One of the main duties of a board of directors is to evaluate the executive director’s performance. But, who evaluates the board and who does the board work for; who’s the boss of the board? In a for-profit company, the board of directors protects and works for owners and stockholders. But in a pregnancy center, ownership can be vague.

If the executive director founded the center, does the board work for him? Or if the center receives large donations from a board member, does the board work for her? No, and both are contrary to effective ministry and governance.

True “ownership” of any Pregnancy Resource Center belongs to the community which provides funds and clients. Understanding this will help boards determine center effectiveness. For example, if donations are low, board members should ask “Why isn’t the community supporting our ministry?” Maybe the community isn’t aware of the center or doesn’t believe the services are valuable. Or, if the number of abortion-minded clients doesn’t meet expectations, the board can inquire “How can we become more aware of client needs?” In either case, or any cases like these, the board can create policies to achieve the “ends” demanded by the “owners.”

In short, the board needs to determine ministry goals and evaluate itself based on community expectations. As a result, board members will not be sidetracked by staff agendas or individual board members. Then, they can answer the question, “Who’s the Boss of the board?” with integrity.