Individual Nonprofit

Thank you for the important work that you do.

Whether it’s feeding the hungry, educating future leaders, addressing inequality and inequity in the world, inspiring our souls through the arts, or any of the many other ways in which nonprofit organizations are making the world a better place, the work that you do matters. It matters to our world and — most importantly — to the missions, communities, and people that you serve.

That’s why BoardSource is committed to providing you with the resources and tools that you need to support and strengthen your leadership at the highest level — the board of directors. We want your mission to flourish, and we know that simply isn’t possible without strategic board leadership.

We’re here to help.

We have hundreds of resources and tools to support your board as you work to better understand your leadership role, your performance and opportunities for growth, and critical issues and challenges facing board leaders today. We encourage you to start with the following key resources and then explore the various sections of our website to learn more about the many resources and supports that we offer.

Resources for Individual Nonprofits


Governance Series

A must-have series of fundamental books on nonprofit board leadership and governance, including Ten Basic Responsibilities of Nonprofit Boards, which is the definitive resource on the role of a nonprofit board.


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.