Boards in Gear

Washington Nonprofits and Jacobson Jarvis & Co PLLC present Boards in Gear (BIG), a set of resources designed to help your Board of Directors make a BIG impact on the success of your organization. These tools and information will strengthen your Board, and help your organization thrive in its mission.

Program Overview

These BIG materials are organized in five topics, each answering a basic question about the why, what, who, and how for your organization. Each BIG topic includes three sections:

  1. KNOW: What board members should know about the topic
  2. SHOW: How a board or its members can demonstrate understanding
  3. GROW: What a board and its members can ask and do to improve its practice
Download Intro Kit

1. Connection to Cause

Board members place the work of the organization within a larger cause to understand its place in the system in which it works and to affect changes that better that system when possible.

They serve as ambassadors and advocates for a cause that they are passionate about. They are leaders bringing into the organization knowledge, ideas, and connections. They place their role within the context of being a steward of an organization operating for the public benefit with support from the general public.

Download Connection to Cause Kit

2. Responsibilities

Board members fulfill their responsibilities, from setting a clear mission to making that mission happen through effective programs. The board is entrusted by the State and by the community to ensure that the organization pursues its mission vigorously, is compliant with all federal, state, and local requirements, and conducts activities with accountability and transparency. Boards of organizations with staff face different roles and responsibilities than organizations with no staff.

Download Responsibilities Kit

3. Composition & Development

A nonprofit board ensures that the board itself has the characteristics and qualifications needed to effectively represent the people that the organization serves and the organization’s needs.

Download Composition & Development Kit

4. Board Operations

The board operates in a way that allows the organization to achieve its mission effectively and efficiently.

Download Operations Kit

5. Fundraising

Board members ensure that the organization has the necessary resources to sustain its work over time. For many boards, this involves an active role in fundraising, often with the help of staff.

Download Fundraising Kit

Want More Info?

You can find more information about the BIG program, as well as supplemental documents at the Washington Nonprofits website.

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