How to Write Effective Board Decision Papers

Board documents must be clear and concise, with an excellent level of information. Only drill down into the operational details when it is necessary for strategic decisions. Utilizing charts or graphs to summarize information or data trends is a great method of presenting information at the lower levels. Providing a link to further information or statistics on a technical level in an appendix can be beneficial.

If the decision is a one-time or a continuing issue the paper should clearly state the purpose of the Board document (information only, discussion or seeking an outcome) and include a brief executive summary that specifies the recommendation. In the ideal scenario, the executive summary should not be greater than 4 – 5 lines.

The paper should outline the most important issues and risks that are posed by the proposal. If the risk is significant there should be a clear mitigation plan and its impact should be determined. It is important to consider the potential for future risks if the plan is not implemented in full or if it is not achieved even in the event that the nonprofit board for a fundraising campaign risk is believed to be low.

The document should contain a description of the many alternatives that were taken into consideration in the decision-making process, and include a summary of the pros/cons. It should also highlight the preferred option’s score against the relevant criteria. It is important to include an alternative analysis as it provides the Board multiple options to consider when they perform their governance responsibilities. This will ensure that they have considered all possible outcomes.