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The Little Book of Boards: A Board Member's Handbook for Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits

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Are you new to a board and have no idea what’s expected of you? Do you know what a board’s six key responsibilities are? Do you know what your relationship with the Executive Director should be? If not, this book is for you. So many board members—especially of small nonprofits—want to support a nonprofit and readily accept the invitation to join the board. It’s only then that they discover they are in over their heads, with no idea of their expectations and responsibilities The Little Book of Boards is here to throw that drowning board member a rope. Told with a conversational style, this book will lead you through the basics of being on a board, how meetings work, and what’s expected between meetings. In addition, at the back of the book are several in-depth resources for understanding Roberts Rules of Order, bylaws, committee structures, board leadership, and much more. Perfect for any new board member—or for an entire board that is feeling lost—this book and its common sense approach will serve you every year you are on the board. This book has helped thousands of boards improve how they work together for their nonprofit. This is the first edition of the book. A second edition was published in June 2026. Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform


Publication date ‏ : ‎ February 2, 2015


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Print length ‏ : ‎ 202 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1507668813


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 18


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.2 ounces


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.06 x 0.46 x 7.81 inches


Part of series ‏ : ‎ For Small (and Very Small) Nonprofits


Best Sellers Rank: #111,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #37 in Nonprofit Organizations & Charities (Books) #647 in Business Management (Books)


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Hands-on practical guidance!
Format: Kindle
I found Mr. Hanberg’s Little Book to be very helpful, and wish I had started it years ago when I first joined a board. That said there was plenty of material still to learn! I have served on three different boards, as well as two “board-like” organizations – leadership team of a Boy Scout troop and a church advisory council. My major challenge now is serving as a founding board member of a new organization whose mission is to provide employment opportunities for the marginalized, particularly people in recovery and the formerly incarcerated. This is the first time my organization has had full time employees and rented real estate, so it’s a new experience. Hanberg’s work is simply expressed and understandable to all. I would recommend it to new and experienced board members alike. Hanberg suggests that a board governance committee have the responsibility for ongoing training and development of Board members. I can think of great use of the book as a tool for chapter by chapter training and discussion, to strengthen board processes and skills. I will be proposing this to my board. His idea of an MOU – Memorandum of Understanding – for board members is terrific. Another unusual and very helpful aspect of this book as compared to works on boards in general is the distinction between service as a Board member and direct engagement in the work of the nonprofit. This has been the norm in all of the groups I’ve worked with, and I hope to learn from his guidance on how to separate these roles. Reviewer AMCIT expressed the concern that the book assumed that the nonprofit was already well structured. My current situation is far from it. A "road map" to strengthen would be a useful addition to the current work but I wouldn't discourage anyone from starting with this book and carefully working forward. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on January 30, 2023 by Brad Pritts
    • A must-read for someone joining a board for the first time, or someone who wants best practices.
I read this book after joining a board for the first time. The material in this book was extremely helpful in guiding my participation, and also improving the functioning of the board itself.
Reviewed in the United States on January 27, 2026 by Tom
    • Quick, easy-to-read resource for small nonprofit boards
Format: Kindle
Overall, this is a good book for very small nonprofits, encompassing the concerns of the board. It is well-organized and covers the spectrum of concerns in an easy-to-read manner. Further while it does cover dealing with a paid executive director, most of the material remaining is applicable to all volunteer organizations (AVO's). While the personal experiences of the author add to the flavor of the book's material, the text could have utilized more industry references and statistics to support the claims within. There remains a question of how well the suggestions would work outside the specific experience range of the author unfortunately, without such references. Further, the author admits to his bias as a past executive director and with some of the recommendations for nonprofit boards, such as the close interaction between the executive director and board chair in guiding overall strategy of an organization (as compared to other board members and the board chair, that bias is glaring. Still, the scope of activity and structure within it should make this a worthwhile resource for volunteers considering becoming board members and for those newly appointed in those roles. Overall, I recommend it. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 30, 2018 by Kalen Cap
    • Excellent Read!
Format: Paperback
Just completing my 1st year on the Women's Council of Realtor Board as Secretary and was just elected as President-elect - incoming new position for 2021 - after a wild and rocky 2020 year of near no-contact - I felt it was very important to learn as much as possible so I could hit the ground running and be an even more important part of my Board. Low & behold - found this book (and the other 2 that go with this one) - AMAZING Read and I shared with my colleagues who also say this is a very informative book (actually, all 3 are) so, thankful for finding this - Very Helpful!! ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on December 12, 2020 by bflu
    • The book was perfect for what I needed.
Format: Kindle
This book is very informative, quick to read, and I’m so glad to have read it. I can continue my small NGO with confidence. I was especially surprised and excited to learn the author is from Tacoma because that is where I grew up.
Reviewed in the United States on February 13, 2023 by COTA
    • A little book with big information!
Format: Paperback
I am the Executive Director of a small nonprofit with a Board of only 10 members.After attending a Board Governance conference, I returned to the office with more ideas than I could keep in my head. I ordered this little book and although I haven't read it page for page, it covers a great deal that was discussed in the conference. Before the next Board Retreat, I am thinking of ordering a book for each Board Member. Chapters cover most of the Board positions, but the value for me were the Appendices. I highly recommend this book for encouragement, ideas, and hopes that your Board works at its best level. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2016 by Amazon Customer
    • Easy to read, good overview
Format: Kindle
Good intro for those just getting involved with a non-profit board or those wanting to improve the function of their board.
Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2024 by Brendan Wiltse
    • Great book for a foundation of starting a nonprofit
Bro, this book helped me start a nonprofit, and now I'll make in millions embezzling.Just kidding.No, it did help me start my nonprofit, though
Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2025 by Jeremy Virden

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