Nonprofit Board Leadership

1. The Nonprofit Board Answer Book: A Practical Guide for Board Members and Chief Executives (2nd Edition). Boardsource. Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA; 2007; 352 pages. This expanded comprehensive edition with 25 new chapters provides the answers to common board problems. It addresses the what, when, how and who of board issues, and helps set the course for governing. Suggested practical action steps are provided.
2. The Board Building Cycle: Nine Steps of Finding, Recruiting, and Engaging Nonprofit Board Members (2nd Edition, Book with CD-Rom). Sandra R. Hughes, Berit M. Lakey & Marla Bobowick; National Center for Nonprofit Boards; 2007; 81 pages. Topics include identifying and cultivating prospective board members, orienting and educating after recruited, encouraging more activity, rotating out board members to make room for new skills and insights, engaging in self-evaluation, and celebrating successes. The CD has forms, worksheets, and a PowerPoint for orienting new board members.
3. True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership (J-B Warren Bennis Series). Bill George, Peter Sims & David Gergen; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA; 2007, 288 pages. This inspirational book has three parts – an anecdote-rich section that examines how different people became leaders or lost their way, a section that focuses on the key components of a leadership plan, and a section that discusses motivation and empowerment. At the heart of this book is a series of interviews with 125 managers who discuss their successes as well as their failures, struggles, personal tragedies and regrets.
4. Boards That Make a Difference: A New Design for Leadership in Nonprofit and Public Organizations (3rd Edition). John Carver; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA; 2006; 448 pages. The experienced author has worked with boards for over twenty-five years. In this revised and updated edition, he describes how to best position the board in a leadership role and avoid many common mistakes. His proven model offers a redesign of the board role with an emphasis on values, vision, performance, strategic ability and empowerment.
5. How Are We Doing? A 1-hour Guide to Evaluating Your Performance as a Nonprofit Board. Gayle L.Gifford; Emerson & Church: Medfield, MA; 2005; 105 pages. This book provides a concise, practical, straightforward and thoughtful examination of the major questions and issues that a nonprofit board should address. Topics include acting strategically, assessing needs, setting goals for the good, evaluating the CEO, and more.
6. The Board Member's Playbook: Using Policy Governance to Solve Problems, Make Decisions, and Build a Stronger Board. Miriam Carver & Bill Charney; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA; 2004; 208 pages. This guidebook offers 50 real-world situations which address the challenges confronting boards. The authors explain how to implement a proven problem-solving sequence in order to find solutions consistent with values and policies. Worksheets are included.
7. Governance as Leadership: Reframing the Work of Nonprofit Boards. Richard P. Chait, William P. Ryan & Barbara E. Taylor; John Wiley & Sons: New York; 2004; 224 pages. The authors are noted consultants and researchers who discuss how boards of directors can operate in three modes: traditional fiduciary, strategic, and generative. Board members are encouraged to engage in generative thinking so their work is more meaningful, and their leadership becomes more creative and committed.
8. The Ultimate Board Member's Book: A 1-Hour Guide to Understanding and Fulfilling Your Role and Responsibilities. Kay Sprinkel Grace; Emerson & Church: Medfield, MA; 2003; 120 pages. This book provides an easy to use roadmap for new board members as well as a "tune-up" for those more experienced. It covers key board responsibilities and provides useful information that helps staff define their roles in partnership with the agency’s board.
9. The Nonprofit Leadership Team: Building the Board-Executive Director Partnership. Fisher Howe; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA; 2003; 224 pages. The author has years of experience as a counselor to nonprofits across the nation. He provides many examples, anecdotes, and guidance on effectively resolving the challenges that nonprofit leadership teams face, including finance, fundraising, marketing, and more.
10. The High-Performance Board: Principles of Nonprofit Organization Governance. Dennis Dale Pointer & James E.Orlikoff; Jossey-Bass: San Francisco, CA; 2002; 208 pages. The authors provide practical and candid advice about how to maximize board performance. Sixty-four principles designed for boards to achieve peak performance are discussed in detail with best practices, practical applications and a self-check-up.
11. Called to Serve: Creating and Nurturing the Effective Volunteer Board. Max De Pree; Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.: Grand Rapids, MI; 2001; 362 pages. The experienced author has written this book in a letter format of writing advice to a friend about the basic principles of board membership and leadership. He offers the why, how and what of volunteer boards in a conversational way. Helpful tips and clear examples are provided.
12. Doing Good Better: How to be an Effective Board Member of a Nonprofit Organization; Edgar Stoesz & Chester Raber; Good Books: Intercourse, PA; 2001; 150 pages. This updated edition is easy to understand and provides the essentials about board membership in an uplifting and positive way. Chapters include why organizations are needed, distributing the tasks, directors’ duties and responsibilities, how boards are assembled and nurtured, leadership, meetings, minutes, money, planning, conflict resolution, renewal, and more.
13. The Strategic Board: The Step-by-Step Guide to High-Impact Governance. Mark Light; John Wiley & Sons: New York; 2001; 272 pages. This book outlines a practical model to overcome the built-in deficiencies of nonprofit boards, such as part-time volunteer directors with limited time and knowledge. The governance plan consists of developing a leadership plan that determines direction; a delegation plan that specifies responsibility; a management plan that states annual objectives, and a vigilance plan with a monitoring schedule that drives meeting agendas.
14. Nonprofit Boards That Work: The End of One-Size-Fits-All Governance. Maureen K. Robinson; John Wiley & Sons: New York; 2000; 162 pages. The author believes that the essential job elements boards should focus on are financial oversight, planning, evaluation, and fundraising. Frank advice, practical strategies, and real-world examples of what works and what doesn’t are included.

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