- Have a board of sufficient size, skills, backgrounds and experiences to conduct its work effectively.
- Have a board substantially composed of independent members to reduce risk arising from conflicts of interest.
- Have a board development process that includes procedures for recruiting and training board members.
- Ensure the board’s presiding officer and treasurer are not the same individual.
- If, in rare circumstances, a staff member serves on the board, clearly define the staff role and ensure that any exercise of decision-making authority complies with rules regarding conflicts of interest.
Background
A land trust’s board needs to be of sufficient size and diversity to minimize conflicts of interest, qualify the organization for charitable status, provide credibility in the community, and ensure effective operations. A land trust can help ensure recruitment of good directors by standardizing board recruitment and evaluation methods, usually through a nominating or board governance committee. It is helpful for the land trust to provide board members with written expectations or a job description to explain the role of the board member, expectations for board service and evaluation processes.