Governance is the process of providing strategic leadership to a nonprofit organization. It entails the functions of setting direction, making policy and strategy decisions, overseeing and monitoring organizational performance, and ensuring overall accountability. Nonprofit governance is a political and organizational process involving multiple functions and engaging multiple stakeholders.
In the Governance Section:
Your Need-to-Know Information
The Board of Directors make up an organization's governing body. Board members have roles and responsibilities designed to guide strategy, accountability, and long-term success.
Agendas & Templates
The Board of Directors make up an organization's governing body. Board members have roles and responsibilities designed to guide strategy, accountability, and long-term success.
Evaluations & Assessments
The Board of Directors make up an organization's governing body. Board members have roles and responsibilities designed to guide strategy, accountability, and long-term success.
Bylaws describe the foundational rules that govern how the organization operates. They outline board structure, roles, meeting procedures, and decision processes essential to a nonprofit.
With recent changes made to Florida's Nonprofit Corporation Act effective July 1, 2026, many areas of nonprofit governance may be impacted. Gulf Coast is committed to keeping our nonprofit partners informed on changes and is currently working to update the Bylaws resources provided above as more information and guidance becomes available. To learn more, the Florida Nonprofit Alliance (FNA) has created a self-assessment tool to review your current Bylaws. They have also recorded a webinar addressing common questions.
These are not Gulf Coast created resources.
Policies are written guidelines that standardize practices across the organization. They include ethics, confidentiality, retention, and other operational standards essential to ensuring a nonprofit's compliance and accountability.