Developing a Board Member’s Job Description

Many board members serve for months before fully understanding their roles and responsibilities. This confusion can waste valuable time and energy for an organization. Clearly written job descriptions help to clarify board member expectations as they relate to their position on the board. It is important to develop a job description for the general board member as well as the officers of the organization- the general job description applies to every member of the board. The following categories and questions can be used to guide you in the development of job descriptions for board member and officer positions. Once the content is agreed upon, the job descriptions must be approved by the board.

Everyone involved in the organization should have a job description.

Each job description should contain the following sections:

 

 

Position: What is the job title?

 

 

Authority: What authority does the position carry? It is important to be very clear about this

      section as there can be legal consequences if a board member causes harm while 

      acting outside of his/ her designated authority

 

 

Responsibility:   To whom is the position accountable? What are the broad areas of

                        responsibility?

 

 

Term:  How are board members elected and for how long? How do board members leave the

          board?

 

 

General Duties: What are the typical duties board members are responsible for?

 

 

Evaluation: How will board members’ effectiveness be assessed?

 

 

Review Date: When will this job description be reviewed?

 

 

Approval Date: When was this job description last approved?

 

 

Qualifications & Skills:  What specialized or practical skills are needed to do the job? What

                                   human relation skills (e.g. communication, problem solving) are  

                                   needed?

 

 

Benefits:  What benefits can a board member expect to receive? (e.g. satisfaction of making a

               difference in the community; opportunity to work with individuals of diverse   

               backgrounds; development of effective decision-making skills; increased understanding  

               of group dynamics and relationships)

 

 

Time & Financial Requirements: What is a realistic estimate of the time required as a board

                                                    member? What will it cost to be a board member?