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virtual board meeting
Starting a nonprofit

Board Quorums, Non-Profit Strategy, and Technological Innovation

Many non-profit’s use the 51% benchmark for a quorum as a concession that directors will not be able to attend all meetings, but having a majority of board members in attendance for official business ensures a representative cross-section of participation which will not simply reflect the will of a very small clique of directors.  However, organizations that value strong hands-on participation by board members may set a higher quorum requirement to encourage meeting attendance and broader participation. 

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Non-Board Members on Board Committees
Governance

Setting up Nonprofit Board Committees for Maximum Effect

The need for committees and which types will vary based on your organization’s age, size, and activities.  Newer organizations may be able to get by with a small working board and few or no committees, while large and established nonprofits would be hamstrung without the robust use of committees. 

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Can your nonprofit Board vote by email
Governance

Can Your Nonprofit Board Vote by Email?

Technology now offers businesses and boards many advantages, including the ability to meet via teleconference, video conference, or even conduct discussion and voting via electronic communications, such as email.  But while email is commonplace among many organizations for its ease of use, especially for busy and geographically diverse volunteers sitting on nonprofit boards, there are several reasons to think twice before using email for your next important nonprofit board vote. 

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board meeting schedule
Governance

How Often Should Your Board Meet?

At a baseline, your board needs to meet with sufficient frequency to adequately carry out your basic fiduciary and governance duties.  This includes hiring the CEO and monitoring the CEO’s performance, creating a vision and direction for the nonprofit, setting goals and monitoring their progress, developing policies and procedures, ensuring sufficient financial resources, and generally safeguarding the organization and its mission.

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Fundraising Regulation

Can Non-Profits Use Donor Restricted Program Funds to Pay Overhead?

In non-profit finance and accounting, restricted contributions are those given by donors in which the donor intends the funds to be used for specific programs or purposes. As in all matters regarding donations, the stated intent of the donor rules when it comes to the purposes for which donation revenue can be allocated. If the donor allocates funds for program B, and states verbally or in writing that such funds cannot be used for administrative costs (back office, IT support, human resources, insurance, operations, etc.) to support such programming, than they cannot be used for that purpose. However, if no such explicit statement is made by the donor, non-profits can use a reasonable amount of the restricted funds received to pay for administrative costs allocable to the program designated by the donor.

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