The perfect board: it's as easy as one, two, three.

In today's challenging environment, nonprofit executives and boards agonize over the role of the board and its composition. Indeed, it is important for boards to understand their governance responsibilities. Additionally, each board needs to determine the particular skills, diversity, and relationships it needs among board members to accomplish its work.

When it is all said and done, however, the most important qualifications for each board member are intellect, caring, and commitment to provide support. Without these attributes, board members are utterly useless to the organization. With these key ingredients among board members, the organization can achieve absolutely anything.

Intellect is key because the challenges facing nonprofits are far more complex than issues facing most for-profits. Caring is there because complicated financial and strategic issues require the board's focus and attention. Commitment to provide support is necessary because nonprofits rely on their board members to be generous, make introductions, and be articulate and passionate advocates.

The chief financial officer (CFO) of a children's services organization moved from a position as CFO in the for-profit sector when he took the position at the nonprofit. He went from a company that had annual revenues in the hundreds of millions to a nonprofit with an annual budget of $5 million.

Most people would assume it would be child's play to move to an organization with a fraction of the budget. That's not the case. In fact, the for-profit had one price for its product, and customers bought it accordingly. The nonprofit, on the other hand, has more than a dozen funding sources for each of its programs. And, each of the funders had its own timetable and process for requesting funds and paying out grants or fees, as well as unique requirements of programs and services and expectations for outcome measurements and reporting.

In any given week or month, the social services organization is juggling to adapt to changes, cuts, demands, or even new opportunities from one source of funding or another.

The CEO and the executive team must be nimble and adapt to changes on a steady basis if they are to generate the funds to keep the doors open to the children and families who count on this organization's vital services. Additionally, the organization will need to be cognizant of pending legislation and government funding patterns and educate key constituencies about the potential impact on programs and services.

To be useful and effective in governing the organization, board members must have the intellect to grasp the issues and recognize the complexities. The board members must realize that they cannot run the organization on a daily basis. Instead, the board needs to hire a highly qualified and capable chief executive. And yes, that highly qualified individual needs to be compensated and supported accordingly. The board needs to look to the CEO for expertise and organizational leadership.

Indeed, the board must hold the chief executive accountable to outlined goals and address the question-how are we doing--on a regular basis. The board and the chief executive need to agree on fundamental measures of success so that they can track progress and adjust course as needed.

Board members need to care. Given the strenuous challenges in this environment, board members who do not pay sufficient attention will fail in their governance role. Those who attend meetings, read their materials, and care about the organization and its ability to serve will make the time that is necessary to be effective.

One of the many benefits of having board members of diverse backgrounds is that the organization's importance can be appreciated from a variety of perspectives. Most nonprofits provide meaningful value to people from a broad variety of backgrounds and neighborhoods.

To build a board comprised of people who care, boards need to reach out and include candidates from many different walks of life. Boards that understand the organization's significance from many viewpoints will become a powerful, positive force.

Finally, board members need to be committed to support the organization. This does not mean that all board members must be wealthy or connected to large, generous corporations or foundations. It does mean, however, that all board members should be enthusiastic about the organization's work to the degree that they will open their wallets to the best of their ability, and speak about the organization passionately among their colleagues and friends. Board members should be available to join the organization's executive or development director in meetings with funders to advocate for the group.

One of the primary values board members can add is to communicate about the organization throughout the community. Here again, boards comprised of people from diverse backgrounds will relate to and reach out to a broader scope of individuals and institutions whose support will be important.

The ideal is to have a board comprised of people who have the intellect to understand the strategic and financial issues, the caring to pay attention, and the commitment to support the organization. Unfortunately, the ideal is rarely achieved. In reality, many organizations are fortunate to have even a small band of individuals with these three key qualities.

It is often astounding to see how much even a minority of board members can achieve when they are passionate and willing to focus themselves to strengthen the nonprofit organization. There are tales of organizations that were rescued and turned around because of the heroic efforts of a few. Most of the time, such heroism is not even publicly recognized. But those who commit themselves rarely do so for the accolades. They do it for the children, or the seniors, or the students; for those who are sick or in need of food, home, or shelter; or for those who seek inspiration through the cultural arts.

It's as easy as one, two, and three. The time has come for boards to demand that their members understand, care, and do. The future of the nonprofit sector is at risk, but with devoted board members who grasp the issues and commit themselves, our communities will thrive with strong health and human services, better education, lively arts and culture, and vital economies.

Alice Korngold is president, chief executive officer and founding executive of Business Volunteers Unlimited (BVU), a Cleveland, Ohio-based national organization that engages businesses in strengthening the nonprofit sector. Her email is: [e-mail]