Harbor Light Board Member Orientation Manual

Your role at a glance

GovernanceReview mission, strategy, risk, and executive oversight through the board's approved process.

Management boundaryQuestions about staff assignments go to the board chair or executive director. A director does not assign work to staff in this example.

PreparationRead the packet, note questions, and identify any conflict before the meeting.

RecordsUse the official board portal for minutes, policies, and financial reports.

How meetings work

Seven days before: the board coordinator posts the agenda and packet in the fictional board portal.
Before the meeting: directors send clarification questions to the board chair.
During the meeting: the chair confirms the agenda, conflicts, decisions, and follow-up owners.
After the meeting: draft minutes and assigned actions appear in the portal.

Meeting dates, quorum, voting rules, and notice requirements must come from the organization's actual bylaws and policies. This fictional page does not supply them.

Financial oversight: four questions

What period does this report cover?
How does actual activity compare with the approved budget?
Which assumptions or restrictions need explanation?
What decision or follow-up is requested from the board?

Open the approved budget, current financial report, and treasurer's notes from the board portal. Do not upload donor, payroll, banking, or other confidential records to this public example.

What to do about a possible conflict

Disclose first; do not decide the procedure yourself. Contact the board chair and governance contact as soon as the issue is known. Follow the organization's current conflict policy for disclosure, participation, and recording.

Fictional contacts: Jordan Lee, Board Chair · governance@harborlight.example

The address uses the reserved .example domain and is not a real inbox.

Your first 30 days

Read the bylaws, conflict policy, latest approved minutes, strategic plan, and current budget.
Meet the board chair and executive director to clarify expectations and communication boundaries.
Open the board portal and confirm that the current packet and policy index are accessible.
Review the next meeting agenda and send unresolved questions through the named contact.

Where each item lives

Board portal: official policies, packets, minutes, budget, and financial reports.

Calendar: approved meeting schedule and deadlines.

This page: orientation summary only. If it differs from an official record, use the official record and tell the board coordinator.