Hi all,

The discussion around board committees got me thinking that there might be
some good ideas out there about board handbooks.  Here at the Gardner we
have distributed our handbooks to all board members in specially-made
binders and then send out revised information to the board members to be
put into the binders whenever changes are made (such as revisions to
bylaws, new board contact list, or updated programming information).  I'm
working on revising ours now (for both our trustees and overseers) and I am
curious as to what other organizations do.  So I've got a few questions for
the group:

If you have a board handbook, how often do you revise and send them to your
board?  When they first join?  Every year?  Only when revisions are needed?

What kinds of information do you include in the handbooks?  Strictly board
related information, such as bylaws, code of ethics, or committee charges,
or do you also include general information on the organization, such as
history, mission statement, general programming/conservation/financial
information?

In what format are they distributed -- bound notebooks, in binders, via
email?

Thanks for any and all help!

Lydia K. Hellrich
Board Relations Coordinator
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Boston, MA

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