A good working relationship with members of the governing board is crucial for every local government manager. New Council Member Orientation: Instilling the Spirit of High Performance outlines how a well-organized, informative, and appropriate orientation program ensures that the newly elected council members’ first impression of their new partners in government is a good one. The orientation should reflect the circumstances of the community, the needs of the new council members, and the manager’s style. This e-book singles out the necessary components of a good orientation, discusses practices that seem to work well in any situation, leads the reader through the planning process, and provides case examples.

With every new board or council member, the face, personality, and skills of a government board change. The sooner that these newcomers are brought up to speed about the business of the organization, the sooner all will benefit from the abilities they possess. This manual is designed to help administrators provide effective, in-house orientation to rookie board members, and provides a structure through which specific issues and characteristics about each government organization can be discussed. The manual boasts a wide range of forms and worksheets to assist the busy administrator in setting up a customized program in his or her organization.

If you are one of the millions who regularly attend religious services, you are undoubtedly aware of the profound effect your church, synagogue, mosque, or temple has on your life. Your religious congregation is likely involved in celebratory occasions such as births, marriages, and religious holidays, as well as in times of misfortune, illness, or the death of a loved one. Therefore, it is important, to have input into the major decisions that your congregation makes. And it is even more essential to know your duties, responsibilities, and options if you are even peripherally involved in its management. How to Manage an Effective Religious Organization will teach you: How your religious leader is hired, evaluated, and, if necessary, let go How you can offer suggestions to your priest, minister, rabbi, or imam Whether your religious organization is financially stable, and what type of fundraising is needed How the governing body of lay leaders of your congregation can be more effective How to Manage an Effective Religious Organization will give you numerous ideas for improving your congregation, whatever its religious affiliation.

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!