Joining a Nonprofit Board: What to Know Before You Accept
This paper examines what prospective members of a nonprofit organization's governing board should investigate before accepting an invitation to serve. Drawing on literature from governance and nonprofit management, the paper identifies key areas of inquiry: understanding the organization's purpose and mission, budget, funding sources, and current board composition; speaking informally with both current and former board members to uncover potential interpersonal conflicts or power dynamics; and reviewing foundational documents such as the nonprofit's bylaws and IRS Form 990 tax filings. The conclusion synthesizes these considerations into a practical checklist for anyone evaluating a nonprofit board invitation.
- Introduction: Framing the board-acceptance decision as requiring due diligence
- What Prospective Board Members Need to Know: Mission, budget, funding, and board composition research
- Who Prospective Board Members Should Talk To: Insights from current members, former members, and recipients
- Documents to Review Before Responding to an Invitation: Bylaws and IRS Form 990 tax filings review
- Conclusion: Synthesized checklist for evaluating a board invitation
✍️ How to write this paper — guide, tools & examples ▾
What makes this paper effective
- The paper is tightly organized around a practical decision framework — what to know, who to ask, and what to read — making its advice immediately actionable for the reader.
- It uses a small but relevant selection of peer-reviewed and practitioner sources to ground each recommendation, lending credibility without overloading a short paper.
- The conclusion effectively mirrors the body structure, synthesizing each major category of advice rather than simply restating the thesis.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper demonstrates focused literature-based synthesis: rather than summarizing individual sources in sequence, it integrates findings from Johnson (2014), Wellens and Jegers (2013), and Harvard Business Review (2015) into a coherent, thematically organized argument. Each source is cited at the point where its insight is most relevant, reinforcing rather than interrupting the analytical flow.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with a brief framing introduction, then develops three distinct body sections — knowledge gathering, stakeholder conversations, and document review — each addressing a different category of due diligence. The conclusion recaps all three categories and closes with an implicit recommendation to treat board acceptance as a research process, not an automatic honor.
Introduction
If invited to join a nonprofit organization's governing board, many people would likely be flattered and therefore eager to accept. There are some important questions, however, that should be asked and answered before anyone accepts such a position (Johnson, 2014). To this end, this paper reviews the literature to identify what a prudent prospective board member should find out prior to accepting a position on a nonprofit organization's governing board, followed by a summary of the research and important findings in the conclusion.
What Prospective Board Members Need to Know
The first thing a prospective board member should seek to learn is the purpose and mission of the nonprofit organization. If its purpose and mission are contrary to an invitee's personal and/or professional code of ethics or otherwise objectionable, it is unlikely the invitation would be accepted. In addition, a prospective board member should also seek to learn the nonprofit's budget, sources of funding, current board membership, the frequency and location of board meetings, the expectations and responsibilities of a board member, and previous examples of the organization's efforts, including both successes and failures. Prospective board members should also learn about the respective areas of professional expertise and experience of current board members.
Who Prospective Board Members Should Talk To
Prospective board members should speak with current board members individually and informally to gain their insights and observations concerning the board's functioning and conflict resolution processes. In some cases, board members may have vastly different opinions concerning both the purpose and optimal strategies that should be used to accomplish the board's mission (Wellens & Jegers, 2014). It is equally important to identify and speak with former board members — especially the individual being replaced — to determine whether there are interpersonal conflicts or power coalitions (e.g., "cliques") on the board that limit the contributions of others. Indeed, many nonprofit organizations have experienced the loss of board members due to these and other governance issues (The sorry state of nonprofit boards, 2015). Finally, prospective board members should also speak with the recipients of any assistance the nonprofit has provided in order to evaluate the actual positive effects of these efforts.
Conclusion
Prior to accepting a position on a nonprofit organization's governing board, the research shows that prudent prospective board members have much to consider, including what they need to know about the organization — such as its purpose and mission, funding sources and budget, and current board membership composition. Other questions that need to be answered include board members' responsibilities and expectations, and the reasons for past departures of board members. Finally, prospective board members should talk to current and former board members as well as past recipients of the nonprofit's assistance, and should review the nonprofit's bylaws and tax records to ensure that they are timely filed, signed, and dated.
References
Harvard Business Review. (2015). The sorry state of nonprofit boards. Harvard Business Review, 93(9), 28.
Johnson, J. M. (2014). Nonprofit board membership: Should you accept the honor? NACD Directorship, 40(5), 8–9.
Wellens, L., & Jegers, M. (2013). Effective governance in nonprofit organizations: A literature based multiple stakeholder approach. European Management Journal, 32(2), 223–243.
Create your account
Always verify citation format against your institution’s current style guide requirements.