Free kit · Board and governance
Board Resolution Templates: free nonprofit board resolution template in Word, Excel and PDF
Record each board decision so a bank, an auditor or Form 990 can rely on it. Start from a blank resolution or a filled sample for bank signers, the annual budget, executive director pay or a new policy. Act between meetings by written consent, certify a resolution for the bank, and keep every one numbered in the Excel register.
Word, Excel and PDF · 12 pages · For board secretaries, treasurers and executive directors
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What is inside
- Blank board resolution. A background, numbered decisions, the vote and the secretary's signature, with a line for the minutes.
- Bank accounts and signers. Names the accounts and the signers, the amount one signer may approve alone, and a treasurer who reconciles the statements but does not sign.
- Annual budget approval. The year's budget totals, how far a line may move before a committee approves it, and how results come back to the board.
- Executive director pay. The salary, the comparable pay data behind it and who stepped out, matched to what Form 990 asks on line 15a.
- Adopting or amending a policy. Adopts or replaces a policy, such as conflict of interest, with the date for annual statements and a yearly review.
- Action by written consent. Lets the board act between meetings, with a signature line for each director, where your state's law and your bylaws allow it.
- Secretary's certificate. Certifies to a bank that a resolution is in full effect and who holds each office, with their signatures.
How to use it
- Check your rules: your state's law and your bylaws set the quorum, the vote needed and whether the board may act by written consent.
- Pick the form: the table on page 3 matches each decision, from a new bank signer to a bylaws change, to the form that records it.
- Number and adopt: number each resolution by year and order, such as 2026-07, and adopt it at a meeting or by written consent (Form F).
- Write it up on time: minutes or a signed consent by the later of the next meeting or 60 days, as Form 990 asks.
- Show the proof: the secretary's certificate (Form G) goes to the bank, and the Excel register tracks deadlines, policy reviews and who signs on each account.
Not legal advice. This is a template. Your state's nonprofit corporation law, your articles of incorporation and your bylaws decide how your board may act, and several rules differ from state to state: the quorum, the vote needed, and whether the board may act without a meeting by written consent or email. Have an attorney licensed in your state review any resolution that changes authority, pay or your governing documents.
Questions
Is the kit free?
Yes. Enter your name, email and organization once, and every kit in the library opens on this browser.
Can I edit it?
Yes. The Word and Excel files are fully editable: replace the bracketed choices with your own, set the dollar limits from your financial policies and add your bank's account details.
Does it work in Google Docs?
Yes. Upload the Word file to Google Drive and open it with Google Docs; the tables and ruled lines carry over.
Can I share it inside my organization?
Yes. Copy it, adapt it and share it with your board and staff.
Read the guide
More kits for boards
Board Meeting Agenda and Minutes KitAn agenda with a consent agenda, the packet, the executive director's report, minutes and a year of meetings
Nonprofit Bylaws TemplateAnnotated bylaws with every choice marked, committee charters and a term tracker
Conflict of Interest Policy and Disclosure FormA policy based on the IRS sample, an annual disclosure statement and the minutes for a member who steps out
With resolutions, the template is rarely where it goes wrong. The conversations are: asking a long-serving director to leave the room for a pay vote, or taking a founder off the bank account. A coach helps the executive director or the board chair prepare for them.
Six sessions of executive coaching: $300, $400 or $600, set by your organization's yearly operating expenses.
