Board Expectations
Kris Kewitsch | Executive Director, Charities Review Council | November 2025
What’s the agreement between boards and their nonprofits? All nonprofit boards have by-laws, governance guidelines, and some form of onboarding or orientation. That being said, it’s important that nonprofits and boards have clear agreements, mutually acknowledged, that help both sides understand their responsibilities to each other.
Even if your board is relatively well-established, the exercise of clearly defining standards of success, engagement, and contribution (from board members and the nonprofit itself) will strengthen trust, transparency, and future planning for your organization.
Board agreements are annually renewed, two-way documents that highlight what the board member will contribute to the organization and what the organization commits to providing each board member. This should take place at the start of each new fiscal year, both for new board members and existing ones and get signed by both the board member and a member of the nonprofit’s leadership team.
The Council’s Accountability Standards® offer detailed guidance on what board service should look like, how it fits with the overall nonprofit mission and vision, and how to engage as a board member properly.
