Association

BoardSource is pleased to support and serve associations and member-serving organizations.

We offer a number of resources and tools that are tailored to the specific needs of association boards and leaders.

Association leaders will benefit from the guidance and recommendations that BoardSource’s broader resources provide. Some of these are listed below; many more are located in the Resources and Solutions and Topics sections of this website. There you will find that we provide guidance and support in several different formats — written resources, webinars, trainings, certificate programs, and consulting and coaching — and at different content levels: 101, 201, and 301.

We also want to direct you to the Store, which is where you’ll find our well-respected books, including the most recent edition of the first book BoardSource published, Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, and our flagship series, The Governance Series. Both are must-reads for anyone new to nonprofit board leadership.

Resources for Associations


Transformational Governance: How Boards Achieve Extraordinary Change

This 2015 publication co-authored by Katha Kissman, a BoardSource senior governance consultant, explores how association executives and boards have achieved transformational change within their organizations.

 


Reimagining Boards for High Impact

101| Community resource. What if leaders could grow their impact without growing their organizations? Read six primary areas where boards can focus their energy to strengthen community relationships and dramatically increase their impact.

Eight Ways to Increase Your Board's Ability to Work as a Team

301| Community resource. Board work is, fundamentally, a collective effort, and it requires a unique kind of teamwork among members. This resource presents eight tactics you can utilize to increase your board’s ability to collaborate and work as a team.

Six Characteristics of Effective Boards

301| Member-only resource. After interviewing several hundred boards and chief executives and surveying over 1,000 more, researchers Thomas Holland, Barbara Taylor, and Richard Chait discovered six specific characteristics and behaviors that distinguish strong boards from weak boards

Five Leadership Transition Types

101| Community resource. When an organization faces a chief executive transition, the first step the board must take is to identify what type of transition the organization is facing.

Every Board’s Must-Have Documents

101| Community resource. Even the most organized, responsible, and amiable board needs to document its activities, internal rules, and processes. Here are the various documents to which your board needs to pay attention.

Checklist of Board Roles and Responsibilities

101| Community resource. Basic board roles and responsibilities are the foundation for a successful board. BoardSource has designed this checklist so you can quickly remind yourself of your key responsibilities.