There comes a time in every nonprofit where the founders realize that they need advice, direction and more pairs of hands. That’s when many put together boards of directors. However, not all boards work in the same way. There are many governance models that can be used to ensure that your charity is managed properly and is able to fulfill its goals.

One of the most well-known models of governance for nonprofits is an advisory model. This allows the executive director to speak with a group of advisors regularly for suggestions on how to run a non-profit. The governing board may be the same as or differ from the advisory board depending on agreed-upon terms. The cooperative governance model is another common model. This is a highly democratic structure that distributes the power equally across all board members. It is ideal for companies that aren’t legally required to have an executive director.

The Policy Board Model is also very popular. This model of governance was designed by John Carver and is a excellent tool for creating guidelines that both management and the board have to adhere you can try these out to.

Although all of them are excellent models, they might not be the ideal choice for your organization. Fortunately, it’s typical for nonprofits to employ one central governance model and add other models to meet the needs of their organizations. This mix of systems can help your organization grow and achieve its goals.