Board Committees

By Congregational Life

The word committee spelled out in Scrabble tiles

Boards, especially in congregations with 100 or more members, find that delegating part of their fiduciary work to committees and/or task forces helps to free them up for big-picture and visionary discussions. The board reserves decision-making authority.

Board Committees are defined in the board policies. Committees such as Safety, Finance, and Personnel develop and provide detailed expertise and distill information in their reports and recommendations to the board so that the board can make informed decisions in these areas.

Board Task Forces are created by a vote of the board for a specific project and limited period of time. Strategic Planning, Staff Search, Bylaws, and Governance Review are examples.

All committees and task forces should be given a charter, charge or other document communicating their role, tasks and what the board expects in the reports

For standing committees accountable to the congregation as whole, as defined in the congregation's bylaws, see Committees of the Congregation. Examples include Nominating Committees and Endowment Committees.

About the Author

UUA Congregational Life

The regional Congregational Life staff are congregations' local connection to the UUA. All of the program Congregational Life staff have expertise in most aspects of congregational life and each also has a few program areas of expertise.

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