As a board member of a nonprofit organization, you probably know that the board-staff relationship can be confusing. When acting in its governing role, the board, as a group, is "the boss." But in the supporting role, each board member is required to assist staff-led work.

Author Cyril Houle once wrote: "Nobody outside a board can ever fully understand its complexities and its involvements with its executive and staff. Inherent in its very nature are several seeming contradictions; delicate balances must constantly be achieved if it is to succeed." The fact is that the two roles that boards play are very distinct and are equally important to realizing the mission of the organization. The challenge, however, is for executive directors and board members to gain a clear understanding of each and how they benefit the nonprofit.

In the supporting role of a nonprofit board, individual members represent the organization's interests. They raise money, bring contacts and clout, provide special skills in their professional capacity or expertise, and serve as ambassadors to the community.

By contrast, a board's governance role focuses on protection of the public interest and achieving the mission of the organization. Governance responsibilities include selecting the executive director and monitoring his or her performance, setting the long-term direction for the organization, ensuring compliance with legal and contract requirements, and evaluating the organization's impact and purpose.

Naturally, boards have some limitations in their ability to govern, including lack of time and unfamiliarity with the field. In addition, the sector's emphasis on the board's supporting role and the human tendency to avoid conflict can make these limits more difficult to deal with.

Jan Masaoka of CompassPoint Nonprofit Services, a nonprofit organization that trains boards, suggests making governance an explicit part of board meetings and thereby affirming their responsibilities in both support and governance. She encourages practices such as marking "governance items" and "supporting items" on board agendas, and seeking and rewarding board members who express critical thought, discernment, and have a questioning attitude.

When recruiting, Masaoka says that boards should seek members who are good governors as well as those who are good supporters — people who know clients as well as people who know philanthropists, people familiar with nonprofit management as well as people who know business operations, and people who ask critical questions as well as people who applaud.

Executive directors are in an excellent position to ensure the effective functioning of the board. Because they are responsible for their organizations' performance, executive directors need to work closely with individual board members, take an active role in the recruitment and orientation of new board members, keep lines of communication open and develop processes that the executive director and the board can use to work better together.

A big step toward an effective board is recognizing the need to perform both board functions equally well. A failure to govern as well as support can be a disservice to the organizations' clients, donors and the rest of the community.

Board members can learn more about their roles and responsibilities at the Hawai'i Community Foundation's "Breaking Boardom" Board Leadership Conference on Nov. 8.

Get on board with leadership

What: "Breaking Boardom" Board Leadership Conference

Who: Board directors of nonprofit organizations

When: Nov. 8

Where: Hilton Hawaiian Village, Coral Ballroom

Cost: $75 per board member

Register: www.hawaii communityfoundation.org or (808) 626-6755.

Topics: "10 myths about nonprofit boards," "Tax Relief: Board members and nonprofit IRS reporting," "Finding your fundraising niche," "Top 5 legal issues all board members should know," "Succession planning for your executive director," "Sustaining nonprofit performance: the case for capacity building and the evidence to support it."