Doing Good Better ─ How to Be an Effective Board Member of a Nonprofit Organization

The third edition of this bestselling book gives practical and current advice to nonprofit board members who are stiffly new or wearily veteran. Author Edgar Stoesz, retired board chair of Habitat for Humanity International, writes crisply from his wise and seasoned nonprofit board experience.


This trusted handbook for nonprofit board service is newly revised and includes new case studies and even more tips and ideas from the trenches of nonprofit board work. Doing Good Better is approachable wisdom. Edgar Stoesz has made Doing Good Better a guidebook for both board members of nonprofits, whether new to the task, or highly experienced.

First, Stoesz identifies two failings common to many boards of nonprofit organizations that are often overlooked:

1.) A board’s governance role is very different from the role of management. "Making this distinction requires a re-orientation for most board member, because in their day jobs, they are managers or employees."

2.) Boards often fail at two matters: a.) preparation of their members, and b.) regular evaluations of their own effectiveness and focus.

In short, pointedly-written chapters, Stoesz covers:

Helping Directors Understand Their Governance Role

A Plan to Fulfill the Purpose

Reporting Back to the Members

Planning Effective Meetings

Great Boards Have a Good Fight (occasionally)

Working Your Way Through a Crisis

Great Boards Celebrate

Leaving Right



Stoesz deftly interweaves background philosophy, vision, and razor-sharp specific ideas.

"Discussion/Action Questions" conclude many of the chapters.

In addition, Stoesz offers a "Board Evaluation Form," a "Director's Self-Evaluation Form," and an Outline for the "Executive Director Annual Review."

Edgar Stoesz has spent most of his adult life in nonprofit organizations, both as director and employee. A native Minnesotan, he held six different administrative posts with the Mennonite Central Committee, including seven years as Associate Executive Secretary. For 38 years he served as President/CEO of Mennonite Indemnity, a for profit reinsurance company serving mutual insurance companies.

He has been active on the board of Habitat for Humanity, International, serving as Chair from 1991 to 1995. Additionally he has chaired the boards of Heifer Project, International; the American Leprosy Mission; and Hospital Albert Schweitzer. He has served on numerous other local and national boards, including Mennonite Economic Development Associates.

Since co-authoring the first edition of this book, Doing Good Better, Stoesz has addressed or conducted workshops for more than 150 boards. He has also written Common Sense for Board Members and edited the collection, Meditations for Meetings: Thoughtful Meditations for Board Meetings and for Leaders, all published by Good Books.