The Board Member Job Description for 2025

By Dr. Thomas Wolf, Principal

Dr. Thomas Wolf, a founding principal of WolfBrown, has consulted and written extensively about boards and governance, including Managing a Nonprofit Organization (now in its sixth edition) and Effective Leadership for Nonprofit Organizations. Prior to his consulting practice, he was the founding executive director of the New England Foundation for the Arts.

This is part of a larger series on boards. You can find out more here.

“Plus ça change, plus c’est la même chose”—this clever nineteenth-century French epigram translates as “the more things change, the more they stay the same.” It is a useful device to describe an historical moment of apparent wholesale transformation when some fundamental principles and ideas remain unaffected. The implication is that at such times, one should take a deep breath and realize that there are plenty of things that shouldn’t change all that much and many others that won’t. 

When it comes to nonprofit boards, even in these tumultuous times, the aphorism bears repeating. Yes, nonprofit organizations and their systems of governance are evolving as the contributors to this issue have demonstrated. Yet, there are some underlying principles of trusteeship that remain the bedrock of effective 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofits. Nonprofits are rooted in federal and state laws, and it is essential that those who are legally responsible adhere to long-established standards and norms set out in the statutes.

What follows then is a proposed job description for a board member of a nonprofit organization in 2025. There should be no apology for the fact that it does not depart substantially from a similar description that might have been created a decade ago. What is new is that it is especially important today that any organizations should require every board member to read and sign such a pledge and be held accountable to it. “Dead wood” that may have been acceptable in earlier times is a luxury that boards today can ill afford. This is a mechanism to hold everyone to account. 

For those using what follows as a model, some terms and bullet points may be adapted as needed, but organizations should be cautioned not to water down the requirements substantially to attract more candidates. For example, if someone says, “Well, I am happy to help out, but I won’t be able to contribute or raise any money,” that should be a red flag. The job description does not prescribe an amount of money to be given or raised, but it does adhere to a principle that everyone on the board must make some kind of financial contribution.

On the other hand, some organizations may wish to strengthen the philanthropic provision of the job description which, in the example below merely states that there is a requirement of an annual contribution. Variants might include the following:

• An organization might require a minimum annual cash contribution from each board member. (For example, $2,000, as in the case of the Community Music Center of Boston, according to Lecolion Washington.)
• On the other hand, there might be a “give or get” minimum such that individuals can either donate the money themselves or raise it from others. (That is the situation for the organization, The Dream Unfinished, as Eun Lee explained in her interview.)
• Or the job description might state that the organization should be among the top three philanthropic priorities of each individual board member.

The job description that follows is in the form of a pledge. This is intentional and is one of the things that is particularly important. No one should be invited to serve on a board unless they are prepared to serve and meet their full responsibilities. Each board member should read, agree to, and sign the document. By signing, individuals can be held accountable and guided toward effective actions and patterns of behavior. Instead of vague conversations about responsibilities, this document sets clear expectations in black and white. And if in the end, some candidates choose not to move ahead in joining a board because they are not prepared to sign the pledge and assume such responsibilities, the organization may well be stronger as a result.

Board Member Job Description and Pledge

I understand that: 

• It is an honor to serve as a board member of [name of organization].
• I am helping to [establish/continue] a tradition of service grounded in the organization’s values and vision for the future.
• I bear a legal and fiduciary responsibility for the actions of the organization.
• I will support proven practices but will also be open to new ideas and approaches in achieving the organization’s mission.
• I have accepted a major responsibility in representing the organization, helping to guide its future, and approving the allocation of money.

I pledge to:

• support the organization’s mission.
• become familiar with its bylaws and other policies in order to make informed decisions.
• serve on at least one committee.
• follow and conscientiously support decisions of the Board.
• respect confidentiality.
• avoid conflict of interest and the perception of conflict of interest.
• act with personal integrity and maintain a high ethical standard. 

I will:

• attend Board meetings in person or via electronic communication. I will notify the Chair (or the Chair’s representative) if I cannot attend and will avoid a pattern of unexcused absences.
• actively participate by expressing my views and sharing my expertise.
• prepare for meetings, including reading background material distributed by the officers.
• review financial statements and other documents distributed by the Chair, ask questions, and make informed and prudent decisions related to them.

I will support the organization by:

• making an annual financial contribution to the organization.
• attending programs sponsored by the organization, where possible.
• promoting the activities and accomplishments of the organization in the broader community, bringing back any concerns, ideas, suggestions, or compliments.

I will review this job description annually and communicate with the Chair of the Board if there is any aspect of this job description that will be difficult for me to fulfill.

Signature: _________________________                          Date: __________________

This is post is part of our On Our Minds newsletter. Previous issues of On Our Minds can be read here.