The Working Board: Staying Engaged Without Overstepping

Mar 3

Many of the nonprofit organizations I consult with have small staffs — sometimes only an Executive Director and one or two part‑time employees. In these situations, it’s common for the Board of Directors to see themselves as a “working Board.” A working Board is one whose members are actively involved in day‑to‑day activities: planning events, staffing committees, and supporting programs alongside paid staff and volunteers.

Boards of all sizes struggle with the boundaries between governance and management, but working Boards face this tension more acutely. When Board members are deeply involved in operations, it becomes easy — and often unintentional — to slip into decision‑making roles that properly belong to staff.

The good news is that with intentional structure, a working Board can be both highly engaged and appropriately bounded.

Develop project charters for any initiative where Board members will be involved. Clarify the purpose, scope, available resources, success measures, and roles. Be explicit about who makes which decisions; in most cases, accountable staff should hold final decision‑making authority.
Create Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for recurring events or activities. SOPs give Board members a clear process to plug into, reducing the risk of improvisation that crosses into management.
Define committee roles clearly in committee descriptions or charters. When a committee includes more Board members than staff — for example, a Marketing Committee with one staff member and three Board members — the dynamic can unintentionally shift decision‑making away from staff. Spell out whether the Board’s role is guidance, implementation, or decision‑making, and what principles guide those decisions.
Debrief after major events or projects. Discuss what worked, what you’d change, and where governance/management boundaries felt blurry. These conversations help refine practices for the next cycle.
Encourage staff to raise concerns early. Organizational leadership should normalize staff bringing role‑confusion issues to the Executive Director as part of healthy collaboration with a working Board.
Include role clarity in Board and staff orientations. Many Board members — especially first‑timers — are unclear about the distinction between governance and management. A brief orientation segment can prevent misunderstandings later.
Revisit your Board identity annually. Take time at a Board meeting to discuss what type of Board you are or aspire to be, and what that means in practice. Consider annual Board training on governance vs. management or other relevant topics.