Governing boards, whether they are called boards of directors, trustees, or managers, are the valuable steering wheels of nonprofits and are responsible for fulfilling their varied and worthwhile missions. To help your nonprofit organization to advance and grow, it is critical to develop a strong, effective and productive governing board. Such a board is potentially your most important instrument both for general institution-building and for fund raising.

To accomplish their missions, nonprofit governing boards must attract high caliber people, who should include the leaders of our communities, regions and nation. (Naturally, citizens from other countries also serve on governing boards where it is appropriate). Governing boards need people with vision and commitment-people who are willing to work effectively to contribute their talents and resources to nonprofit organizations whether they are local, regional, national or international in scope.

This handbook is written for those key people in your nonprofit organization who are involved in building your governing board. In this sense, it offers help primarily to your board's nominating committee. It also can serve as a guide for other board members, including your board chairperson or president, your chief executive and senior development officer (vice president or director of development). Board trainers and consultants who share an interest and responsibility in building strong boards may also find this handbook helpful. Although this handbook is written principally for existing nonprofits, it can also serve as a primer for anyone who is considering starting a new nonprofit organization and wants to understand the process of organizing, strengthening and regenerating a board as it moves through its development life cycles.

This guide attempts to be comprehensive and is detailed. Its six keys help you build a strong and well-orchestrated governing board. You may wish to work on these keys in the order they are presented in this handbook. You will also find one or more tools at the end of each key that can help you in this process.

This text is meant as a guide for building governing, not advisory, boards. Some suggestions herein may be useful, however, in developing an advisory board that can significantly complement the work of a governing board. (Introduction)

CONTENTS
Acknowledgements.
Introduction.
Note on tools.

I. Key One: Build your nominating committee.

Tool A: Nominating committee plan for board development.

II. Key two: Assess the current makeup of your board.

Tool B: Basic responsibilities of nonprofit boards.
Tool C: Suggested language for Bylaw of Board Resolution establishing your
             nominating committee.
Tool D: Board profile worksheet.

III. Key Three: Identify Potential board members.

Tool E. Prospective board member referral form.

IV. Key four: Cultivate and recruit new board members.

Tool F. Checklist of material for potential board members.
Tool G. Prospective board member recruitment worksheet.
Tool H. Agenda for an individual meeting with a board candidate.

V. Key five: Orient your new board members.

Tool I. Agenda for orientation meeting
Tool J. Board manual table of contents.

VI. Key six: Involve and acknowledge new board members.

Tool K. Sample letter to new board members.
Tool L. Board member information form.
Tool M. Checklist of goals for new board member during first year of service.

Conclusion.
Suggested resources.
About the author.