Measuring the Effectiveness of Nonprofit Boards

Abstract

The Board Self-Assessment Questionnaire (BSAQ) was developed to assess board performance in six areas that previous research has shown to characterize highly effective boards. Data from 623 board members in 34 nonprofit organizations were used to examine this instrument's reliability, validity, and sensitivity, including the relationship between board scores and selected indicators of the organization's financial performance. Results indicate that the BSAQ is a sound and useful tool for evaluating board performance.