Board self-evaluation is one of the most under-utilized and yet most important processes to strengthen the effectiveness and improve the health of a nonprofit board. When done well, the two components of this process — individual board member self-evaluation and collective board self-evaluation — can reveal significant strengths and weaknesses in the following areas:

• How much board members know about the mission, programs and services and can communicate this effectively?
• How well-informed and prepared the board is to make important decisions?
• How committed the board is to change and the improvement of internal operations?
• How well the board works as a team and with staff, and how well the flow of information works?
• What gaps exist in terms of expertise and skill sets to guide future recruiting efforts?

It is a best practice to perform a self-evaluation process at least once a year. The following resources provide templates and suggestions to help you design or refine your evaluation tools:

• Hyams Foundation: Individual Board Member Self-Evaluation
• Free Management Library: Board Evaluation
• NAVREV: Board and Individual Member Sample Evaluations