Nonprofit Board Service for the GENIUS is a first-of-its kind reference for the millions of people who are seeking to serve on a nonprofit board or already serve on one. Perfect for the novice, the veteran who needs a refresher, or the executive director looking to take the group to a higher level, it has been acclaimed by governance experts as the resource that the sector has been waiting for. The book takes the reader through the process of searching for a board, the first year of service, the leadership realm, and beyond! It is ideal for these purposes:

• New board member reference

• Board meeting resource

• Board development tool

• Executive director training manual

• Personal decision-making tool for prospective board members

The book contains templates and sample documents, including a board commitment form, individual board member fundraising plan, conflict of interest policy, whistleblower policy, document retention and destruction policy, and executive director evaluation.

This collection of firsthand essays takes the reader on a journey that spans a consultant’s professional life—from the decisions that formed the business to a detailed set of options for winding it down.

The beauty of this book lies in the honesty of its 25 contributors. They write openly about the decisions that guided their business models, their early mistakes, and their lessons learned. Even those in this business for decades have commented that their copies of The Playbook are strewn with highlights and bookmarks.

Terrie Temkin guides a star-studded cast of collaborators in creating a board volume that delivers the wisdom of the nonprofit world's leading practitioners, researchers, and provocateurs. The focused, short-essay format makes it easy for the reader to absorb the authors' thinking on a variety of topics: some traditional—such as board member roles and responsibilities, recruitment, meeting management, and evaluation—and others such as several new governance structures.