Standard A20 Explained

Why is it important to orient new board members? Orientation of new board members is an essential component of creating an effective board of directors.¹ In order to govern a nonprofit or charitable organization, board members must be informed of the organization’s goals and activities and must also understand their role as board members, including their personal liability for the organization’s finances or actions.

Orientation of new board members might include the following:

• The organization’s letters patent
• The organization’s bylaws
• The organization’s recent annual reports
• The organization’s policies and procedures
• A document describing the role of the board of directors, such as the “Primer for Directors of Not-for-Profit Corporations: Rights, Duties, and Practices,” Industry Canada, 2002.
• The role of the board in hiring, performance evaluation, compensation management, and firing, if needed, of ED/CEO.
• The organization’s mission statement
• The organization’s strategic plan or long-term goals
• The programs and services offered by the organization
• The organization’s administrative structure
• The organization’s financial status, budget, and funding structure

From "Accreditation Preparation Workbook Section A: Board Governance,"  Katharine Zywert, Social Prosperity Wood Buffalo at the University of Waterloo, 2013.

1. “Primer for Directors of Not-for-Profit Corporations: Rights, Duties, and Practices,” Industry Canada, 2002.