One way to be sure that each person on the board is clear on his or her responsibilties, is to adopt a board member contract.  Not intended to be legally enforces, the contract outlines explicitly what is expected of individual board members, and how the organization will in turn be responsible to them.

This contract differs from similar documents in some important ways.  While most board agreements describe board members responsibilities, this one also outlines the responsibilities of the organization to the board member.  A key principle underlying this document is the board\'s responsibility to hold the organization accountable to its constituencies and to the public.  Just as important, the contract communicates core values about debate and disagreement, accountability, and board-staff relationships.

To see a sample and read the full article, visit: http://www.blueavocado.org/node/455