As your state nonprofit association, we are here to provide resources to strengthen your organization.
As your state nonprofit association, we are here to provide resources to strengthen your organization.
Purpose: The State of Alaska requires a board president/chair and a board secretary, and they cannot be the same person. The purpose of the president is to lead without dominating the team and to ensure both meaningful use of time and full engagement of the team. The president is often the most consistent point of contact for the executive but does not assume more authority than any other board member. The board chair’s authority is granted to them only by the full board. They may speak publicly on behalf of the board only when given permission and only in support of the decisions of the full board. The board chair should never give their personal opinion about a board decision to the news media.
Duties and Responsibilities (at a minimum) regardless of whether there is staff or no staff
| Attend all board meetings |
| Ensure adherence to the Duty of Loyalty and Duty of Care president’s position |
| Keep the board focused on what matters most |
| Continue to define the board’s boundaries to the board. What is the board expected/not expected to do? |
| Monitor board discussion and ensure that board meeting time is used effectively |
| Create ad hoc committees to propose options for difficult issues |
| Ensure that no single board member is dominating board discussions – work toward operating as a team |
| Contribute to the work of the board without dominating or over-influencing – remember all board members are equal in their voice regardless of title or tenure – the board acts with one voice in all decisions |
| Keep open channels of communication between board members, committees, and volunteers |
| Make sure that board members are clear about their individual board commitments |
| Establish and enforce guidelines for disciplining board members according to the bylaws and organizational policies |
| Ensure board development and finance committees are active |
| Foster a positive and welcoming culture |
| Focus on the full participation of every board member |
| Ensure board officer succession plans are in place and up to date |
| Sign approved board minutes in the absence of the secretary Minutes are subject to audit by the IRS and should be stored according to the organization’s document retention policy. |
Additional duties for organizations without staff and those with staff:
| Organization without staff | Organization with staff (that can serve in this way) |
|---|---|
| Effectively run a meeting according to the organizational culture including the rules for decorum as outlined in the bylaws, policies, and informal norms and values | To effectively run meetings, the board chair must partner with the CEO/executive director to prepare an agenda, keep meeting discussions and debates focused on the issues, and move board members through thoughtful discussions and meaningful decisions. The partnership with the executive during a meeting is clear and respectful. |
| Prepare the board packet with the secretary before the meeting | Assist staff (if necessary and requested) to prepare the board packet before the meeting |
| Ensure that board efforts are documented and made available to the board (partner with the secretary) | Ensure that board efforts are documented and made available to the board and CEO/executive director (partner with staff as appropriate) |
| Act as official spokesperson for the board, when asked by the board | Act as the official spokesperson for the board, when asked by the CEO/executive director and board |
| Develop the board agenda before its distribution to the whole board | Review the board agenda with the CEO/executive director before its distribution to the whole board |
| Ensure that succession plans are in place and up to date for board officers | Work with the CEO/executive director to ensure that succession plans are in place and up to date for board officers and executive staff. |
| Develop a positive working relationship with the CEO/executive director without over-stepping the role of the board | |
| Coordinate and participate in the annual performance evaluation of the CEO/executive director | |
| Designate and/or communicate the roles of unpaid staff positions | |
| Assume the role of at least one unpaid staff position that maintains internal fiscal controls and does not consolidate too much power, authority, or financial oversight in one person. Generally, this means that the board president/chair is NOT the unpaid CEO/executive director nor the bookkeeper/treasurer. These positions are optimally designated to other members of the board. | Assign all operational functions to staff unless requested by the CEO/executive director to engage the board |
| Ensure an accountability structure for 1099 contractors | CEO/executive director oversees all 1099 contractors |