What’s in a Name? (A Board Member Title Name, that is.)

Here’s a common scenario: you’re starting a nonprofit and you’re on page one of the incorporation application. So far, so good.

• Question 1: Your organization name. Check.

• Question 2: Your name. Check.

• Question 3: Mailing address. Check.

• Question 4: Names, addresses, and titles of your board members.

Wait… titles of your board members? Can’t they just be called “board members”? Are there certain requirements for nonprofit board member titles, in the first place?!

Fast forward two hours later, and you’re stuck in a spiraling Google search of phrases like, “what’s the difference between ‘President’, ‘Chairman’ and ‘Executive Director’?” and “can I use “board member” as a title?” You might even be asking yourself “why did I decide to start a nonprofit, again?”

Don’t despair. By the time you get through this post, you’ll know everything you need to know about nonprofit board member names and titles.

Let’s begin with what they do. Board members are responsible for the overall organizational structure of nonprofits, and choosing board members is a very important step in starting any nonprofit.

While every organization’s board of directors is composed differently with varying roles and titles, there are three standard roles that almost every board must have and that includes a president, treasurer, and secretary. 

Every nonprofit board of directors is made up of members which are also called directors. Although not all boards distribute each members’ responsibilities the same way, you can refer to this as a guide for what generally goes into board members’ names.

Tip 1: What is the difference between ‘Executive Director’, ‘President’, and ‘Chairman’ of the board?

The executive director of a nonprofit is typically in charge of the daily operations of the organization, including managing programs, finances, volunteer outreach, and fundraising. In small nonprofits, the founder often also serves as the Executive Director.

The president is the overall leader and visionary of the organization's mission, and is often responsible for overseeing short term and long term financial goals.

The president works closely with the executive director, founder, and board members to establish strategies for managing the organization’s funding. 

Note that often, for smaller nonprofits, the titles “President” and “Executive Director” are interchangeable meaning that both are commonly used as the title for the founder. Though technically, “President” is an officer title, whereas “Executive Director” is more often a staff role.

The chairman of a nonprofit is often considered the “voice” of the board, as they are responsible for leading the board’s growth and development. The chairman also evaluates the Executive Director, if applicable.

Some nonprofits have a president of the board and a chairman of the board. However, most often nonprofits have either a President or a Chairman, not both.

Tip 2: Can you just list someone’s title as “board member”?

Yes, you can list the title of a board member as “Director”. After all, a nonprofit board of directors is made up of members, also called directors. Titles such as President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer are all officer roles.

A director does not have to be an officer, although they can be. Many small-scale nonprofits have directors that also hold officer roles. We’ll get into officer roles next.

Tip 3: What is the difference between a ‘Director’ and an ‘Officer’?

A nonprofit’s board of directors is responsible for the legal and financial management of the organization. The directors of the board typically have ultimate say over the nonprofit’s operations.

Directors make decisions about approving the budget, and plan strategies to achieve the organization’s mission.

However, the board of directors are not responsible for carrying out the daily operations of the nonprofit.

Instead, the board of directors can elect officers to run the day to day operations of the nonprofit, such as authorizing a Treasurer to open a bank account, or electing a Secretary to keep track of meeting minutes.

Remember, President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Vice President are all officer roles.

Once the board delegates authority to an officer, that officer has the ability to act on behalf of the nonprofit, (as long as they are in accordance with their responsibilities as clearly outlined in the bylaws or board meeting minutes.)

Generally, an officer is also on the Board of Directors, but they don’t have to be. Some nonprofits have officers that are not directors.

Other nonprofits have directors that are not officers.

The important thing to note is that the Directors (board members) have decision making power because they have the ability to appoint and remove officers.

Tip 4: Can you combine roles on the Board of Directors?

This depends on state law. In most states, two or more offices may be held by the same individual. However, some states prohibit the same person from holding two specific roles. For example, in California the President may not also serve as Secretary or Treasurer.

It is generally a good practice to spread out the roles to three different people, but the IRS does not require it. For more detailed information on your state’s specific board requirements, visit your Secretary of State department website.

You can also ask your Resilia expert - our team can guide you through every step of setting up and scaling your nonprofit for success! 

Remember that even though choosing your Board of Directors (and their titles) can feel overwhelming, once your nonprofit is up and running you can always modify the roles and responsibilities of members by a vote at future board meetings.

For more information and resources on board management, visit Resilia’s Nonprofit Training, Fundraising, and Management Platform.