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Scorecard

How Healthy Is Your Nonprofit Board?

BoardSource Leading with Intent National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices research consistently shows that nonprofit board effectiveness depends on composition diversity, member engagement and participation, 100% board giving plus fundraising involvement, role clarity plus meeting effectiveness, and succession plus board development. Score your nonprofit board governance health across these five dimensions to surface the highest-leverage governance improvements.

Last updated: May 2026

Nonprofit board governance health is a scored assessment of board effectiveness across composition diversity (skills, demographics, lived experience), engagement and participation (meeting attendance, between-meeting activity), 100% board giving plus fundraising involvement, role clarity plus meeting effectiveness, and succession plus board development through orientation, training, and self-evaluation. BoardSource median nonprofit board size typically target 11-15 members with skill diversity.

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What is Nonprofit Board Governance Health?

The Formula

Health = (Composition and Diversity) + (Engagement and Participation) + (Giving and Fundraising) + (Role Clarity and Meeting Effectiveness) + (Succession and Development)

BoardSource Leading with Intent National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices research consistently shows that board effectiveness depends on these five dimensions, with 100% board giving as a foundational signal to major donors and grant funders.

Worked Example

A nonprofit board has some diversity in two dimensions, 80% meeting attendance with some between-meeting engagement, 90% board giving but mixed fundraising involvement, bylaws documented but no member job descriptions, ad-hoc recruitment, periodic orientation only.

Composition and Diversity: some diversity (medium)
Engagement and Participation: 80% attendance plus some engagement (medium to high)
Giving and Fundraising: 90% giving but mixed fundraising (medium)
Role Clarity and Meeting Effectiveness: bylaws only (medium)
Succession and Development: ad-hoc plus periodic orientation (low to medium)

📌 Composite health lands in the workable middle range. Highest-leverage fixes in priority order: build documented board recruitment and succession plan with active pipeline, expand role documentation to include job descriptions plus annual orientation, push board giving to 100% with documented stretch-gift expectations, and structure board fundraising involvement so all members participate beyond personal gifts.

Why This Matters

Board effectiveness drives organizational health

BoardSource Leading with Intent research consistently shows that organizations with healthy boards outperform peers on every operational metric: fundraising, program quality, leadership stability, financial health, and mission impact. The board is the strategic engine of the nonprofit; investing in board effectiveness compounds across every other operational priority.

100% board giving is foundational to fundraising credibility

BoardSource and AFP research consistently identify 100% board giving as a foundational signal to major donors and grant funders. Boards without 100% giving lose credibility in fundraising conversations regardless of strategy or staff quality; the expectation should be documented in board agreements.

Common Mistakes

❌ Recruiting board members for prestige rather than skills

Many nonprofits recruit board members for community visibility or prestige rather than for the specific skills the organization needs (legal, financial, fundraising, program area, marketing). Skill-driven recruitment produces materially stronger boards than prestige-driven recruitment.

❌ No board self-evaluation or development

Boards without self-evaluation and development practice routinely drift toward complacency over years. Annual board self-evaluation plus periodic training plus retreats keeps the board developing alongside the organization rather than freezing at the moment of initial formation.

Industry Benchmarks

Category	Good	Average	Poor
BoardSource median nonprofit board size	11-15 members with skill diversity	9-13 members	Under 5 or over 25 (sizing issues)
Board meeting attendance	Above 95% with engaged participation	80-95%	Below 60% (board engagement issue)
Board giving rate	100% with stretch-gift expectations	80-95%	Below 80% (credibility issue with funders)

Source: BoardSource Leading with Intent National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices, Stanford Social Innovation Review governance research, and Independent Sector board governance studies

Benchmark data sourced from BoardSource Leading with Intent National Index of Nonprofit Board Practices, Stanford Social Innovation Review governance research, and Independent Sector board governance studies.

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One of the most common mistakes we see when working with clients: recruiting board members for prestige rather than skills. Many nonprofits recruit board members for community visibility or prestige rather than for the specific skills the organization needs (legal, financial, fundraising, program area, marketing). Skill-driven recruitment produces materially stronger boards than prestige-driven recruitment.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does a healthy nonprofit board look like?

BoardSource Leading with Intent research consistently identifies five characteristics of healthy nonprofit boards: meaningful diversity across skills, demographics, and lived experience reflecting represented community; 80%+ meeting attendance with engaged between-meeting participation; 100% board giving with active fundraising involvement; documented roles plus effective meetings producing decisions; and structured succession plus board development through orientation, training, and self-evaluation.

How large should a nonprofit board be?

BoardSource research consistently shows median US nonprofit board size at 11-15 members, with smaller boards (5-9) common for startup or small-budget nonprofits and larger boards (15-25) common for mid-to-large nonprofits with multiple committees. The right size depends on skill mix needed, committee structure, and the trade-off between engagement (smaller boards typically more engaged) and capacity (larger boards typically more diverse and connected).

How often should the board meet?

BoardSource research shows median nonprofit board meeting cadence at quarterly (4-6 meetings annually), with committees meeting on different cadences between board meetings. Some boards meet monthly during launch phase or campaign periods; some mature boards meet quarterly with strong committee structure. The right cadence depends on operational complexity, committee structure, and member engagement; the cadence should produce decisions and forward momentum without consuming member capacity unnecessarily.

How important is 100% board giving?

BoardSource and AFP research consistently show 100% board giving as a foundational signal to major donors and grant funders; boards without 100% giving lose credibility in fundraising conversations regardless of strategy or staff quality. The expectation should be documented in board agreements with a stated giving floor or stretch-gift expectation; specific dollar amounts vary by organizational scale and board member capacity.

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How Effective Is Your Nonprofit Marketing?

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