Board papers should be clear and concise, with a high level of insights. Only dig into the operational level when it is essential for making strategic decisions. Using graphs or charts to present information or trends is a great method of providing insight at the lower levels. In an appendix it is useful to provide a link for more technical information or statistics.
The paper should state the reason for the paper (information or discussion, or seeking an agreement) and include an executive summary that provides the recommendations. The executive summary should not exceed 4 to 5 lines.
The paper should detail the most important issues and risks that are associated with the proposal. If the risk is substantial there should be a clear mitigation plan and impact should be identified. Even if you think the risk is not significant it’s important to take into consideration the future risks that could arise www.boardroomofficial.com/preparing-your-nonprofit-board-for-a-fundraising-campaign/ if your proposal is not implemented fully or isn’t achieved.
The report should outline the various options that were considered in the decision making process. It should give a summary of pros and cons or provide a summary of how the preferred option scored on the relevant decision criteria. Included is an analysis of alternatives. This is important because it provides the Board with more than one option to consider in their governance responsibilities and helps to ensure that all possible outcomes have been taken into consideration.
