Resources

Prepare priority questions, advance materials, consent items, decision briefs, and follow-up — a companion to The Best Use of a Board’s Time, with corporate and nonprofit versions.

A practical board meeting agenda with time allocations and guidance notes — read it online, download the editable Word file, or print it.

Corporate and nonprofit versions for recording decisions, votes, recusals, and executive sessions — with guidance on what to record and what to leave out.

How to plan and run focused board meetings — agendas, consent agendas, virtual meetings, confidentiality, executive sessions, minutes, and resolutions, with a sample resolution form and log.

A short, anonymous survey directors complete once a year — twelve rated statements, open questions, and scoring guidance to turn feedback into better meetings.

An annual framework for evaluating the CEO or Executive Director — goals review, leadership competencies, rating scale, and next-year goals — corporate and nonprofit versions.

Map the skills your board has against what your strategy needs, then recruit to close the gaps with a candidate scorecard — corporate and nonprofit versions.

Emergency and planned chief executive succession, the leadership bench, and board and officer succession — corporate and nonprofit versions.

Mission and vision, situation assessment, three to five priorities, measurable goals with owners, and a board progress dashboard — corporate and nonprofit versions.

Listen, assess, earn early wins, and align with the board — a structured first 90 days for a new CEO or Executive Director, corporate and nonprofit versions.

A quarterly check-in the chief executive and board chair complete separately, then compare — role clarity, communication, trust, and shared priorities.

A confidential team assessment — clarity, trust, decisions, accountability, and results — with a team action plan, corporate and nonprofit versions.

Confidential one-to-one coaching for CEOs, presidents, and executive directors — board relationships, leadership teams, accountability, and transitions.

A starting point for a board manual — governance basics, board roles, and director duties in one editable Word document, corporate and nonprofit versions.

A written charter for every standing committee — purpose, authority, composition, meetings, and responsibilities — corporate and nonprofit versions.

Model board policies — conflict of interest, whistleblower, fiduciary duties, and more — each as an editable Word download, corporate and nonprofit versions.

The annual disclosure and signed attestation every director and officer completes — a companion to the conflict of interest policy, with Form 990 guidance for nonprofits.

An onboarding checklist and first-meeting guide for new directors — what to read, who to meet, and what to expect in the boardroom.

Pair each new director with an experienced mentor — roles, confidentiality boundaries, and a first-year conversation plan to build confidence and independent judgment.

A formal written resolution template — the standard WHEREAS / RESOLVED format, common resolution types with model language, and a secretary's certification block.

A running register of every formal board resolution — number, date, category, action authorized, how adopted, and certification — so any past authorization can be found in seconds.

An interactive, confidential assessment across seven governance areas — instant section scores, strengths and gaps, and a three-priority improvement plan.

A year-at-a-glance planning calendar mapping board meetings, committee focus, and recurring obligations month by month — so nothing arrives as a surprise.

A model AI use policy — approved tools, data protection, human accountability, and incident reporting — corporate and nonprofit versions.

A charter giving AI oversight a home — purpose, authority, composition, and standing responsibilities — as a new committee or an amendment to an existing one.

A board-level readiness checklist across six areas — governance, strategy, data security, legal, people, and vendors — with scoring guidance that turns gaps into a work plan.

Plain-language definitions of key governance, board, and fiduciary terms — from business judgment rule to stakeholder primacy.

A practical guide to the obligations, preparation, and oversight that board service demands — from fiduciary duties to ongoing monitoring.

What to gather for an audit and what to gather for a review, side by side — ledger, banking, revenue, payroll, controls, and confirmations — with a preparation tracker, corporate and nonprofit versions.

Dual authorization, verification of urgent requests, vendor and invoice controls, documentation, and training — with a controls self-assessment and a funds-transfer authority table, corporate and nonprofit versions.

Role clarity, screening, written standards, documented problem-solving, a fast track for serious misconduct, and the authority to end each kind of relationship — with a program self-assessment and an authority table, corporate and nonprofit versions.

A one-page volunteer policy, role descriptions with a fill-in template, an orientation checklist with signed acknowledgments, a first-ninety-days plan, and sample bylaws clauses — corporate and nonprofit versions.

Plain-language definitions of ESOP terms — from repurchase obligation and vesting to S-corporation ESOPs and trustee duties.

Real steps from a 100% ESOP transition — assessment, design, valuation, post-transaction governance, culture, and repurchase planning.