Terms with real start and end dates
Each member holds one or more terms, with its own start date, end date, and role. A member who served, stepped off, and returned keeps that history rather than overwriting it, so you can answer questions about past service without digging through old minutes.
- Start and end dates per term, not a single tenure field
- Multiple terms per member, including gaps in service
- Role recorded on the term, so a chair's term reads differently from a director's
Term limits your bylaws actually specify
Set your term length and maximum consecutive terms once, on the organization. Board Manager applies them everywhere, so eligibility is a fact on the record rather than something a chair has to reconstruct from memory each spring.
- Term length in years, configurable per organization
- Maximum number of terms, so ineligibility surfaces before nominations open
Alerts that arrive early enough to act on
A daily job checks for terms approaching their end and emails a digest to the coordinator at 180, 90, and 60 days out. Six months is enough lead time to open a recruitment conversation. Sixty days is enough to prepare a slate.
- Digest email at 180, 90, and 60 days before a term ends
- One message covering every expiring term, not one per member
Officer positions tracked separately
A treasurer's appointment rarely runs on the same clock as their board term. Officer and committee-chair positions carry their own start and end dates, so an officer transition is visible on its own schedule.
Common questions
What happens when a term ends?
Nothing is deleted. The term stays on the member's record with its end date, and you can add a new term for a renewal. Past service remains visible.
Can I record terms that started before we began using Board Manager?
Yes. Terms are plain start and end dates, so you can backfill a board's service history as far back as your records go.
Who receives the expiry alerts?
The coordinator email on the account. The digest lists every term approaching its limit so one message covers the whole board.
Related reading
How to Structure Board Member Terms at Your Nonprofit
A clear-headed guide to setting term lengths, staggered cycles, and renewal policies that keep your nonprofit board healthy, compliant, and moving forward.
Board Succession Planning: Who Takes Over When Someone Leaves?
Why most small nonprofits don't plan for leadership transitions until it's urgent, and what a simple succession plan actually involves.
What a Board Chair Actually Does (and Doesn't Do)
A clear look at the board chair's role in governance, meeting facilitation, and the ED relationship, including what the chair should stay out of.