Board Assessment & Evaluation

Tools

• Measure your board's performance on specific organizational activities associated with effective governance with the no-cost Board Excellence Measurement Tool (BEMT), jointly developed by PEJE and the Grinspoon Institute for Jewish Philanthropy. The BEMT is designed for Board Chairs and Chairs of the Committee on Trustees (or Governance Committee) to use, ideally with a coach. The BEMT complements the self-reflection process of a board wide self assessment tool (like the one offered by NAIS) by enabling select leaders to focus on board behavior. It offers a baseline of the board's current practice and helps track progress over time. Get a useful sense of your board's strengths and challenges, and plan for more strategic governance.
• NAIS Board Self-Assessment Tool and Head Evaluation Tool Customized for Jewish Day Schools
• Solomon Schechter Day School of Greater Boston Self-Evaluation of Board Members and Board Effectiveness Assessment
• Board of Trustees Accountabilities Checklist by Cheryl R. Finkel, PEJE Senior Consultant
• Board Tune-ups from ISACS
• "Self-Assessment for Nonprofit Governing Boards" questionnaire, Larry H. Slesinger, BoardSource, 1995

Relevant Reading

• Board Health, Board Culture by Patrick F. Bassett and Thomas Read. This monograph provides scales and assessment questions to determine the health and vitality of one's Board and to ascertain its prevailing culture.