​​Serving as a board chair is a demanding role, but also an incredibly rewarding one. Designed ​for b​​​oard ​chairs who are beginning a new term as chair, this guide is a starting point and resource to help enhance the leadership of those committed to leading effective boards. ​​​ 

It provides frameworks, resources, and guidance to help prepare new and future board chairs.

NOTE: This resource builds on Board Service Essentials: A Guide For Board Members, which is a great starting point for board resources. For deeper learning as a board leader, register for our upcoming Board Workshop Series for Board Board Chairs. For professionals working with boards, consider applying for the upcoming Leadership Lab: Collaborating With Your Board program

Download the professional printing version of this resource.

Board Leadership Essentials.pdf

Serving as a board chair is a demanding role, but also an incredibly rewarding one. Designed ​for b​​​oard ​chairs who are beginning a new term as chair, this guide is a starting point and resource to help enhance the leadership of those committed to leading effective boards. ​​​ 

Serving as a board chair is a demanding role, but also an incredibly rewarding one. Designed ​for B​​​oard ​C​​​hairs who are beginning at new term as chair, this guide is a starting point and resource to help enhance the leadership of those committed to leading effective boards. ​​​ 

Board Leadership Essentials: A Guide For Board Chairs

Research and ideas on boards, board chairs, and the board-professional partnership.

Boards

Guide

The role of a Jewish nonprofit board member demands far more than just good intentions. It requires knowledge of governance responsibilities, a commitment to ethical conduct, the ability to think strategically about organizational trajectory, and dedication to fostering an inclusive culture of open dialogue and accountability. This guide provides a starting point and guidance to prepare board members for service.   

We hope that this resource energizes you to give generously of your time, treasure, and talent in service of the organization to which you are committed.   

​NOTE: Board Members, for deeper learning, register for the upcoming Board Workshop Series: Sessions For Board Members.

Professionals working with boards: in addition to this guide, you can also refer to our guide for Board Chairs, and our upcoming Leadership Lab: Collaborating With You Board cohort experience. 

Board Service Essentials.pdf

Created for board members starting a new term, this guide covers everything you need to know to be an effective nonprofit board member, including knowledge of governance responsibilities, a commitment to ethical conduct, the ability to think strategically about organizational trajectory, and dedication to fostering an inclusive culture of open dialogue and accountability.

The role of a Jewish nonprofit board member demands far more than just good intentions. It requires knowledge of governance responsibilities, a commitment to ethical conduct, the ability to think strategically about organizational trajectory, and dedication to fostering an inclusive culture of open dialogue and accountability.

Board Service Essentials: A Guide For Board Members

This report shares our recent research findings on how CEOs of Jewish nonprofits perceive their boards and how that data compares with data from BoardSource about boards in the general nonprofit sector.

The data is based on a May 2023 survey of 304 CEOs and a qualitative research project based on 36 CEO interviews in summer 2023. This report also shares practical actions Jewish nonprofits can take now to improve their board effectiveness.

Jewish Nonprofit Boards-CEO Perceptions and Actions for Better Governance.pdf

Based on data from a survey of 304 CEOs in May 2023 and a qualitative research project based on 36 CEO interviews in summer 2023, this report shares findings on how CEOs of Jewish nonprofits perceive their boards.

Based on data from a survey of 304 CEOs in May 2023 and a qualitative research project based on 36 CEO interviews in summer 2023, this report shares findings on how CEOs of Jewish nonprofits perceive their boards and actions they can take to improve board effectiveness.

Jewish Nonprofit Boards | Leading Edge

Jewish Nonprofit Boards: CEO Perceptions & Actions for Better Governance

Report

The first few months in a CEO’s role are a vital time. Whether this is the CEO’s first time or tenth time in a senior-most leadership role, the learning curve for each role is steep, but an intentional process can help. This toolkit guides an incoming CEO and their board chair partner in the critical first phase of the CEO’s leadership in an organization. Starting with a strong and supportive relationship between the board chair and the CEO can set up the incoming leader and the organization for long-term success.

The toolkit has three parts, which may be read all together or separately: 

Rooting Your Leadership: A People-Centered Tool for Incoming CEOs

Planting Strong Leadership: A People-Centered Tool for Board Chairs Supporting Incoming CEO

The Leadership Covenant: People-Centered Conversation Guide for Incoming CEOs and their Board Chairs

People-Centered Leadership Toolkit.pdf

This toolkit was created to guide the volunteer-professional partnership between the board chair and the CEO just beginning their leadership role. A true partnership of this nature can only be achieved through thoughtful attention to building the relationship, especially at the start of a new CEO`s tenure.

Board chairs and incoming CEOs can work together to give their partnership strong roots.

People-Centered Leadership: A Toolkit for Incoming CEOs and the Board Chairs Supporting Them

Leadership transitions are inevitable, but not all transitions are foreseen.

Pass The Torch outlines a multi-tiered approach to anticipating, planning for, and successfully completing founding leader succession for your organization. While we know that no tool is perfect, Pass The Torch will guide your work and prepare you to craft an approach to succession that is aligned with your organizational context.

Designed with founding CEOs and their boards in mind, Pass The Torch is a starting point for effective succession. Whether the leadership transition is years or months away and whether the Board knows when it’s coming or is planning for the inevitable, succession planning can be healthy, robust, and enable the organization’s long-term health.

NOTE: If you’re accessing this resource in response to an emergency transition, please begin with Stage Four.

Pass the Torch—Succession Planning for Founding CEOs and their Boards.pdf

You lead an organization. You want it to thrive far into the future. Making that happen starts today.

Pass the Torch: Succession Planning for Founding CEOs and their Boards | Leading Edge

Pass the Torch: Succession Planning for Founding CEOs and their Boards

“Who will lead them, so that God’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd?” — Numbers 27:17

Outstanding leaders drive powerful results. They inspire staff. They forge meaningful partnerships with boards and donors. They lead with purpose. Recruiting, cultivating, and retaining outstanding leaders is one of the most powerful levers organizations have in fulfilling their missions. Yet, finding the right leaders to fill these roles in the Jewish community is becoming increasingly challenging. 

Over the next five to seven years, 75 percent to 90 percent of Jewish nonprofit CEOs and other senior leaders will retire or otherwise leave the sector in the United States.

To assure the vitality and continuity of our treasured Jewish organizations, lay leaders must take action to bridge this gap.

LLCTA_March2017+(1).pdf

This report outlines practical steps lay leaders can take to help address the barriers keeping Jewish organizations from having the robust talent pipeline they need.

Call to Action: How Lay Leaders Can Overcome the Jewish Community’s Leadership Pipeline Challenge

Article

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Data, best practices, and other resources on creating leading places to work.

Organizational Culture

Great leadership starts at the top. Explore executive leadership from search through succession.

Executives

Practical guides and strategies for recruiting, hiring, developing, and retaining top talent.

Talent Management

Trends and big ideas driving Jewish organizations and leaders forward.

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Explore resources and tools to empower you to drive change in leadership, talent, and culture.

Our library is a hub of resources on leadership, talent, and culture. For a quick-start on any topic, visit our Collections, where we’ve curated the most relevant resources around each topic.