Can a board member ever hold a staff position in the same nonprofit organization?

By Eugene Fram

Sometimes a board member acts not as a director but as a different kind of volunteer.  For example, Director Z has a particular accounting skill and wants to utilize it to help the nonprofit.  The CEO agrees. 

In this instance the board member is not a board member, but a volunteer working under the direction of the CEO.  This distinction is easy to understand if you think about the example of a Boy Scout leader who also serves as a board member on a Boy Scout regional council. As scoutmaster, he follows scouting guidelines and directives provided by the organization’s professionals. As a council director, he helps to set policy for the Scout movement in the geographic area.  In only one instance does he act as a director. 

Whether or not he/she should receive a payment for the work is subject to various state law nonprofit laws and approval of the board.

Source: Policy vs. Paper Clips, Third Edition, 2011, pp.231-232.