The Board's Corporate Governance Role

Legally boards are required to ensure that a company accomplishes its goals, has a solid plan of action and doesn’t fall into legal or financial problems. However, the way boards get involved in these responsibilities can vary dramatically and is dependent on the circumstances of the company.

Boards often commit the blunders of getting too involved in operational issues which should be left to management or are unclear about their legal obligations for the decisions and actions taken on behalf of a company. This confusion is usually due to the fact that they are not keeping up with the evolving demands on boards, or the unanticipated issues such as financial crises and resignations of staff. Typically, this is addressed by allowing for discussion about the challenges faced by directors and by providing them with https://howtoadvertiseyourblog.com/board-portals-for-nonprofits/ orientation and simple written materials.

Another common error is when the board chooses to delegate too much power and does not scrutinize the tasks it has delegated. (Except in the smallest NPOs). In this instance, the board loses its evaluation function and can no longer assess whether these operating activities add up to satisfactory performance for the entire organization.

The board also needs to develop a governance plan, which includes how it interacts with the general manager or CEO. This includes determining how the board will meet regularly, the manner in which its members will be chosen and removed, and how decisions will be made. The board also needs to develop information systems that can provide information about their past and anticipated performance in order to assist them in making decisions.