Note: This is an updated version of a popular blog entry written nearly a decade ago.

How would you like it if your nonprofit had a one-member board?

If you're an executive director that is struggling with your board then this may be a dream come true. The same may be true if you're a frustrated member of a large, slow-moving and fractious board.

As it turns out, this isn't necessarily a fantasy. In some states all you need to legally incorporate as a nonprofit is just one board member. One!

Now then, I've never actually come across a one-person board. And I definitely don't think it's a good idea in practice. Given that a board's core purpose is to provide governance and appropriate oversight, one person just isn't going to cut it.

But that begs the question: how large should your board be?

One board of an association that I work with has twenty-five members. It works great and has extremely strong committees. But, managing the board requires a significant amount of staff time and the board is slow to make decisions.

What I typically recommend for small organizations is to create a board of five to seven members. Yes, only five-to-seven.

A board of this size:

Is flexible and can respond rapidly.
Maximizes strong board engagement and accountability.
Simplifies board communication.
Can focus on its oversight responsibilities and not get sidetracked into micromanaging the organization.
Doesn’t bog the staff down in board management tasks.

But, you may be wondering, what about all of the other ways that a board can assist: fundraising, program assistance, marketing, etc.? That's why I also recommend the creation of an advisory council to complement the small board. In this structure the board of directors focuses on overall governance while the advisory council serves as a body of interested stakeholders that assist in all sorts of other ways.

(Note that I use the term advisory “council”, not advisory “board”. This helps to maintain a distinction between with the board of directors.)

There is a lot of variability in how to run an advisory council. Some organizations create a set of operating procedures, have a chair, and hold regular meetings. Other councils never meet at all and don’t have designated roles; they are just happy to have their name listed on marketing collateral and serve as needed. You can set your council up to meet your particular needs.

One organization that I’m familiar with — that has extremely strong programs and always exceeds its fundraising goals — has this board and council structure. It can work exceptionally well.

Done well, you get the best of both worlds in this structure: a fast-moving governance board and a deep set of stakeholders that can assist with fundraising, programs, and myriad of other organizational needs.

Here are links to two organizations that have this type of board of director and advisory council structure: Vida Verde Nature Education and the Inter-American Foundation.

Here is a complementary article where we go into advisory councils in more detail:

A Fresh Approach for Your Nonprofit Advisory Council

Hopefully these ideas and resources stimulate some ideas for how you and your board can create the best structure that works for your needs.

How big is your organization’s board?