The Nonprofit Board Center
Most board members never get trained for the job. This is the training. Plain-English guides to governance, money, and meetings — plus the templates and tools to run your board well.
Written for volunteer boards, treasurers, and the staff who support them. No signup required.
Governance essentials
What boards are for, what the law expects, and how to stay out of trouble.
Board Roles & Responsibilities
What a nonprofit board actually does — the ten core responsibilities, officer roles, and where the board ends and staff begins.
How to Be a Good Board Member
The definitive guide for new and serving board members: habits, questions to ask, mistakes to avoid, and what "good" looks like.
Fiduciary Duties Explained
Care, loyalty, and obedience in plain English — what the law expects of you and how boards get in trouble.
Conflict of Interest Policies
Why every nonprofit needs a COI policy, what Form 990 asks about governance, and a policy adoption checklist.
Money & oversight
For treasurers, finance committees, and every member who has to vote on a budget.
The Nonprofit Treasurer's Guide
Duties, the monthly close checklist, internal controls, and exactly what board-ready financials look like.
How to Read Nonprofit Financial Statements
The Statement of Activities, Financial Position, and Functional Expenses — decoded for board members who aren't accountants.
Meetings & building the board
Run meetings people don't dread, and recruit members who actually show up.
Running Effective Board Meetings
Agendas that work, minutes that protect you, the consent agenda, and how to stop meetings from eating your mission.
Recruiting & Onboarding Board Members
Where to find great board members, how to ask, and a complete new-member orientation checklist.
The Board Packet: present Holdings to your board
Found Holdings and need your board to say yes? We built the case for you: a one-page financial memo, a sample board-ready report pack, a ready-to-sign resolution, and an email template for your board chair.
- ✓ One-page board memo — the financial case in plain numbers
- ✓ Sample monthly report pack your board would receive
- ✓ Bank-switch board resolution, ready to sign
- ✓ Copy-paste email to send your board today
The financial case, in one row
| Typical bank | Holdings | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly fees | Varies | $0 |
| Yield on balances | Often ~0% | 1.75% APY |
| FDIC coverage | $250K | Up to $3M |
| Fund accounting | Separate cost | $25/mo, built in |
Board tools & templates
Free tools that produce documents your board can actually use. No signup required.
Board Meeting Toolkit
Build agendas, take minutes, and track action items. Free, saves automatically, exports to PDF.
Board Enablement Kit
8 ready-to-sign documents: board resolution, authorized signers, due diligence checklist, and more.
Statement of Activities Builder
Generate a nonprofit income statement you can drop straight into a board packet.
Statement of Financial Position
A nonprofit balance sheet builder — assets, liabilities, and net assets by restriction.
Budget vs. Actual Tracker
The one report every board should see monthly. Track variances against your approved budget.
Financial Health Scorecard
Score your nonprofit's financial health across reserves, revenue mix, and controls.
Board basics, answered
What does a nonprofit board of directors do?
A nonprofit board sets the organization's mission and strategic direction, hires and evaluates the executive director, approves the budget, oversees finances and legal compliance, and ensures the organization has the resources it needs. Board members carry legal fiduciary duties of care, loyalty, and obedience. Full guide →
How many board members does a nonprofit need?
Most states require at least three directors for a nonprofit corporation, and the IRS looks for a board that is large and independent enough to provide real oversight. Many small nonprofits operate well with five to nine engaged members.
Are nonprofit board members paid?
The vast majority serve as unpaid volunteers. Organizations may reimburse reasonable expenses. Paying directors is legal in most states but uncommon, and any compensation must be reasonable and disclosed on Form 990.
What financial reports should a nonprofit board review?
At minimum: a Statement of Financial Position (balance sheet), a Statement of Activities with budget vs. actual comparison, and a cash position summary — monthly or at every regular meeting. Boards should also review the Form 990 before it is filed. How to read each statement →
Explore Holdings
Banking for Nonprofits
Free tools and accounting designed for nonprofit organizations.
Banking for Churches
Financial tools built for churches and faith organizations.
Nonprofit Directory (1.6M orgs)
Nonprofit Pricing
All 57 Free Tools
Invoice generator, P&L, expense tracker, and more.