Nonprofit board management is a unique category of governance that requires special consideration in regards to budget and time management. When it comes to board management software for the nonprofit sector, the need to be efficient and organized is paramount. With the appropriate board management, your nonprofit can establish an effective model of governance, track business goals, empower board members to collaborate and run meetings like a well-oiled machine. 

3 common nonprofit board governance models 

Your nonprofit board governance model is a crucial element in determining how your nonprofit functions. It identifies the structure and process of how key stakeholders have their say, how decisions are made and how decision-makers are held to account. 

There are many models of board governance, but there are three prevalent archetypes. 

1. Traditional

The traditional model is where the board governs operations via separate divisions such as finance, human resources or marketing. However the managerial functions still sit with the executive director. 

2. Policy 

The policy model works for nonprofits by focusing on the organization’s purpose. This means the organization actively works towards what it needs to achieve or what it needs to do. The board gives the CEO the bulk of the responsibility to reach their goals.

3. Advisory Model

The advisory model consists of industry leaders who are able to provide expert advice and a vast network of connections to the nonprofit. Different to other board management styles, advisory board members provide non-binding advice in their respectful fields to simply support a businesses owners/stakeholders.

Nonprofit board governance best practices

Each nonprofit has unique needs and challenges, which means each board is a little different. Below is a breakdown of some of the best practices you can adopt to get your nonprofit board running efficiently. 

Survey your board's needs

What might seem like the best resource for your governing board could be completely different from what is actually wanted or required. Regular surveys of your board will enable you to make the best decisions that will benefit both the organization and your board. 

Manage role descriptions and expectations

Not all boards have current job descriptions for their leadership positions, which makes it hard to hit key milestones. Good governance requires clear expectations for the board of directors, including the board chair & chief executive. 

Have long term goals

As with most nonprofit corporations, reaching key milestones is a long term process. This means the board of directors needs to look beyond where their board term ends. To meet these milestones, succession plans must be in place and the roles and responsibilities of who will join the board next must be considered. 

Harness the power of digital

The market is more competitive than ever for nonprofits, so slick, effective board management is essential. The most successful boards are turning to digital to simplify their needs. You can use digital to:

• Streamline meetings. Up-to-date meeting minutes, strategic planning, and clear communication between board members are all crucial to your nonprofit. This is why effective board committees invest in a board portal to simplify these processes in one easy to access location. 
• Strengthen security. Now more than ever, nonprofits must consider cyber security and how they’re safeguarding their digital activity. This means investing in highly secure online platforms to enable safe collaboration and data protection.  
• Collaborate and grow. The merging of ideas and needs is what drives a nonprofit forward, so it’s important to remove any barriers to this process. Create a singular hub of information so your board members can work together. 

Strong, modern, digitally-savvy boards achieve these things with the help of a board portal for nonprofits.

Find out more: What is a board portal?

Board management software for nonprofits

Ansarada Board is a simple and secure board software that is ideal for nonprofit boards for these reasons:

1. Our sophisticated yet simple software solutions empower organisations to govern, communicate, collaborate and take critical decisions at speed

2. Board members get an instant oversight of business operations with an intuitive and easy-to-navigate dashboard

3.You have complete visibility and accountability over all your critical information - from documents and data, to the people who look after them

Learn more: Board Portal Features


So, if you’re a small, medium or large nonprofit organization on the hunt for effective board management software, then Ansarada has your solution.