Governance Committee

The Governance Committee maybe the most important committee of the board of directors. The effectiveness of the Board depends on the Governance Committee. Let me explain. The scope of the Governance Committee is the board. Its role is to design, build, enhance, educate, shape and sustain the Board of Directors. When a board is malfunctioning, it is likely that the Governance Committee has failed in its steward responsibility — to ensure that the board of tomorrow is better than the board of yesterday.

Let me outline  core responsibilities of the Governance Committee:

1. Board Roles and Responsibilities — ensuring that the members and officers understand their responsibilities as individuals serving on the board as well as the board’s collective responsibility to govern;
2. Board Composition — ensuring not only that the right people are elected to the board but also the right mix of people are on the board;
3. Board Knowledge — ensuring that the members of the board have the knowledge and information needed to govern and oversee the nonprofit organization by providing education, coaching, and experiential learning opportunities;
4. Board Effectiveness —  ensuring that the members of the board have regular opportunities for self-assessment and/or external evaluation where recommendations are made for improvement; and
5. Board Leadership — ensuring that board officers are nominated on the basis of leadership skills and commitment to the mission and not on the solely on the basis of popularity or availability.

To fulfill these five responsibilities effectively, the  Governance Committee must be full engaged through the board year. In other words, the work of the Governance Committee should not be seen as an event or the fulfillment of a group of tasks. Instead, the Governance Committee must take a systematic approach and be engaged throughout the board operating year.

The  Governance Committee is the steward of the board of directors. Effective stewardship will positive impact the culture of the board of directors and its ability to ensure that the mission of the nonprofit organization is effectively and efficiently making a difference in the community.