What are the positions in a board?
Information about the roles of a board of directors
A nonprofit board of directors typically has officers such as a chair, vice chair, secretary, and treasurer to help fulfill its functions.
Among the many members that make up a nonprofit board of directors, there are typically four officers:
Chair (or Chairman): Presides over meetings, works directly with executive director, sets meeting agendas, creates subcommittees, acts as spokesperson for the board.
Vice Chair: Takes the role of the chair when the chair is absent from meetings; often becomes chair when sitting chair’s term is up. This can be seen as an apprentice position, or a way of guaranteeing institutional memory.
Secretary: Responsible for taking meeting minutes or, if that role is done by a staff member, revising them. It can be useful to have the executive director act as secretary.
Treasurer: Responsible for reporting the fiscal picture of the organization. Ideally, this person will have a background in accounting or finance and receive reports from the executive director to make sure the organization’s budget is on track.
Board officers typically sit on the board as regular members before being elected; the chair is often seen as the most senior and important position. However, if the entire board is new, then officers will have to be elected from the general ranks of the board. In that case, the executive director may want to facilitate the first one or two board meetings. To fill officer positions, ask for volunteers or nominations; then have the board take a vote.
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