Shared challenges in board governance have perennially driven co-ops to establish shared resources and services. Consultants and collaboration around governance and leadership development have been key to building shared cooperative identity and local community impact.

From the early days of the Cooperative Board Leadership Development (CBLD) program, consultants serving co-op boards and other mission-driven organizations have been asking the question, “What resources do our clients need?”  

Years of providing ongoing support to scores of cooperative grocery boards of directors has led to a deep and constantly evolving understanding of what resources board leaders, both new and experienced, will find helpful.  Each board is itself a work in progress, requiring leadership practices, periodically renewed training, and preservation of institutional memory through its policies and documents. Co-op boards and Columinate governance consulting have led to the creation of field guides and other resources to support board work.

CBLD field guides start with an overview of the topic, including why it matters and how it fits into the bigger picture. Then, there are usually some practical steps to take, followed by strategic questions or resources for further conversation.

The Columinate library contains over 600 resources, which can make it hard to find what we’re looking for, and might feel overwhelming. Below is a categorized list of some of our favorite foundational resources and field guides specifically for boards.  It’s a great starting point, especially for new directors.

CBLD Policy Template

Policy Governance Quick Guide

Monitoring Report Decision Tree

Using Monitoring Reports to Ensure Organizational Alignment

Incorporating Anti-Racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Into Board Policies: A CBLD Field Guide

Board Self-Evaluation: Monitoring your Board’s Policies

Committee Charters Field Guide

Video Field Guide: Connecting Policy Governance and the 4 Pillars

Handling Board Resignations

Resetting Board Systems and Culture: A Quick Guide

Analysis of Board Members’ Conflicts of Interest

Study Guide for Cooperative Principles: Fostering Racial and Economic Equity in Cooperatives

Seven Steps to Re-energize your Cooperative Culture

Board Compensation (2011)

4 Pillars Self Assessment Tool

So Our Co-ops are Mostly White. Now What?

Precautions and Protections: Summarizing Legal Responsibilities of Co-op Boards

Building Board Capacity to Lead Through Multimodal Governance

A Board’s Duty: Determining what is Reasonable

Elections

Field Guide Orienting New Directors

Video Field Guide: The Always Appoint Principle

Discussion and Process Guide for GM Compensation

Video – Starting off right with your new GM

Field Guide: GM Reporting During an Expansion Project

Field Guide—Patronage Dividend: Presenting GM Recommendations

Setting up a process for GM Compensation

Evaluating the General Manager

Building a Strong Top Leadership Team

Minute Taking Essentials

Board Decisions Between Meetings

Executive Sessions Field Guide

Board Meeting Packets Field Guide

Financial Dashboards: Focusing on Key Indicators

Key Financial Indicators Field Guide

Context Matters: Using Trends to Monitor the Financial Health of your Co-op

Patronage Dividend Primer

Board Communication: Using the Board’s Unique Perspective to Increase Owner Engagement and Participation

Virtual Annual Meetings Field Guide

Marilyn’s Hierarchy of Participation

Using Ends to Tell the Story

Responding to Employee Concerns Field Guide

Responding to Workplace Conflicts 

How to be an Effective Board President

Officer Elections Field Guide

Virtual CBL 101 CBL 101 Resource Guide