Private Professor
The Nonprofit Board Member's Guide to Actually Being Useful
How to fulfill your fiduciary duties, contribute meaningfully, and avoid being the director everyone dreads
You joined this board because you believe in the mission. Now you're sitting in meetings wondering if you're supposed to talk or just nod, trying to decode financial statements you don't understand, and feeling guilty that you haven't made your fundraising calls. Meanwhile, you're not sure if you're supposed to challenge the Executive Director or trust their expertise. Here's what nobody told you when they recruited you: being a good board member is a skill, not a personality trait. This guide teaches that skill.
Inside this guide
- What Boards Are Actually For (And Why Yours Recruited You)
- Your Fiduciary Duties: The Legal Floor of Board Service
- Governance vs. Management: The Line You Must Not Cross
- Meeting Preparation: How to Show Up Ready to Contribute
- Fundraising: Your Obligation and How to Fulfill It Without Hating Yourself
- When to Push Back: Constructive Dissent and Fiduciary Courage
- Committee Work: Where Governance Gets Done (And How to Not Overcommit)