The author, former artistic/producing director of the Oakland Ensemble Theatre in Oakland, California, discusses arts boards in the context of the Black community.

This publication explains the governing board of directors role in strategic planning for a nonprofit organization. Like its companion book, Building a Better Board: A Guide to Effective Leadership (Book One), it is written primarily for board members and the staff who work with them.

This publication provides an overview of techniques used by effective boards and board leaders. Like its companion book, Building a Better Board: The Role of the Nonprofit Board in Strategic Planning (Book Two), it is written primarily for board members and the staff who work with them.

Selecting, enabling, and evaluating the performance of the executive director are three of the fundamental responsibilities of orchestra board member. How these responsibilities are carried out has a major impact on an orchestra's well-being. Therefore, it is essential that orchestra board members involve themselves in the board-executive partnership as knowledgeably and thoughtfully as possible. This book gives useful guidance and insights for achieving an optimal board-executive relationship. (Foreword)

A successful board retreat is a product of commitment, objective-setting, planning and preparation, data-gathering, and finally, the conduct and follow-up of the retreat. This booklet traces the retreat process from start to finish. (See appendix A for a visual representation of this process). A summary checklist and sample retreat planning tools will help executives and board members organize a productive retreat (see appendix B for a checklist).

What we are seeing in the world of the nonprofits these days is that it is the Board Chairperson who can make or break an organization. Organizations can't survive over the long haul with just a charismatic Executive Director. They need to have the kind of managerial oversight provided by a well-run board.

While arts organizations are frequently used as examples to make or suggest a point, On Board is written for the broad not for profit field, not just for arts organizations. Guiding principles described here have equal applicability to virtually all not for profit organizations irrespective of their particular field or discipline.

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.

CONTENTS
Introduction: An overview of orchestras and orchestra governance.

In January 1991, the American Symphony Orchestra League conducted a comprehensive study of orchestra governing boards to learn more about the policies and procedures related to boards of directors, officers, committees, orchestra financial operations, and executive staff. (Foreword)