This workbook is designed to help board members of nonprofit community development organizations gain a common and thorough understanding of the roles and responsibilities of their boards of directors. It is also a useful tool that board leaders can use to re-evaluate the way the board functions as organizational needs change. New boards or those that have been in existence for a long time will find the manual useful as a means of checking effectiveness and identifying possible improvements. It covers such topics as mission, vision and values; legal duties and risks; the stages of board development; board roles and tasks; board composition; officers and committees; policies and procedures; successful meetings and new member recruitment. Group exercises and worksheets with facilitator instructions are included.

This manual is one of 36 included in Enterprise's Community Development Library (CD Library), which also includes a CD-Rom.