10 Things Every New Foundation Board Member Should Know

The Council on Foundations, in collaboration with BoardSource, is proud to announce the publication of an easy-to-use guide for new foundation board members, 10 Things Every New Foundation Board Member Should Know. This publication is designed as a basic guide for new foundation board members, providing an introduction to tools and knowledge essential in your first years of service on the board of a foundation. The guide contains information, advice, vetted best practices, and sets of questions a new board member might ask in an orientation or as their service on the board begins.

This publication is designed as a basic guide for new foundation board members, providing an introduction to tools and knowledge essential in your first years of service on the board of a foundation. The guide contains information, advice, vetted best practices, and sets of questions a new board member might ask in an orientation or as their service on the board begins.

This tool was informed by a survey of current foundation board members, and it was developed through interviews with board and staff at foundations in the U.S. and Canada.

The Council and BoardSource are grateful that select collaborators have graciously allowed their comments to be reflected in this booklet, and we want to thank them for their generosity in assisting with the publication’s refinement.

Watch a video introduction with Renée Byng Branch, Vice President of Institutional Partnerships and Research

10 Things Every New Foundation Board Member Should Know will be made available to members of the Council on Foundations at no charge.

Download the full guide today.

Created in Collaboration with

If you have any questions about the publication, please do not hesitate to reach out to Ericka Plater-Turner, Director of Leadership Education and Evaluation at the Council.

This publication is not a substitute for legal, financial or other professional advice; it is intended for informational purposes only, to inform readers about some of the responsibilities that accompany board service.