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Tanya Wilborne LBSW, Director
T.R. Parnell Mediator, C.A.R.T., Notary Public, LBSW, Chair & CEO
Juanita Lewis LVN, Director
Joanne Giustini BS.Ed., Director
Darnell Carter Jr. US Army, Vice-chair & COO
| ©2003 - 2010 Parnell Intermediary Services Inc. All Rights Reserved. |
| Thank you for choosing Parnell Intermediary Services Inc. and PISI Integrity Team! |
| North Carolina |
| Germany |
North Carolina
| Texas |
| Texas |
| Texas |
Jennifer J. Hendricks BS. Psy., Director
| Parnell Intermediary Services Inc. 501(c)(3) Nonprofit Public Charity |
Kim Wagon, Secretary
| New York |
John Smith M.D., Director
| Florida |
| Brian Jackson Ph.D., Director |
| California |
Board Members of Nonprofits have Important Responsibilities
As the nonprofit sector has grown to accommodate a wide range of voluntary endeavors, millions of people have been given an opportunity to serve on the
boards of nonprofit organizations. Serving as a board member is one of the most challenging and rewarding volunteer experiences.
An effective decision-making board can strengthen a nonprofit organization in many different ways: perform some of the tasks of the organization, support
the organization's work in the community, bring necessary resources for better performance, advise the organization on legal or other matters and help with
fund raising.
While appointment or election to a board is an honor, board members have important duties and responsibilities requiring time commitment, particular
skills, talents and resources. The responsibilities fall into five fundamental areas.
Establishing the Organization's Mission, Vision and Direction
Every nonprofit organization needs to have a clear and agreed upon mission statement. Board members should invest their time and energy in developing
mission and vision statements. The mission is the fundamental statement of why the organization exists, the style in which it will operate, the community it
will serve and the variety of people who are its members.
According to Jerry Cronin in "Organizational Mission and Values" (1985), the well-developed mission and vision statements will have the following benefits:
 | Enable the board to define the "business of the organization" so all of its energy can be spent in pursuit of compatible results. | |
| Enable to define funding sources compatible with the mission of the organization. | |
| Enable the board to decide how to spend resources so budgets can be tied to the most critical results the organization wants to achieve. | |
| Enable the board to make decisions about which programs and projects to undertake and which to avoid. | |
| Enable the organization to develop its planning with action steps. |
A side benefit of developing mission and vision statements is the process of development. It will cause the board members to begin to form closer bonds,
well explain weak support and commitment of some board members. These differences may be resolved as mission/vision statements are developed and
the board members have internalized the statements.
Ensuring the Financial Stability of the Organization
As a rule, nonprofit organizations face financial vulnerability. The board is responsible for the availability of adequate financial resources for the work of the
organization. Boards are often thought to have only policymaking responsibility; however, board responsibilities are much broader.
In terms of financial management, the board should consider the following financial responsibilities to the organization:
 | Approving and developing the annual budget. | |
| Developing financial controls and procedures. | |
| Establishing and monitoring financial record keeping system. | |
| Ensuring financial reporting systems are in place. | |
| Monitoring revenue and expenditures of the organization. |
In order to insure there are adequate financial resources, the board may be involved in planning fundraising campaigns by:
| Establishing fund-raising targets, based on the needs of the organization. | |
| Developing fund-raising goals, objectives and action steps. | |
| Recruiting champions and volunteers. |
Financial management, however, should not be considered an end in itself. It is really a tool, means, for accomplishing the program priorities set by the
Ensuring the Existence of Sufficient and Appropriate Human Resources
The board is the legal employer of all staff and is responsible for the working conditions in the organization. Accordingly, the board should understand its
responsibility as an employer and develop all the necessary tools for effective management of its employees and volunteers:
 | Appropriate personnel policies have been adopted by the board and are followed by the management. | |
| There is a position classification and salary schedule policy for the organization. | |
| Affirmative action and non-discrimination policies have been adopted and enforced throughout the organization. | |
| A current job description exists for each position. | |
| Appropriate training is obtained for staff on a regular basis. | |
| Appropriate use is made of volunteers. | |
| All personnel are evaluated at least annually. |
Supervising Organizational Operations
One of the most neglected aspects of the board's roles is overseeing organizational operations. This is accomplished by meeting the legal requirements of
The board's roles in the oversight of organizational operations are:
 | Establishing board policies on evaluation and oversight. | |
| Design of assessment and monitoring system. | |
| Achieving early problem recognition. | |
| Being proactive and anticipating problems. | |
| Ensuring the utilization of information from the assessment for program and organizational improvement. As well, a basic responsibility of the board | |
| is to ensure its own renewal and development. The board development cycle illustrated below is one way of describing the key steps in the process: |
 | Developing a board profile. | |
| Recruiting and selecting new members. | |
| Election and re-election of board officers. | |
| Orientation for new board members. | |
| Ongoing support and recognition. | |
| Training and development. |
Ensuring Effective Community Relations
Effective public relations can give an organization visibility and connections in the community, and can provide community support for the activities of the
not a nonprofit organization in existence that does not need volunteers, their skills, time and efforts.
The effective community relations of any nonprofit organization begin with development of the board. Board members are selected for their particular
interest in the organization and their ability to positively influence others in the community.
Boards need to ensure they are responding effectively and efficiently to the changing needs in their community. Developing marketing and public relations
strategies to promote awareness of the organization in the community is essential. Boards are also becoming more involved in collaborative efforts with
other organizations.
The board should ensure:
 | The community is aware of the mission/vision of the organization. | |
| There is agency representation in the community, with government and other funding agencies. | |
| The membership receives information on programs and services. | |
| There are clear principles and objectives to guide any collaboration with other agencies. | |
| An awareness of the organization is developed in the community. | |
