NASW Board of Directors Charge

Authorization and Accountability [Article VI.A]

The Board of Directors of the association shall exercise all the powers of the association, deciding on ongoing policy and priorities, policy implementation, and the equitable allocation of financial resources under the broad policy and priority guidelines established by the membership of the association in the meetings of the Delegate Assembly.

Purpose [Article VI.E]

Duties are in accordance with the broad policy and priority guidelines established by the Delegate Assembly.

Time Frame [Article VI.C]

The Board of Directors shall hold not fewer than four meetings in a given year, at such times and places as may be determined by the President.

Members, Terms and Criteria [Article VI.B and C]

The term of office of all officers and the president-elect shall be governed by Article VI.C: One student member shall be elected each year for a term of two years; all other members of the Board of Directors shall serve terms of three years. On expiration of a term as a member of the Board of Directors, a Board member shall not be eligible to serve in the same position on the Board of Directors within a period of one year from the expiration of the original term. Board members will be permitted to run for a consecutive term in a different position, but in no case will a Board member be permitted to run for a third consecutive term on the Board of Directors.

The Board of Directors shall consist of the following members:

  1. The five officers and the president-elect of the association.      
  2. Four members at large elected by the full membership of the association.
  3. Two student representatives, elected by the total voting membership, shall sit on the Board. One of these shall be an undergraduate social work student and one shall be a graduate student in a master’s degree program in social work. Undergraduate and graduate student representative candidates must be matriculating social work students for at least one of the two years of their term on the Board of Directors.  The school of social work attended must be accredited by the Council on Social Work Education or have achieved certain steps toward accreditation as determined by the Board of Directors.
  4. Thirteen members, each of whom shall be elected by the membership of each of the thirteen regions provided in Article VIII.A.
  5. At least one member of the Board of Directors shall be a person whose current most-advanced degree in social work at the time of election or appointment to the Board is the baccalaureate.

Specific Responsibilities

The Board of Directors shall be responsible for the following:

  1. Determination, coordination, and evaluation of the program of the association, including study of alternative program possibilities and establishment of preferential ratings of such alternatives to guide in the allotment of association resources
  2. Establishment and disestablishment of national committees and task forces depending on the policy and priorities of the total association, definition of their functions, and the allocation of specific assignments.Determination and administration of the policies and procedures for disposition of problems that may arise affecting local organizations.
  3. Representation of the association in the community and maintenance of its relationship with other organizations.
  4. Finances of the association, including the rendering of an annual accounting to members concerning sources and amount of income and nature and amount of expenditures.
  5. Membership policies and practices of the association within the limits prescribed by these bylaws.
  6. Personnel policies and practices of the association within the limits prescribed by these bylaws.
  7. Selection and employment of the Executive Director of the association.
  8. Provision at regular intervals for an evaluation and appraisal of operations in relation to fulfillment of association goals.
  9. Review and resolution of intraorganizational issues and problems.
    All other business of the association in the fulfillment of the association’s purposes.