Issues in Brief

As holders of the public trust, nonprofit boards have a big responsibility. Governance Matters has developed the following materials for use by those interested in knowing more about effective nonprofit governance. The papers listed below are only one or two pages in length. They may be reproduced as needed with attribution to Governance Matters. We welcome your comments.

New programs to help nonprofits. Provides information about and links to new programs offered by the office of the New York Mayor to help nonprofits.

Merger Accomplished! Article outlines process used in merger of Governance Matters with Volunteer Consulting Group.

Good Leadership How-to: The Board Leadership Project is a self-help guide to fostering good leadership and good governance on your board.

Board Responsibilities in Crisis- Provides a checklist of issues for nonprofit boards to consider in responding to or planning for emergencies.

Definition of Effective Governance- To promote effective nonprofit governance, we need a consensus on what we mean by effective nonprofit governance. Governance Matters has developed this brief definition to advance that discussion.

Why Governance Matters - Summarizes the importance and key responsibilities of nonprofit board members.

The Impact of Good Governance- Provides examples that highlight the good that can happen when boards and their members clearly understand and actively embrace their responsibilities.

Myths and Realities- Points out common misconceptions about and potential areas for improvement in many nonprofit boards.

Key Questions to Ask Grantees about Governance- Provides questions about governance practices for grant makers to use in their applications and/or their site visits. (This topic is examined in depth in the Good Governance Guide.)

How others do it: Case studies in good governance. Examples of how real boards deal with real problems, and the lessons they learned in the process.