Help is available for you and your board to get up-to-date information and examples of necessary documents and policies.

Two good places for comprehensive information are BoardSource (http://www.boardsource.org) and Board Café (http://www.compasspoint.org/boardcafe/index.php).

Boardsource is rich with resources for anyone interested in governance, finance, and all issues faced by nonprofit boards. Spend a little time to see what is available. Many of the on-line resources are free, while others are only available to members. You can also purchase books, pamphlets and other material. The price is a bit higher for non members, but most things are affordable.

BoardSource's Knowledge Center is a gateway to an extensive array of information dealing with nonprofit governance. It keeps you up-to-date on timely issues affecting the sector, trends in board practices, and governance strategies to increase board effectiveness.

The Knowledge Center presents a variety of resources including papers and articles, e-books, frequently asked questions, research reports, links to e-newsletters, white papers on non profit governance, and many more resources.

As an example, in the Knowledge Center you can access sample policies and procedures and, for a minimal fee, you can download multiple examples of policies ranging from codes of ethics to board member job descriptions.

Board Café is the e-newsletter exclusively for members of nonprofit boards of directors. Short enough to read over a cup of coffee, Board Café offers a menu of ideas, information, opinions, news, and resources to help board members give and get the most out of board service.

There are over 90 great issues in the archive on the Website.

Board Café is also a regular column in the online magazine Blue Avocado, the magazine for people who work and volunteer in the nonprofit sector. New Board Café articles can be read on the Blue Avocado website or you can receive it via email by signing up for a free subscription at www.blueavocado.org.