Every issue pertaining to a nonprofit board of directors relates to the topic of governance, the overall principle and set of practices for ensuring accountability and compliance, transparency, healthy growth and long-term security. Some of the most prominent areas of nonprofit governance today in the post-Sarbanes-Oxley world include:

• Accountability and transparency issues
• Financial oversight and internal controls
• Hiring, evaluating, and if necessary, firing the Executive Director
• Program performance evaluation and development
• Organizational and strategic planning and development
• Personnel and human resource development

• Policy development

Things to remember:

• Always work to advance your organization's mission
• Review, update and follow your organization's governing documents
• Board members: Stay active and be informed
• Avoid conflicts of interest
• Protect board members and officers from legal exposure
• Understand the legal and tax status of your organization
• Comply with applicable state laws
• Properly manage employees and volunteers
• Be Internet savvy
• Maintain records and be financially accountable
• Avoid legal challenges
• Remember the "Enquirer/Post Test." How would it read on the front page of the newspaper?