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1. How much time on the average do you spend monthly on keeping abreast of developments in the field of board leadership?

None at all 1-3 hours4-6 hours7-9 hours10 + hours

a. Do you regularly read periodicals that pay significant attention to nonprofit board leadership?

YesNo

If Yes, what are the periodicals?

b. Have you read at least one book over the past year that deals exclusively with nonprofit board leadership?

YesNo

If Yes, what books on nonprofit board leadership have you read this past year?

c. Have you attended a workshop focusing on board leadership over the past year that lasted at least 3 hours?

YesNo

2. Have you developed a detailed strategy that you can employ in helping your board to develop its capacity to produce high-impact governance?

YesNo

3. How much emphasis do you place on strengthening your board members' feeling of ownership of their governing work?

NoneSomeA Great Deal

Identify 3-4 steps that you've taken to do so:

4. To what extent do you involve your senior management (executive) team collectively in planning, managing, and monitoring board support activities?

NeverLittleQuite A BitVery Intensively

Specify 3-4 board-related topics that are regularly on the team agenda:

II. Your Board's Development As A Human Resource

5. Is the regular development of your board as a human resource (e.g., finding the right people to fill vacancies, etc.) the formal responsibility of a particular board committee?

YesNo

If Yes, what committee?

6. Does your board regularly and formally update a detailed profile of the desired board in terms of composition and board member attributes/qualifications?

YesNo

If Yes, is this profile used in identifying candidates to fill board vacancies?

YesNo

7. Regarding the development of board member governing skills, does your board:

a. Provide a formal orientation for new board members?

YesNo

b. Budget for a formal board member skills development program?

YesNo

c. Provide board members with opportunities to attend governing skills development programs?

YesNo

d. Ask seasoned board members to serve as mentors to new board members?

YesNo

III. Your Board's Governing Work

8. Has your board developed and adopted a formal "Board Governing Mission" that sets forth its major governing responsibilities and functions in detail?

YesNo

9. In the area of planning:

a. Does your board have a standing committee that focuses on planning?

YesNo

b. To what extent does your board play a proactive, creative role in regularly updating your organization's values, vision, and mission; in identifying the strategic issues your organization faces; and in identifying possible initiatives to address the issues?

Not At AllSlightSomeGreat Extent

c. During the past 36 months how many retreats lasting at least a day has your board participated in to deal with strategic planning "products" like those in (b) above?

None123More Than 3

d. To what extent does your board provide "pre-budget" guidance that you and your senior managers are expected to follow in preparing the annual operational plan/budget – such as a priorities statement or set of performance targets?

They Don'tMinimalModerateSignificant

10. In the area of performance oversight:

a. Does your board have a standing committee that concentrates on monitoring programmatic and financial performance for all of your organization's operating units and programs?

YesNo

If Yes, what is the name of the committee?

b. To what extent does your board participate in designing the content,format, and frequency of programmatic and financial performance reports?

Not At AllSomeTo A Great Extent

IV. Board Self-Management

11. Does your board have a standing committee to coordinate the board's governing operations, including developing the board meeting agenda, overseeing standing committee operations, etc.?

YesNo

If Yes, what is the name of this committee and who belongs to it (by position/title)?

12. Does your board formally develop and adopt performance targets/standards:

For the board as a whole?

YesNo

For individual board members?

YesNo

13. If Yes to either question in #12, to what extent does your board formally monitor performance against these targets and take action in the case of performance shortfalls?

Not At AllRarelyModeratelyTo A Great Extent

V. The Board-CEO Working Relationship

14. Does your board have a committee that is specifically accountable for ensuring that your working relationship with your board is strong, positive, and enduring?

YesNo

If Yes, what committee?

15. Has your board formally approved a detailed CEO position description?

YesNo

If Yes, when was it last updated and how was this accomplished?

16. How often does your board formally evaluate your performance?

NeverSporadicallyAnnuallySemi-AnnuallyMore Often

a. Is the evaluation measured against specific, negotiated CEO performance targets?

YesNo

b. Is the evaluation the responsibility of a particular board committee?

YesNo

If Yes, what committee?

17. Other than making sure that your board periodically agrees to an updated CEO position description and regularly evaluates your performance, what steps do you take to keep the board-CEO working relationship healthy?

Thank you for completing this survey.

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