonprofits do thrive. Joan Garry’s Guide to Nonprofit Leadership will show you how to do just that. Funny, honest, intensely actionable, and based on her decades of experience, this is the book Joan Garry wishes she had when she led GLAAD out of a financial crisis in 1997. Joan will teach you how to: Build a powerhouse board Create an impressive and sustainable fundraising program Become seen as a ‘workplace of choice’ Be a compelling public face of your nonprofit This book will renew your passion for your mission and organization, and help you make a bigger difference in the world.