Nonprofit governance: A review of the field

Abstract

The research literature on nonprofit governance and boards has grown substantially in the past decade. Important insights have emerged as scholars and practitioners from a growing range of disciplines and fields have examined boards and the ways that they are organized, the practices they employ, and the impact they have on nonprofit performance. Insights have not been limited to boards alone, however, as researchers have broadened the foci of their studies. More is being learned about the individuals who are a part of the governance process, what motivates them, how they engage in their work, and the implications of their performance for board and organizational impact. Likewise, more is being learned about systems of governance that operate beyond the scope of individual organizations as more and more nonprofits are active in networks, alliances and collaborations. Important work has begun to help us understand more fully the processes of governance and board work in a variety of diverse contexts. This is an exciting time for the field of nonprofit governance and board research.