This link collection is organized to support board development throughout the year. These articles could be used to anchor a year-long professional development calendar, pairing a short discussion with each meeting. New trustees may benefit from reviewing the governance fundamentals section as part of onboarding or have the full board review an article in advance to establish shared language and a common starting point for discussion.
Governance Fundamentals — Roles, Structure & Committees
The building blocks every trustee should know: what the board is actually responsible for, how committees should (and shouldn’t) be structured, and where the lines of good governance sit.
- Avoiding Conflict of Interest on a Nonprofit Board Foundation Group
- Board Member Responsibilities and Roles Boardable
- Board Structures: The Good, the Bad and the Downright Ugly John Littleford
- Committee Management: Roles and Responsibilities Boardable
- Good Governance and the Role of an Independent School Trustee Venable
- Some Key Indicators of Strong or Weak Board Governance Behaviors John Littleford
- The Board Subcommittees You Need (and the Ones You Don’t) John Littleford
- To be or not to be…a trustee? That is the question! Greenwich Leadership Partners
- What Goes Into Strong Financial Governance? NBOA
The Board–Head Partnership
Practical guidance on the relationship at the center of school leadership, covering how boards and heads build trust, communicate clearly, and stay out of each other’s lane.
- Better Governance Carney Sandoe
- Fostering Academic Excellence: Yes, the Board Has a Role ExploElevate
- Reset, Refocus, and Reignite Your Relationship With Your Board: A Personal Learning Journey NAES
- The Altitude Problem: Why Smart Boards and Heads Still Talk Past Each Other ExploElevate
- The Board Chair’s Role in “Keeping your Head of School” The Education Group
- Why Alignment is Important in Head of School Searches Jim Wickenden
Strategic Planning & Forward Focus
Tools and perspectives for boards that want to spend less time managing the present and more time shaping where the school is headed.
- Are you ready for your next strategic plan? ISM
- Board Ready for the Future? Inside Higher Ed
- Boards: Goal Setting Is an Obligation and an Opportunity for Dialogue! Greenwich Leadership Partners
- Capital Campaign Readiness: Is Your Board Ready to Lead? Gail Perry Group
- Does your school community know the purpose of your board? Acies Strategies
- Four Principles of Purpose-Driven Board Leadership Stanford Social Innovation Review
- How Independent Schools Build Strategic Plans That Work Winkler Group
- Is Your Board Focused on the Future or the Past? Exco Leadership
- Is Your Strategic Thinking for Small School Boards Acies Strategies
- The Strategic Board – Key Challenges and 5 Steps to Address Them Better Boards
- The Strategic Plan Post-Mortem: Your Most Important Pre-Planning Work ExploElevate
- Thinking Ahead – Independent School Boards and Strategic Planning Effective Governance
Board Development, Recruitment & Succession
Guidance on building a stronger board over time, from recruiting the right members to preparing for leadership transitions before they become urgent.
- Board Succession Planning: Why Are Boards Afraid to Talk About Their Future? Effective Governance
- How the Best Boards Approach CEO Succession Planning Harvard Law
- Recruiting Board Members? Don’t Overlook Experienced Trustees ISM
- Recruiting the Right Board Members Acies Strategies
- The Conversation Every Board Chair Should Have With a New Trustee RG175
- The Power of a Board Retreat Acies Strategies