Every nonprofit gets to an age at which the founders realize that they need more hands, more help and more direction. Many nonprofits form an executive board at this point. However, not all boards work in the same way. There are many governance models that can be used to ensure that your charity runs in a way that is effective and serves its stated mission.
One of the most well-known governance models for nonprofits is an advisory model. This allows the executive director to meet with a group of advisors on a regular basis for guidance www.mindboardroom.com/board-meeting-preparation/ on how to run a non-profit. The governing board could be the same or different than the advisory board, based on the terms that are agreed upon. Another popular model is the cooperative governance model. It is a democratic system that distributes the power equally across all board members. It is ideal for organizations that are not required by law to have an executive director.
The Policy Board Model has also become very popular. The model for governance was devised by John Carver and is a great tool for creating policies that both management and the board have to follow.
All of these models are great however, they might not be appropriate for your nonprofit. Fortunately, it is very typical for nonprofits to employ one model of governance centrally and include other models to suit the needs of their organizations. This combination of systems helps your organization flourish and achieve its goals.