More than meetings: Considerations for joining a board

If you’ve served on a nonprofit board of directors, you know that the role demands much more than simply showing up for meetings. Charities benefit from board members’ active engagement, strategic oversight, and a deep commitment to the organization’s mission. In fact, board members are fiduciaries who are responsible for guiding the nonprofit’s culture, ensuring sound governance, providing financial stewardship, and acting as ambassadors and advocates in the community. Beyond legal duties, they are expected to help secure resources, oversee leadership, and contribute to the charity’s long-term sustainability and impact.

If this sounds like a lot, it’s because it is! Before you make the leap to join a charity’s board, please consider reaching out to our team. The Crawford Heritage Community Foundation can serve as an invaluable resource to support your decision-making process. Our professionals know a lot about local charities, including in-depth information about programs, impact, leadership, financial stability, and reputation. We’re happy to provide an impartial assessment of the charity’s governance practices, evaluate alignment with your values, and fill you in on the current needs or challenges the board is facing.

Thorough due diligence is crucial, not only to ensure that the board position would be a good fit for your skills, interests, and availability, but also to avoid potential legal pitfalls and liabilities that could stand in the way of your ability to carry out your fiduciary duties.

Our team can provide a high-level review of these duties, including:

  • A duty of loyalty to prioritize the charity’s interests and avoid conflict.
  • A duty of compliance to adhere to the nonprofit’s mission and legal requirements
  • A duty to “manage accounts,” which means overseeing financial stability and accountability

These duties translate into real responsibilities for strategic planning, fundraising, financial oversight, and executive evaluation.

You can reach out to our executive director, Christian Maher, if you ever want to speak about how the community foundation can assist your clients. We have worked with numerous advisors to help generous people to plan millions of dollars in charitable gifts. Integrity is a paramount value in our work. We maintain your client’s trust by keeping our discussions and their plans confidential!
Christian Maher, Executive Director
executive@crawfordheritage.org
814-336-5206

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