Philosophy: An effective Board of Directors is engaged in the nonprofit’s mission and possesses a sound knowledge and understanding of its operations and finances. A process to orient and to assess the board’s effectiveness is important to a nonprofit’s success. A nonprofit should plan for the future and regularly use board evaluation tools to plan and manage succession and assess capacity and expertise to govern effectively.

Standard: The nonprofit provides an orientation to new board members within one year of initial election that includes a review of board roles and responsibilities. In addition, the board annually assesses its effectiveness and capacity to govern.

Read the donor perspective on Board Orientation and Assessment